Slipmeters, Shoe Traction Testers and Consulting Services

Slip Resistance Research and Development
Specializing in Engineered Slip Resistance Measurement Equipment
Slipmeter Laboratory Testing and Field Slipperiness Surveys
Last updated December 20, 2009

William English, Inc. has the most elaborate tribometry facilities and field test equipment for evaluation of traction properties of various flooring materials and shoe products under a wide range of real-world conditions. I do laboratory testing here in my shop or field surveys at your location. My testers have high validity on dry or wet surfaces.

Floor Testing
The English XL slipmeter, measures the slipperiness of any walking surface and is recognized by ASTM/ANSI F1679, ANSI A1264.2, and other specialized test standards for its use by ASTM, NFPA and ANSI committees as well as OSHA and ADA compliance. It is also the slipmeter of choice among US insurance companies, and it is widly accepted in the courts.

The English XL Variable Incidence Tribometer is engineered like no other slipmeter in the world. Besides its unsurpassed validity, it is the lightest-weight and most easily portable slip resistance tester available. With a weight of less than four pounds and an overall length of about 12 inches, it can even be carried aboard an airliner with ease. (For those of you on the metric system, it is lighter than your laptop and will fit in a breadbox.) Since dry surfaces are not normally slippery, the XL was designed primarily for valid measurement on wet surfaces, incorporating dynamics that mimic certain parameters of a pedestrian's gait. It is the only slipmeter equipped with a stair fixture that enables the metering of traction on step nosings parallel to the direction of pedestrian travel.
William English, Inc. also performs laboratory testing of floor samples as well as conducting field surveys and consulting with clients concerning remediation measures for slipperiness under foot. For details on on costs of lab testing or field survey services, go to http://englishxl.com/forensic.html
The Real-World Shoe Traction Tester
The English XST shoe traction tester applies actual shoes to any test surface under any contaminated condition, utilizing dynamics that mimic certain parameters of the human foot's action in walking. The XST can also be used in the field to test any shoe under prevailing conditions on actual workplace floors. It has been the only whole-shoe tester that can beat sticktion. (before the SST). Laboratory services are available to rank any number of shoe products in order of traction performance, thereby enabling industrial safety managers to select the best-performing shoes for employees in hazardous environments. The XST is for lab testing service and field consulting only and is not for sale.

Other Specialized Testing Equipment
is available for evaluating traction performance of specialized sport shoes, crutch and cane tips in the presence of lubricating contaminants, and other custom equipment can be developed for unusual applications, or I can modify my standard equipment to meet your particular need.

The SST Specialized Shoe Traction tester, a mobile device for applying realistic dynamic loads, thrust vectors and velocities to specialized shoes on actual indoor or outdoor surfaces, including turf, was designed and built here and was used for laboratory testing of special-purpose shoes having traction performance above 1.0, the prototype of this cutting edge tester has been sold to the International Tennis Federation in England. An improved version has been constructed and has been sold to eXceL Tribometers, LLC.

For other news of late-breaking state-of-the art developments in slip resistance technology, including standards development and our latest OSHA research project, visit http://www.englishxl.com/new.html.