When you use the services of a walkway auditor, you will be exposed to a whole new vocabulary when it comes to the safety and serviceability of the flooring surfaces at the workplace. In order to better understand what the walkway auditor report is saying, you must get up to speed on some of the most basic terms. One of the most important vocabulary terms you need to know is the coefficient of friction, or COF.

Here are 4 things you need to know about the COF of your business flooring:

1. COF is tested for both wet conditions and dry conditions. Just because some type of commercial flooring measures fine while dry, doesn’t mean that it is also acceptable when there is wetness on it. There are several different kinds of testing methods that walkway auditors use to check for floor friction. With a range of different flooring surfaces—like tile, marble, terrazzo, vinyl and concrete—the testing equipment is designed to measure the slipperiness of them all.
2. On-site COF testing results appear as a number that reveals the amount of slip resistance that the surface of the floor possesses. The higher the number, the less slippery that flooring surface is. A lower number indicates that the flooring is quite slippery and that measures need to be taken to increase the number for the next test. Many safety organizations have a minimum standard that commercial flooring must meet. Different numbers are also used to rate the safety of different areas, such as on a ramp vs. a flat surface.
3. Cleaning and maintenance can actually reduce the COF measurement over time as clogging up the rough surfaces of the flooring with debris, dust, sealant, wax and chemical cleaning products. This can turn a once slip-resistant floor into something much more slippery. Flooring that once had abrasive treatment can wear away and expose the more slippery surface. It’s important to make sure that regular testing of a floor’s COF is done so that all hazards are identified and taken care of.
4. There are several things that business owners can do to increase the COF number on commercial flooring. A few examples include applying a commercial slip resistance product to the flooring, using abrasive treatments to provide a rougher surface, or even using chemical etching to increase the roughness of the flooring surface. The methods all depend on the type of flooring and the specific needs of the workplace.

When it comes to making sure that employees and customers are not at risk of slipping and falling in the walkways of your business, you can’t go wrong with hiring a walkway auditor to see if your workplace meets the minimum safety standards. Knowing the COF of all the high risk areas in your building will be the first step in taking action to reduce the hazard of slip and falls and minimize potential lawsuits as a result of injuries.