TIMBER W minds.
It’s easy to pivot to some of the ‘flashier’ selling points of a product when speaking to a customer in branch, with many instead focusing on elements such as its environmental credentials or how cost-effective it is. As important as these qualities are, merchants should also consider the features of a product that can help to keep workers safe on site.
A good foothold
Whether they are managing a large new housing estate, smaller development, extension or loft conversion, structural flooring will form a key part of their job. As a product, structural flooring can deliver much more than just a surface and can also help to protect workers onsite. Jonathan Lynch, building product manager at EGGER UK, says: “As we all know, safety on site is crucial. As a fundamental part of any project, structural flooring tends to be installed earlier on into the construction process and often becomes a working platform for weeks or even months, enabling site teams to carry out other works around them. This installation can also take place before a building is made watertight, with inclement weather and daily site traffic posing a potential slip risk for a workforce.”
Testing
Boards are tested for slip resistance using a Pendulum Test under BS-7976-2. This test evaluates the way a shoe or foot will react to a surface, in both damp and dry conditions. The pendulum itself acts as the shoe or foot and is swung from height in an arched motion across the sample being tested. The highest height this pendulum reaches after touching the surface is then recorded as the Pendulum Test Value (PTV). This pendulum is intended to simulate a worker’s boot crossing over the surface, providing an accurate result for slip resistance in the event of someone walking across a soiled surface.
Lynch says that the Pendulum Test Value can “help customers to understand how well a product will protect their teams.” A value of 36 or above results in a Low Slip Potential being assigned to a product, with values between 24 and 35 posing a moderate risk and anything under 24 noted as having a High Slip Potential – with
hen it comes to selling structural flooring, slip potential may not be the first ting on most people’s
SLIP-STREAM
With slips and trips accounting for the largest cause of injuries within the UK construction industry, BMJ asks what structual flooring can do to protect our workforce.
workers against slips, trips or falls on site,” he explains. “That might mean our Egger Protect product, which features a P5 chipboard core and hard-wearing, thermally bonded layer on both sides of the board.” EGGER Protect boards can be left exposed to the elements for up to 100 days on site. The laminated surface layer also ensures a safe working platform and is verified as ‘Low Slip Potential’ in wet conditions, significantly minimising the chance of accidents and injuries. Additionally, it can be easily cleaned once construction is complete, enabling a smooth surface for floor coverings to be laid on.
anywhere from a 1 in 20 to a 1 in 200 chance of a slip occurring at this level. “Customers should ideally be looking for a product that comes with a PTV of 36 or higher, helping to protect their
December 2025
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
Lynch adds that most structural flooring boards on the UK market achieve a ‘Moderate’ rating, but EGGER’s board is verified as ‘Low Slip Potential’ in wet conditions, in accordance with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) guidance for assessing the slip resistance of flooring. Tested under strict laboratory conditions and accepted for use on NHBC projects, customers can rely on the quality and durability of EGGER Protect, as well as benefit from the EGGER Advanced Lifetime Guarantee when boards are installed using EGGER’s recommended fitting method and EGGER Joint & Joist Adhesive. BMJ
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