Friction performance of resilient flooring under contaminant conditions relevant to healthcare settings

Abstract

Flooring is among the factors known to influence slip and fall risk. Slips are common in the healthcare industry, where resilient flooring is prevalent. This study assessed coefficient of friction (COF) across resilient flooring products specific to conditions relevant to healthcare. The COF for eleven resilient flooring surfaces were tested in their dry condition and under six contaminant conditions. Data was analyzed using ANOVA and principal component analysis. The COF was strongly influenced by the contaminant condition (p < 0.001) with hand sanitizer and canola oil having the lowest COF values. COF was also influenced by the flooring product (p < 0.001) although to a lesser extent than the contaminant condition. The contaminants differentially affected the friction performance across the flooring products (interaction effect p < 0.001). These effects were described by the first two principal components. This study reveals high slipping potential for certain contaminants on resilient flooring and that flooring influences friction performance in contaminant-specific ways.