Overview - ISO 13287:2019 (Personal protective equipment - Footwear - Test method for slip resistance)
ISO 13287:2019 specifies a laboratory test method for slip resistance of PPE footwear. It defines apparatus, sampling, conditioning, test procedures and reporting for measuring dynamic slip performance. The standard excludes special-purpose footwear with spikes, metal studs or similar. Footwear that claims “slip resistance” is treated as personal protective equipment under this document. For product development, sole units, outsoles or other soling components may also be tested.
Key technical topics and requirements
- Test principle: Measure frictional force and normal force while the footwear (or floor) is moved horizontally; calculate dynamic coefficient of friction (CoF).
- Test modes:
- Forward heel slip at angled contact
- Backward slip on the forepart
- Forward flat slip
(The heel test is highlighted as the most important for pedestrian slip risk.)
- Apparatus and materials: Standard shoemaking last or mechanical foot, mechanism to apply and measure normal force and friction (accuracy 2% or better), stainless steel floor with controlled surface roughness, pressed ceramic tiles (Annex B - Eurotile 2), Slider 96 (or equivalent) for calibration, rigid 7° wedges to set contact angles.
- Contaminants and lubricants: Procedures include use and specification of glycerol solutions (viscosity ~0.2 Pa·s at 23 °C, corresponding to ~86–92% mass fraction), detergent (0.5% SLS), ethanol solution (50 ± 5%) and propanone (acetone) for specific test conditions.
- Sampling and conditioning: Minimum of two samples (left and right); condition at (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 5) % RH for at least 24 hours.
- Surface and calibration: Steel floor roughness (Rz) target between ~1.6 µm and 2.5 µm; calibration procedures and Calibration Test Value (CTV) using Slider 96 defined in Annex C.
- Measurement uncertainty: Requires an uncertainty estimate using recognized approaches (e.g., ISO 5725-2, GUM / ISO/IEC Guide 98-3, JCGM 100).
Practical applications - who uses ISO 13287:2019
- Footwear manufacturers conducting product development and quality verification for slip-resistant footwear.
- Independent testing laboratories and certification bodies performing repeatable CoF evaluations.
- Occupational safety professionals, procurement teams and specifiers who require validated slip-resistance data for PPE selection.
- R&D teams evaluating outsoles, sole compounds and tread designs under controlled contaminant conditions.
Related standards and references
- ISO 4287 - Surface texture (profile method)
- ISO 4662 - Rubber rebound resilience
- ISO 5725-2, ISO/IEC Guide 98-3, JCGM 100 - uncertainty and measurement methods
- Annexes in ISO 13287:2019: standard last/mechanical foot (A), Eurotile 2 specification (B), calibration procedures (C)
Keywords: ISO 13287:2019, slip resistance test, PPE footwear, coefficient of friction, Eurotile 2, Slider 96, glycerol solution, footwear testing.
