The Standard for Measuring the Coefficient of Friction
2022 Updates to National Consensus Standard, ANSI A326.3, Now Help Facilities In The USA Protect Themselves From Slip and Fall Hazards & Liabilities in Interior and Exterior Areas
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) have released national consensus standard, ANSI A326.3 -22, an updated version of their 2017 ANSI A326.3 -17, American National Standard Test Method For Measuring Dynamic Coefficient Of Friction Of Hard Surface Flooring Materials. ANSI A326.3 -22 includes important updates to help further define and specify processes and product use categories that will provide US facilities with the protocol for maintaining slip resistant environments for patrons and employees including interior, exterior, and other specified areas.
At Walkway Management Group, Inc., we are proud that our state-of- the-art BOT-3000E is the only tribometer named by the ANSI/TCNA to comply with the standard, A326.3, set in 2017 and again in 2022.
Because of this standard, auditors using the BOT-3000E can significantly improve floor safety and prevent slips and falls along with having the correct documentation to lower risk exposure and demonstrate compliance to the standard in a court of law.
The 2022 update is now expanded for use beyond interior areas. The standard now includes exterior areas, areas where barefoot traffic is prominent, and areas commonly exposed to oils and grease. See a list of categories and advised DCOF measurements below:
- Interior, Dry (ID) 0.42
- Interior, Wet (IW) 0.42
- Interior, Wet Plus (IW+) 0.50
- Exterior, Wet (EW) 0.55
- Oils/Greases (O/G) 0.55
Click here to view the standard method.
To further support the technical foundation of walkway tribometer performance and the reliability of friction measurements, we have included the following complementary document related to ASTM F2508.
While the content on this page focuses on the ANSI A326.3 test method for measuring the Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF), the document provided below relates specifically to ASTM F2508, the standard practice for validating walkway tribometers using human-subject–established reference materials. Although F2508 is separate from A326.3, it serves as an important complement: it reinforces the scientific foundation behind tribometer performance by demonstrating the repeatability and reproducibility of devices through research-based reference surfaces. This updated material helps further substantiate the reliability of friction measurement equipment used throughout the industry, strengthening confidence in the data that underlies DCOF compliance and walkway safety evaluations.
Click the link below to download the supporting documentation related to ASTM F2508-23.
