UKAS slip testing for
sports stadiums.

Why sports stadiums commission UKAS accredited slip testing

Stadium operators host large public crowds in time-compressed entry and exit flows, often in wet-weather conditions on predominantly hard-surface concourses. Slip injury at a stadium event is a consistent commercial insurer concern and subject to event-safety scrutiny by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) for regulated grounds.

Specific issues we see in sports stadiums

• Concourse surfaces. Wet-weather concourse slip risk at scale. Representative testing of event-day contamination informs event-safety planning.
• External approaches. Pedestrian routes from transport hubs to stadium gates. Council vs operator responsibility split matters.
• Step access and vomitory entries. Stadium step surfaces see peak-time pedestrian density. Any non-compliance is high-consequence.
• Back-of-house staff routes. Employer's liability focus — staff in catering, stewarding, cleaning roles.

Which standards apply

BS EN 16165 Annex C pendulum testing. For external routes, EN 13036-4 also relevant where highway-type surfaces are present. UKSRG Issue 6 protocol.

What you get

• UKAS accredited pendulum test report (Lab 7933)
• PTV results for every test location, dry and wet
• Interpretation against BS EN 16165 and UKSRG benchmarks
• Photographic record of test locations
• Measurement uncertainty statements (required for admissibility)
• 5 working day turnaround from site visit to report

Common questions

SGSA-regulated ground — specific requirements?

SGSA do not mandate specific UKAS testing but event safety planning frameworks reference surface safety. UKAS evidence supports the ground's safety case.

Test during events or not?

Never during events. Testing runs in between fixtures, typically midweek between weekend matches.

Multi-stadium club or league?

League-wide commissioning is rare but possible. More common is club-level commissioning.

Rugby and football grounds — differences?

Testing approach is the same — pedestrian surfaces, same standards. Differences are in event profile and claims history.