ASTM_F_802_-_83_2003.pdf

Designation:F 802 83(Reapproved 2003)Standard Guide forSelection of Certain Walkway Surfaces When ConsideringFootwear Traction1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 802;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide is intended to assist in the selection ofwalkway surfaces where the presence of foreign materials mayproduce the danger of a slip or a fall.1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Summary of Guide2.1 Foreign material on a walkway surface often causes slipand fall accidents.A slip can occur because foreign materialpresents an additional interface between the shoe bottom and awalkway surface.The interface between the shoe bottom andthe walkway is replaced by an interface between the shoebottom and the foreign material,and another between theforeign material and the walkway.Although the foreign mate-rial should be removed,it is not always easy to remove prior touse of the walkway or as the foreign material is spilled.In veryfew cases can shoe bottoms be designed to provide adequateslip resistance to foreign materials.Instead,walkway surfacesshould be self-cleaning as they are used by pedestrians.2.2 This guide sets forth factors to consider in the design ofwalkway surfaces likely to be affected by foreign materials thatmay result in slips.These considerations concern metal walk-way materials,abrasive materials used on walkways,andclimbing systems.3.Significance and Use3.1 When the conditions are such that foreign materials cancome between shoe bottoms and a walkway surface,effortsshould be made to design the walkway surface to remove theforeign material from between shoe bottoms and the walkwaysurface.3.2 This type of slip hazard is often found in manufacturingand maintenance processes where foreign materials are fre-quently present on walkway surfaces.Examples are:foodpreparation and processing areas,rendering operations,trans-portation and cargo handling activities.4.Procedure4.1 The presence of foreign materials on walkway surfacesoften causes people to slip.Most foreign materials,if presenton a walkway,will lower slip resistance.A foreign material incontact with a shoe and a walkway presents two additionalsurfaces:the top of the foreign material mating with the bottomof the shoe sole,and the bottom of the foreign material matingwith the walkway surface.Obviously,keeping the walkwaysurface clean of foreign materials is the best method toeliminate this potential hazard.This is not always possible,however,while routine operations are being performed.4.2 Treatment of the walkway surface with an abrasivematerial is a frequently used remedy when the foreign sub-stance is soft or of low viscosity.The function of an abrasivewalkway surface is often misunderstood.The ideal approach toreduce slipping on walkways is to eliminate the two additionalsurfaces caused by the presence of the foreign material.Asharpabrasive incorporation into the walkway surface will allow footpressure to break up the foreign material and force it into voidsbetween peaks of the abrasive.This process retains twosurfaces:the walkway and the shoe bottom.Important consid-erations in the selection of an abrasive treatment are:wearresistance,resilience of abrasive material,density of abrasivetreatment,means of attachment of treatment to the walkwaysurface,sanitary conditions,and appropriate abrasive size.4.2.1 The type of abrasive used is also an important factor toconsider.For instance,sand,bonded to a floor surface,workswell when first applied because sand is a relatively softmaterial.However,the sharp edges of the sand particles areeasily rounded by wear,and foreign material tends to remainon top of the abrasive particles.Proper selection of abrasivematerial depends upon the particular circumstances of theproblem area.4.2.2 Because some abrasive particles are brittle,they breakoff during use and become ineffective.1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F13 on Safety andTraction for Footwear and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F13.50 onWalkway Surfaces Practices.Current edition approved Jan.10,2003.Published February 2003.Originallyapproved in 1983.Last previous edition approved in 1997 as F 80283(1997).1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959,United States.4.2.3 If an insufficient number of abrasive particles are usedfor treatment of a walkway surface,the viscous foreignmaterial will not be broken up sufficiently.As a result,thetr