← Industrial Slip Testing / Sectors / Distribution Centres
UKAS · LOGISTICS STORAGE

Slip testing
for Distribution Centres.

Modern distribution centres — particularly e-commerce fulfilment formats with high pick-density, conveyor automation, and 24-hour shift patterns — present slip-test brief patterns that traditional warehouse protocols miss. Conveyor underbelly zones, robot-pick floor specification…

17025 ISO/IEC accreditation
Distribution Centr Sector covered

Distribution Centres testing

Tier 1 · Logistics Storage

  • Sector contextModern distribution centres — particularly e-commerce fulfilment formats with high pick-density, conveyor automation, and 24-hour shift patt…
  • Out-of-hours attendance23:00–05:00 visits to avoid production-shift disruption.
  • UKAS-accredited reportsAccepted by HSE, FSA, BRC, MHRA and PL insurers.
  • Multi-site programmesGroup annual contracts for portfolio operators.
Surfaces tested in distribution centres

The distribution centres surface vocabulary.

Every distribution centres site has a distinct surface vocabulary that drives the testing protocol. We test the actual surfaces present, not a generic baseline.

  1. 01 · SURFACE

    Power-floated concrete with high-build polyurethane topcoatthe dominant DC base finish

  2. 02 · SURFACE

    Anti-slip aggregate-keyed coatings at goods-in/goods-out thresholdsthe highest-incident zones in most DCs

  3. 03 · SURFACE

    Resin-coated concrete in conveyor and automation zoneswhere hydraulic and grease contamination accumulates

  4. 04 · SURFACE

    Vinyl walkways through high-bay rackingpedestrian-MHE segregation lines tested independently

  5. 05 · SURFACE

    Steel mezzanine flooring in multi-level DC formatsfall-from-height-after-slip risk applies

  6. 06 · SURFACE

    Loading dock leveller plates and threshold transitionsweather carry-in is continuous

Specific risk zones

Where the incidents actually happen.

Generic slip testing misses the zones that actually generate incidents. Distribution Centres sites have distinct high-risk zones that warrant independent testing.

Conveyor underbelly maintenance access

Hydraulic and grease contamination from conveyor maintenance produces measurably lower wet-PTV than the main floor.

Robot-pick zone perimeters

Where robotic and manual pick zones meet, operative density and floor-marking tape create distinct testing brief.

Goods-in pallet de-stretch zone

Plastic-film accumulation and continuous wet-pallet ingress make this the single highest-incident zone in most DCs.

24-hour shift handover crossings

Continuous operative rotation through canteen-to-floor and locker-to-floor crossings drives cumulative PTV impact.

Regulatory framework

Distribution Centres · regulatory context.

Distribution centre slip testing operates under HSE INDG225 and Workplace Regulations 1992 Reg 12. The HSE has published specific guidance on DC slip and trip risks; PTV evidence from UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 testing is the documentation expected. Major retail and 3PL operators commonly require documented PTV evidence as part of customer-audit frameworks when subletting capacity.

HSE INDG225 Preventing slips and trips at work
WHSWR 1992 Reg 12 Workplace floor condition
PUWER 1998 MHE in scope
Sector case study

Distribution Centres case study.

A 3PL operator running a multi-tenant DC for retail and e-commerce customers commissioned quarterly UKAS pendulum testing across goods-in, automated sortation, manual pick, packing, and goods-out. The conveyor underbelly access route was identified as requiring an interim coating intervention. The customer uses the quarterly data to evidence safety performance to their tenant-customers' annual audits.

Related sectors

Adjacent industrial categories.

Request a Quote

Tell us about your distribution centres site.

Whether you operate a single industrial site, a multi-site portfolio, or an FM contractor brief covering multiple operators, we'll return a fully-costed, no-obligation quotation within one working day.

Out-of-hours attendance

Mon–Fri, 8am–6pm office hours.
23:00–05:00 attendance for production-floor sites by arrangement.