R11 is a slip resistance class from the German ramp test (DIN 51130, now DIN EN 16165 Annex B). A floor is rated R11 when the mean angle at which test persons in safety shoes start to slip on the oil-coated surface is more than 19° and up to 27°. In practice, R11 sits in the middle of the R9 to R13 scale and is a common requirement for workshops, outdoor walkways and industrial areas where oil, grease or weather make floors slippery.
The R scale comes from a walking test on an inclined plane. A test person wearing test shoes walks upright on a sample of the floor covering that has been coated with motor oil. The inclination is increased until the person starts to slip. The angle at which this happens determines the R class: the steeper the angle, the higher the slip resistance.
The test is done in a laboratory on a sample, not on the installed floor, and it uses oil and cleated safety boots. The result therefore describes shod, oily conditions only.
The table below follows Annex 1 of the German workplace rule ASR A1.5 “Fußböden”.
| R class | Angle of inclination |
|---|---|
| R9 | 6° to 10° |
| R10 | More than 10° up to 19° |
| R11 | More than 19° up to 27° |
| R12 | More than 27° up to 35° |
| R13 | More than 35° |
The R class is often combined with a V value. V4, V6, V8 and V10 give the minimum displacement volume of a profiled surface (4, 6, 8 or 10 cm³/dm²), the open space below the walking surface of a profiled floor. A requirement such as “R11 V4” therefore means both a minimum ramp angle and a minimum open volume.
R11 is not a “non-slip” guarantee. It tells you that the surface performed within a defined band in a standardised oil test. The UK HSE points out that neither ramp method uses contaminants that are typical of real workplaces, and that R9 and R10 floors can be slippery in wet or greasy conditions. R11 gives more margin, but cleaning, wear, footwear and the actual contaminant still decide how safe a floor is.
Annex 2 of ASR A1.5, based on DGUV Regel 108-003, assigns minimum classes to work areas. Examples at R11 level include:
For comparison, uncovered loading ramps need R12 or R11 V4, and rooms where oils and greases are decanted need R12 V6. The annex has no separate entries for refineries or offshore installations. It states that the list is not complete, that unlisted areas should be assigned by analogy, and that a higher class is always allowed.
In the UK, slip resistance is usually measured with the pendulum test. A swinging arm drags a rubber slider across the surface, dry or wet with water, and the result is a Pendulum Test Value (PTV). HSE uses Slider 96 rubber for shod pedestrians and Slider 55 for barefoot areas, and classifies results as follows:
The pendulum can be used on site, which the ramp cannot. The method was described in BS 7976, which BSI withdrew in February 2022; a pendulum method is now Annex C of EN 16165. The UK Slip Resistance Group publishes detailed guidance on pendulum testing. Because the two tests use different contaminants, footwear and measuring principles, an R11 rating does not translate into a fixed PTV.
A, B and C are not a stricter version of the R scale. They come from a separate barefoot ramp test (formerly DIN 51097, now EN 16165 Annex A) using water with a wetting agent, and apply to wet barefoot areas such as changing rooms, showers and pool surrounds. According to DGUV Information 207-006, class A covers more than 12° up to 18°, class B more than 18° up to 24°, and class C more than 24°. For safety footwear on an industrial floor, the R class is the relevant one.
EN 16165:2021 brings the test methods together: barefoot ramp (Annex A), shod ramp (Annex B), pendulum (Annex C) and tribometer (Annex D). It only describes how to test. Which class a work area needs is still set by ASR A1.5 and DGUV Regel 108-003.
CableSafe dropped objects prevention mats are designed for elevated grating floors. They collect tools, nuts, bolts and debris that would otherwise fall through the grating.
See all dropped objects prevention solutions, or request a quote with your grating dimensions and the slip resistance class in your specification.
It depends on the area and your risk assessment. ASR A1.5 lists R11 with displacement class V4 for mechanical processing areas with increased oil or lubricant load, but R12 with V6 for rooms where oils and greases are stored and decanted. The list is not exhaustive and a higher class is always permitted.
No. The ramp test and the pendulum test use different footwear or sliders, different contaminants and a different measuring principle, so an R class cannot simply be converted into a PTV. If a specification asks for a PTV, ask for a pendulum test result.
DIN 51130 has been withdrawn and its shod ramp method now sits in Annex B of DIN EN 16165. According to the DGUV, results from the old and new method are treated as equivalent, the German version keeps the R9 to R13 classification in a national annex, and the workplace requirements in ASR A1.5 and DGUV Regel 108-003 have not changed.
Yes. The Dropped Objects Prevention Walkway Mat datasheet lists it as certified slip resistant to DIN 51130: R11, with displacement class V10. Certificates are available on request. The Dropped Objects Prevention Work Mat datasheet does not state a slip resistance class.
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