Slip-and-fall injuries have long been a standing problem for manufacturers and consumers of ceramic tile to which a new industry standard stands poised to change how tile is tested. The ANSI/NFSI B101.3-2012 wet Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) standard joins the 2009 release of the ANSI/NFSI B101.1 wet Static Coefficient of Friction standard and now provides manufacturers a comprehensive approach to quantifying the "Traction" levels of all types of ceramic, porcelain, and polished concrete materials.

In the past the slip resistance qualities of highly polished stone and porcelain materials could not be accurately measured. Russell Kendzior, Committee Secretary for the ANSI B101 standards committee states that: "wet SCOF testing simply wouldn't work on highly polished stone which the ANSI B101 committee had to go back to the drawing board to develop a better test method."

Companies like Stone Peak Ceramics and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA)  played a key role in the creation of the new B101.3 standard, which is sure to gain wide-spread use within the ceramic tile industry. The ANSI/NFSI B101.3-2012 standard was based on the German DIN 51130/51131 standards thus making it convenient for international suppliers to harmonize under a single test standard.

The Concrete Polishing Association of America (CPAA) announced their support in a recent press release. Brad Burns, President of the CPAA stated that: "The release of the new ANSI/NFSI B101.3-2012 standard has been long anticipated to which our industry is looking forward to using it to assist our customers in better understanding the slip resistance benefits of polished concrete."