Construction and Engineering Awards 2026 Safety Direct America is a subsidiary of the Sotter Engineering Corporation, founded by Dr George Sotter in 1987 and incorporated in 1991. Its mission is to use science and technology to make life better and safer for people. Thus, the company provides a variety of antislip floorcare products, applications, and instruments, as well as consulting and expert witness services that use technology to improve both health and safety and the environment. Licensed by the State of California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and certified by the City of Los Angeles for testing floor slip resistance (LA is one of the very few government agencies in the US to certify labs for floor slip testing), the Sotter Engineering Corporation has been testing floor slip resistance for more than 20 years. Alongside the experience of its parent company, Safety Direct America’s reliable testing is grounded in five decades of international, science-backed research. As a result, its slip resistance testing services allow architects, building owners, and flooring manufacturers to make informed decisions about their flooring choices for high-risk areas. The company’s expertise when it comes to these tests is reflected through its president, John C Sotter, who has proven himself to be one of, if not the, most accurate slip resistance testers in the world today. For instance, in 2022, John made all of the major changes to the American Society for Testing and Materials’ ASTM E303-22 pendulum dynamic coefficient of friction test method, making it the most reliable floor slip resistance test published in the US. Outside of this, John is also a valued member of the UK’s Slip Resistance Group, which conducts research to stop slips and falls and creates floor slip resistance testing methods for European countries, and a founding member of the American Floor Safety Alliance (AFSA). AFSA was created when John and a group of fellow independent floor safety experts came together to form an organisation dedicated to bringing scientifically-sound testing methods to the US, bringing it in line with many other countries around the world. “By publishing independent standards and test methods, AFSA aims to provide building owners, architects, flooring specifiers, and municipal officials with reliable tools to identify hazardous surfaces and prevent slip and fall incidents before they occur.” Beyond its renowned floor slip resistance testing services, Safety Direct America also sells remedial solutions for slippery floors. The most notable of these is its SparkleTuff Anti-Slip Floor Coating, which is today distributed in three countries. This coating has been designed to make any floor imaginable safe when wet, and it is super easy to use. This clear anti-slip floor coating solution, John explained, “is a clear coating that can be painted on by anyone, and it can make anything from glass to epoxy and tile to metal grating not slippery when wet.” He added: “This has changed architecture in a fundamental way, because now you can use any polished floor and make it safe with our clear coating.” Of course, as its reputation as the anti-slip floor superstore suggests, this is one of many products of this nature available from Safety Direct America, which prides itself on offering every trustworthy nonskid floor solution customers need through its online store. Given the US is a country where billboards for personal injury attorneys can be found on every street corner, it is clear that the reliable, research-based floor slip testing and floorcare solutions Safety Direct America delivers are desperately needed. The company’s goal has always been to stop slips and falls before they happen, and more on how John can help businesses in the US achieve this through his expert solutions can be found below. Contact: John C Sotter Company: Safety Direct America Web Address: https://safetydirectamerica.com/ It may seem like a basic necessity, but floor safety in the United States has been a major problem for many years. Despite the huge number of slips and falls that occur, there was no widely accepted modern test in the US for measuring the slip resistance of floors until 2022, when John C. Sotter updated ASTM E303 and officially introduced the pendulum test to America. Recognised as the global gold standard for floor slip resistance testing, the pendulum test has been used for more than 50 years across 50 countries on five continents. Long before its official adoption in the US, Safety Direct America had been providing pendulum testing services to clients using internationally recognised pendulum test methods for decades, while also developing effective remedial solutions to reduce slip risks. Today, the company continues to deliver accurate and reliable slip resistance testing services alongside tailored solutions for slippery floors. We had the pleasure of chatting with John C. Sotter, company president, to find out more. Most Accurate Slip Resistance Testing Lab 2026 – USA & Floor Coating Innovation Award 2026 – USA Safety Direct America
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