Light Reflectance Values in Anti Slip Tape

Heskins flagship product Safety Grip has been tested for its light reflectance values (LRV) adding another piece of vital safety information to Heskins anti-slip tape. We now have LRV ratings for all applicable anti-slip tapes. We offer the information open-source for all who wish to see it via our websites and product datasheets.

What are Light Reflectance Values?

LRV is the percentage of visible and usable light reflected from a surface illuminated by a light source. This test is available for companies so building and design profes­si­onals can predict how light or dark colours appear. This helps to then create the best combination for people, visually impaired or not, to discern the difference between features such as stairs, walls and doors. In Heskins case, LRV helps customers to choose an anti-slip tape that is visually adjacent to the application surface.

Over the past 20 years, various inter­national standards have been published which base their data on LRV. While not being a requirement in all application cases, these tests ensure Heskins abrasive safety products conform to BS.­8493:­2008+­A1:­2010, ISO21542:­2019, BS8300:2009, ADA and more. These generally apply to our safety tapes in the sense of “Opaque materials, including those that cause extreme angular dependences of reflected light, and those that have a texture of <2 mm”.

We originally had our entire colour range for Safety Grip tested and our other anti-slip products followed thereafter. These tests are not to determine the reflective values of colour, but instead of light and dark. This means that different colours will get different results. Measuring all colours will give an accurate indication, allowing you to choose the colour based on your needs in this regard.

We have now added LRV values to the pages of all products tested, once again providing you with more information to provide the perfect anti-slip solution for your facility.

How Do You Measure LRV?

To measure LRV, we use the Cromocon LRV meter. This clever gadget is an industry standard handheld LRV meter that measures the percentage of light reflected from the material. This measurement allows you to find the perfect material for your need, such as getting the right contrast for visually impaired people to ensure non-slip solutions for everybody. An alternate method to measure LRV would be to use a spectrophotometer, this is a more costly approach, and it works by precisely measuring the electromagnetic energy at specific wavelengths of light. It uses the energy of the light to identify the colours and to determine how much each colour is present in a ray of light. These two methods are the most effective in gathering accurate Light Reflectance Value results.

Should you wish to request more information on LRV, even specifically to any of the aforem­en­tioned inter­national standards, you can contact the Heskins sales team by phone or live chat. Alter­natively, complete the contact us form on the website and a member of our sales team will get back to you as soon as possible.

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