| Abstract |
This study provided an experimental design which investigated the interaction between age, sex, and other fall/postural instability risk factors such as surface slipperiness, shoe wear/tear, and lighting. In this study, postural instability, fall potential slip incidents were quantitated during static and dynamic task performance by 40 industrial workers (21 to 60 years of age) on dry, slightly, medium and very slippery surfaces. The dynamic coefficient of friction (COF) values for dry, slightly, medium and very slippery surfaces were 0.67, 0.35, 0.18 and 0.11, respectively. The static and dynamic tasks performed simulated conditions which occur in nonoccupational and occupational environments while standing or walking on a slippery surface. From these results, the effects of various risk factors on static and dynamic postural sway and instability were ranked and ordered. Based on the objective measures of postural sway and instability, the type of task performed and environmental lighting had the largest and the second largest, respectively, detrimental impact on postural stability, while performing tasks in a stationary position (i.e. static task). The gender, surface and shoe type had the third, fourth and fifth, respectively, largest effect on postural sway. For the dynamic task performance, the largest and the second largest detrimental impacts on workers' postural stability/sway were associated with surface slipperiness and the type of walking path negotiated (Straight vs. Turning path), respectively. |
