Fall Risks and Validities of Various Methods to Measure Frictional Properties of Slippery Floors Covered with Soapsuds
This paper discusses risky slips, which cause falls through the loss of upright balance due to sudden movement of the feet. We aimed at examining validities of various methods to measure frictional properties, so as to evaluate potential fall risks on flooring surfaces, while stepping barefoot on slippery floors covered with soapsuds. 70 subjects aged 65 and over participated by stepping barefoot on seven different flooring surfaces, covered with soapsuds using various walking modes. The percentages of most risky slips, which cause falls through the loss of upright balance, were calculated for each flooring surface. In the next stage, coefficients of friction for each flooring surface were measured by various methods such as a ramp-test, a horizontal pull slip meter (AST-750), a pendulum type slip meter, a self propelled slip meter (FSC2000), and a diagonal drug type slip meter, which is popular in Japan. In the ramp test, 60 elderly subjects participated by descending a slope of each slippery flooring surface. We examined the validities of five different types of testing methods including the ramp test. Overall results show that the most reliable testing method as an index of fall risks on the slippery floors was the ramp test resulting from coefficients of determination of rank correlation in our experiments. An economical and simple measuring meter should be developed to evaluate potential fall risks on slippery floors.
Hisao Nagata Hitoshi Watanabe Yukihiko Inoue In-Ju Kim
Waseda University Availvs Corporation, Japan Safety Research and Solutions, Australia
国际会议
17th World Congress on Ergonomics(第十七届国际人类工效学大会)
北京
英文
1-5
2009-08-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）