Karaharju-Huisman, Tuire (2016) The Probability of Slipping During Level Walking. PhD thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

Worldwide falls-related accidents are the second leading cause of fatalities and of all falls, 67% are caused by slips and trips in the elderly and 32% in young populations. Foot slippage is reported as the most common unforeseen factor triggering falls while walking on the same level. The main human factors affecting slipping risk are gait characteristics and the health of the individual's sensory systems. The primary environmental factors are the frictional characteristics of the walking surface and footwear. The walker's slipping risk can be estimated by comparing the surface Coefficient of Friction (COF) to their friction requirement; the Required Coefficient of Friction (RCOF) calculated as the ratio of the vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces (GRF). In the biomechanical modelling undertaken in this project walking was regarded as safe, with respect to slipping, when the COF exceeded the RCOF. This study investigated ageing effects on RCOF by measuring the foot-ground reaction forces of young and older healthy female and male participants.

Search Google Scholar

Repository staff login