Citation

Beschorner KE, Chanda A, Moyer BE, Reasinger A, Griffin SC, Johnston IM. Appl. Ergon. 2022; 106: e103854.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apergo.2022.103854

PMID

35973317

Abstract

Measuring shoe-floor friction is critical for assessing the safety of footwear products. Portable devices for measuring coefficient of friction (COF) are needed. This study introduces such a device and evaluates its ability to predict human slip events across shoe designs. A portable device (18 kg) was utilized to measure 66 unique shoe-floor-fluid coefficients of friction (COF). Consistent with the shoes, flooring, and fluid contaminants from the COF tests, participants (n = 66) were unexpectedly exposed to the fluid while walking. Slip predictions were made based on a separate training data set. Slip predictions were made prospectively and using logistic regression analyses. The slip predictions were valid (p < 0.001), 91% sensitive, and 64% specific. The logistic regression fit also revealed that the COF values predicted slip outcomes (p = 0.006). This device is expected to expand the capacity of researchers, product developers, forensic engineers, and safety professionals to prevent slips and enhance human safety.

Language: en

Keywords

Coefficient of friction; And falls; Footwear; Slips; Trips; Validation studies