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Africa
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A SURVEY OF FLOOR SLIPPERINESS AND EXPERIENCE OF SLIPS AND FALLS IN RESTAURANTS IN TAIWAN
Published in Paul T. McCabe, Contemporary Ergonomics 2004, 2018
Kai Way Li, Wen-Ruey Chang, Yueng-Hsiang Huang, Theodore K. Courtney, Alfred Filiaggi, Kuei-hsiung Hsu
Perception of floor slipperiness is essential in assessing slipperiness. Myung et al. (1993) compared the subjective ranking of slipperiness, produced from a paired comparison after walking on surfaces, and the static coefficient of friction (COF) of ceramic, steel, vinyl, plywood, and sandpaper measured with a mechanical device to simulate a foot slip. They found that the higher the measured COF value, the less slippery the subjective ranking, with the exception of vinyl tile. Their results suggested that humans have a promising ability to subjectively differentiate floor slipperiness reliably, even though the measured static COF differences of these floor surfaces might not be prominent. The results from Cohen and Cohen (1994) were, however, somewhat different. Their subjects visually compared 23 tested tiles to a standard tile in a laboratory and reported whether the tile was more slippery than the standard tile. They found a significant number of disagreements between the subjective responses and the COF values of the tiles.
Slip conditions of floor surface finish in selected public places in Kumasi, Ghana
Published in Cogent Engineering, 2022
Yesuenyeagbe A. K. Fiagbe, Divine K. Ahadzie
Slip occurs when there is less traction between surfaces in contact and, in this case, when the footwear sole and the floor have less traction. Other reasons such as contaminants on the floor surface, polished floor surface and inappropriate sole, all may result to slipping by lowering traction or friction. Slip fall can result in injury and incapacitation and even lead to death. In developing countries like Ghana, records are not readily available to ascertain any direct slip fall related injury. The available data, however, as reported by Blankson et al. (2019) gave the general fall related data. Result of this research, which is an exploratory and a preliminary, indicated the dry condition of floor surfaces as safe conforming to information by Safety Direct America irrespective of footwear sole type. The risk is mostly associated with wet and contaminated surfaces comparing favourably to what is reported by Li et al. (2007). The wet condition in combination with footwear types like raw cord could be very risky as it has high slip potential. Slip fall can be avoided by making floor surfaces, footwear soles and conditions appropriate. Maintaining dry condition of the floor will always eliminate or minimise slip fall as observed from the test results. For every floor surface, the appropriate choice of footwear sole can also help to reduce slip fall potential. The slickness of the soles and the types of heels worn need to be further investigated and evaluated with respect to the floor surface finish; polished terrazzo, quarry tile, marble tile, acrylic painted surface, cement screed surface and porcelain to avoid slip fall. With the current knowledge of footwear relationship with floor condition, and further research to be conducted, public safety education on slip fall at various places could be conducted. Chang, Gronqvist, et al. (2001), have noted that currently over 70 machines have been invented to measure slip resistance. However, none of them accurately represents the motion of a human foot and also, at present, there is no generally accepted method of measuring slipperiness. This suggests that further research could be conducted in instrumentation and methods of measurement in developing countries, as well. On the surface roughness consideration, the result presented here is limited and call for more investigation especially with the “used” footwear surfaces that are prevalent and well patronised in developing countries.