The Effects of 10% Front Load Carriage on the Likelihood of Slips and Falls

• Published in: Industrial Health Vol. 46; no. 1; pp. 32 - 39
• Main Authors: KIM, Sukwon, LOCKHART, Thurmon E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health 2008
• Subjects: Accidental Falls - prevention & control; Accidents, Occupational - prevention & control; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biomechanical Phenomena; Falls; Female; Friction; Heel - physiology; Humans; Load; Male; RCOF; Slips; Walking; Walking - physiology; Weight-Bearing
• ISSN: 0019-8366; 1880-8026
• DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.46.32

The objective of the present study was to evaluate if anterior load carriage would increase the likelihood of slips or falls while walking over a slippery floor surface. The study hypothesized that anterior load carriage may alter spatial-temporal characteristics, such as heel contact velocity, walking velocity (i.e., the whole body center-of-mass velocity), and step length, as well as friction demand characteristics at shoe-floor interface. Additionally, the study hypothesized that alterations in these gait parameters may influence slip initiation characteristics while ambulating over a slippery floor surface. Total of 10 subjects participated in the study: 5 younger (18-28 yr old) and 5 older adults (65 and older). A mixture was used to manipulate the coefficient of friction (COF) of the floor surface. All participants were unexpectedly introduced to a slippery surface while walking with and without a load. To evaluate slip severity, slip distance I and II were evaluated to assess whether a subject fell or not. Three-way repeated measure ANOVA (mix-factor design) was performed: Age factor: between-subject, Load and Floor factors: within-subject. Overall, older adults' heel contact velocity was slower while carrying a load. Additionally, all participants exhibited shorter SL while carrying a load. No significant friction demand characteristic differences were observed for all subjects while carrying a 10% front load. The results from the present study suggest that carrying 10% of the body weight in front should not intensify the slip propensity and severity although appears to influence spatial-temporal gait characteristics.