A laboratory study was conducted to assess the slip resistance of athletic socks on various household flooring materials under both wet and dry conditions. While prior studies regarding slip resistance have focused on shod walkers, there is a lack of published data on the coefficient of friction between stocking-clad feet and indoor flooring. To investigate this, four types of athletic socks were tested on samples of eight flooring materials for both wet and dry conditions. These results were compared to tests of a Neolite slider pad on these floors.The results indicated that for socks on textured vinyl flooring, there was no significant difference in slip resistance between the wet and dry conditions, though there was a trend towards greater slip resistance under wet conditions. Generally, it appears that the likelihood of slipping on other types of wet indoor walking surfaces is lower when walking in socks rather than shoes.
Child drownings continue to be problematic in aboveground and portable pools. Attempts to address the hazard posed by child access to aboveground pools through on-product warnings and instruction manuals have not been effective in stemming the incidence of drowning. Utilizing the safety hierarchy to implement other higher-level risk reduction methods (such as making pool ladders child-resistant) has the potential to greatly reduce this risk. Preliminary research studied child subjects to determine their ability to access a pool using various aboveground pool ladder designs, each of which contained varying levels of child resistance and active versus passive safety devices. This effort has significant implications for the incorporation of child resistance principles into the design of consumer products intended for children under supervision.
Laboratory testing was conducted to assess the slip resistance of men's dress socks on typical household flooring surfaces under wet and dry conditions. This study was conducted as a follow-up to a previous work on the slip resistance of athletic socks. Both of these studies attempt to fill the void of published data regarding the coefficient of friction between an indoor walking surface and the foot of a pedestrian wearing socks (rather than shoes). Eight different dress socks as well as a Neolite “shoe” were tested on wood and textured vinyl floors under both wet and dry conditions. The results in this study indicated that in terms of slip resistance, it makes little practical difference to a walker wearing loose-weave, non-nylon dress socks whether the flooring is wet or dry. Socks with tighter weaves, such as nylon socks, are significantly less slip-resistant on wet floors than under dry conditions.
Accident reconstruction involving consumer products and industrial equipment often requires biomechanical and/or human factors analyses to help determine the root cause of an accident scenario. A systematic method has been established which incorporates numerous components of the sciences of biomechanics and human factors and uses the scientific method as the framework for evaluating competing theories. Using this method, available data are gathered pertaining to the accident or incident and organized in a modified Haddon matrix, with categories for Man [person(s) involved in the accident], Product/Machine, and Environment. Information about the person(s) is separated further into injury and human factors components. The injuries are viewed as physical evidence, where each injury occurred as a result of being exposed to a specific combination of energy, force, motion/deflection, acceleration, etc. The injuries are evaluated with known injury research and categorized with a specific type, location, mechanism, and injury threshold. This injury evidence is then reconciled with the other physical evidence developed from the accident environment and product/machine categories. Human factors evaluations of body size, posture, capabilities, sensory perception, reaction time, and movements create similar information that is also reconciled with the rest of the evidence from an accidental circumstance. At the core of this method is developing scientific data or information that can be used to support or refute accident reconstruction conclusions. An accurate and complete accident reconstruction using the available data must be consistent with the laws of physics, and the physics of interaction between the man, product/machine, and environment.
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