Slip resistance of winter footwear on snow and ice measured using maximum achievable incline

Abstract

Protective footwear is necessary for preventing injurious slips and falls in winter conditions. Valid methods for assessing footwear slip resistance on winter surfaces are needed in order to evaluate footwear and outsole designs. The purpose of this study was to utilise a method of testing winter footwear that was ecologically valid in terms of involving actual human testers walking on realistic winter surfaces to produce objective measures of slip resistance. During the experiment, eight participants tested six styles of footwear on wet ice, on dry ice, and on dry ice after walking over soft snow. Slip resistance was measured by determining the maximum incline angles participants were able to walk up and down in each footwear–surface combination. The results indicated that testing on a variety of surfaces is necessary for establishing winter footwear performance and that standard mechanical bench tests for footwear slip resistance do not adequately reflect actual performance. Practitioner Summary: Existing standardised methods for measuring footwear slip resistance lack validation on winter surfaces. By determining the maximum inclines participants could walk up and down slopes of wet ice, dry ice, and ice with snow, in a range of footwear, an ecologically valid test for measuring winter footwear performance was established.

Evaluation of Winter Footwear: Comparison of Test Methods to Determine Footwear Slip Resistance on Ice Surfaces

“…Eight of these boots (F1–F8 in Figure 4 ) were selected with the help of workplace representatives as they are used daily outdoors in a variety of workplaces, including police departments (F4, F7, F8 in Figure 4 ), firefighting departments (F5, F6) and municipal services (F1, F2, F3), since they are exposed to slip hazards on ice [ 40 , 41 ]. Two other models (F9 and F10) were added to this set for comparison, as they both included composite materials in their outsoles that have demonstrated excellent slip resistance in previous work [ 20 , 21 , 26 ]. Boot F9 (Dakota) incorporated Green Diamond technology, which adds metallic particles and other grit to the outsole to create a rough surface.…”

“…[ 17 , 18 ]. A human-centred test method has been developed by researchers at KITE (Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere)Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network (KITE) to evaluate footwear slip resistance on ice surfaces [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Tests are done inside the WinterLab, which is one of KITE’s Challenging Environment Assessment Laboratories (CEAL).…”

“…The equivalent coefficient of friction (COF) values are obtained by taking the tangent of the incline angles, as in the calculation for a ramp test [ 24 , 25 ]. The MAA test method has demonstrated good repeatability and consistent results when ranking footwear on various icy surfaces [ 19 , 20 , 26 ]. This method has also shown to be a useful and valid test in a study, where winter boots with high MAA scores worn by workers have actually been involved in fewer slips than those in a control group [ 22 , 27 ].…”

Study of the required thermal insulation (IREQ) of clothing using infrared imaging

“…Thermal insulation varies with fabrics/clothing and is tested with new ensembles and garments. Substandard garments may reduce the thermal insulation more significantly, due to laundering and wear, than is the case with high quality products [1,22]. There are two well-accepted standards to define clothing thermal insulation/thermal comfort: British Standard -EN 342 and ISO 11079:2007 (E) [1,20].…”

Optimal fall indicators for slip induced falls on a cross-slope

“…Vertical kinematic measures of the upper arm, trunk and head segments were identified as the optimal variables which could detect falls during the early stance phase of gait. This study was limited to slip induced falls on a level walkway and therefore the ecological validity of these results to many activities of daily living was limited (Hsu et al, 2015).…”