Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author: beschorn pitt. Shoe outsole design strongly influences slip and fall risk. Certain tread features that can be readily measured have been shown to predict friction performance.
This research aimed to replicate those findings and quantify their ability to predict slipping. The coefficient of friction COF of each shoe were predicted based on tread surface area, the presence of a bevel, and hardness. The COF was measured, and the slip outcome was determined.
The relationship of predicted COF on slip outcome was weaker than anticipated and was not statistically significant. This study partially confirmed the ability of previous regression equations to predict COF. However, the effect size was weaker than previously reported and predicted COF was not sensitive for predicting slips.
Use of high-quality slip-resistant footwear is protective against slip and fall events. Efforts to improve the friction performance of shoes, therefore, have the potential to broadly impact public safety. The primary means in which footwear, flooring, and an interfacial fluid influence slipping is by modulating the dynamic coefficient of friction COF. COF is the ratio of friction to normal force during sliding between the shoe and floor surface.
The COF measured during steady-state sliding has been shown to be a sensitive predictor of slipping events both in laboratory and working environments Cockayne et al.
