Prevention of same level falls: A more global appreciation of this type ofaccident

Until the beginning of the 1990s, research into the prevention of same leve l falls was particularly focused on slipping. This work is linked to method s for the measurement of slip resistance. It pointed out the necessity to c onduct studies on strategies used by the subject in order to deal with the risk of falling or a loss of balance. These more recent studies take into a ccount a much wider range of events that occur before and after the loss of balance. After briefly reviewing the motivation, objectives, and obstacles to progress associated with slip resistance measurement, an overview of st udies on perturbed locomotion and posture is presented. Different contexts where there is a risk of falling will be defined. Sensory information that allows one to anticipate or to appreciate the risk of falling or to perceiv e a loss of balance, as well as certain factors that modulate the treatment of this information will be given for each of these situations. (C) 1999 N ational Safety Council and Elsevier Science Ltd.