Test of Swedish anti-skid devices on five different slippery surfaces

The interest for effective preventive strategies for slips and falls is gro wing. Much remains to be done, however, to prevent slips and falls in the t raffic environment. Some pedestrians are injured because of slippery paveme nts and roadways. Using an appropriate anti-skid device may reduce the risk of slips and falls on different surfaces outdoors during winter. The aim o f this study was to evaluate new anti-skid devices on the Swedish market re presenting three different designs of anti-skid devices; heel device, fore- foot device and whole-foot device on different slippery surfaces, gravel, s and, salt, snow and ice. The evaluations were done according to subject's p erceived walking safety and balance, videorecordings of walking postures an d movements, time to take on and off each anti-skid device, advantages/disa dvantages with each anti-skid device and a list of priority for own use acc ording to three criteria; safety, balance and appearance. Practical tests w ere carried out on different slippery surfaces, gravel, sand, salt, snow an d ice. The subject's were randomly selected from the registered population over 55 years in a city in northern Sweden. The results showed that eight o r more of the ten subjects perceived all four anti-skid devices as fairly g ood or good regarding walking safety and balance when walking on gravel, sa nd, and salt. Anti-skid device 3, a whole-foot device was perceived as havi ng none or bad walking safety and balance on snow by seven subjects and ant i-skid device 4, a heel device, as having none or bad walking balance on ic e by all ten subjects. Eight subjects walked with a normal muscle function in the hip and knee with all anti-skid devices on all surfaces. Small devia tions in walking posture and movements were noted in one to two subjects wh en walking on different surfaces, but no systematic difference between the devices. Anti-skid device 1 'Rewa', a fixed heel device, was perceived as t he most rapid one to take on. All four devices were perceived as easy to us e and as giving good foothold. Anti-skid device 1 'Rewa' and 4 'Thulin-spik e', both heel devices, had the highest priority according to walking safety . 'Rewa' also had the highest priority according to walking balance as well as own use. When combining the criterias 'Rewa' had the highest priority a ccording to walking safety and balance, priority for own use, time to take on and easiness to use. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.