Assessing Floor Slipperiness on Ramps for Young and Old Adults

Abstract

This study investigated the influences of slopes on subjective ratings of floor slipperiness for youths and elders and identified the consistency between subjective ratings and objective measures of floor slipperiness. In order to prevent falling for elders, ramps are common in barrier-free environments. However, they could be a potential environmental risk of slip & fall incidents due to the effects of gravity on the frictional force on the ramps surface. Measurements of the coefficient of friction (COF) on the floors under ramp slope, floors and surface conditions were conducted in this study. In addition, reports concerning the influence of elderly perception reduction on subjective rating of ramp floor slipperiness were rare. Thirty elders and youngsters were recruited for vision screening and response testing. Then they walked on the ramp and their subjective ratings of floor slipperiness were recorded. The data were analyzed to investigate the influence of slope and reduction of visual acuity for the elders on subjective rating and identified the correlation of subjective ratings and objective friction measures of floor slipperiness. The results indicated that floors, surface conditions, and slope all affected the measured COF significantly (p＜0.001). Rough and dry floors had high COF values. Different slopes resulted in significantly different COF values. However, there is no significant trend. The results also showed that the subjective rating and COF values had high correlation (0.69~0.77). However, as compared to the youngsters, the elders did have vision degradation (p＜0.001) and slow response capability (p＜0.001). The high and concentrated rating scores of the elders implied possible misjudgments about floors' slipperiness. Warning signs and slip resistant aids are recommended to reduce the likelihood of slip and fall on ramps for seniors.