Fall Hazard Research Articles

Research on fall prevention and safety protection for electric power tower climbing operations based on the longhorn whisker algorithm

Abstract With the continuous development of the power industry, the safety of power tower climbing operations is increasingly valued. This study focuses on the anti-fall safety protection of electric power tower climbing operations and proposes a study on the anti-fall safety protection of electric power tower climbing operations based on the Longhorn whisker algorithm. Firstly, real-time image acquisition of the climbing operation site is carried out through the camera equipment carried by the drone, ensuring clear and comprehensive information on the working environment is obtained. Secondly, extract hazardous features in climbing operations, such as abnormal worker posture, tool detachment, etc. These features are important indicators of potential fall risks. Finally, a fall hazard detection model is constructed and optimized using the Longhorn Whisker algorithm to identify and warn of impending fall events, thereby providing timely safety protection for climbing operators. The experimental results show that this method has shown significant effectiveness in improving job safety, providing strong technical support for the safety protection of power tower climbing operations.

Removing environmental barriers to independent living: A feasibility randomised controlled trial targeting people ageing with long-term physical disabilities

Introduction: People ageing with long-term physical disabilities face unique challenges to maintaining independence. We developed a novel, evidence-based intervention – Removing Environmental Barriers to Independent Living – to support participation and reduce falls. Methods: To examine Removing environmental barriers to independent living’s feasibility and estimate its magnitude of efficacy, we conducted a single-blinded randomised controlled trial. Fifty participants who were aged 45–65 years with a physical disability for at least 5 years were randomised to intervention ( n = 24) or control ( n = 26). Activity performance, environmental barriers to performance, community participation, environmental fall hazards and fall prevention behaviours were assessed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. Dose, adherence, fidelity and cost were examined. Linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures were used to assess the effects of time, group and group by time interaction on the continuous outcomes. Results: Removing environmental barriers to independent living had high fidelity and adherence and a low implementation cost. There were trends for greater improvements in activity limitations and activity performance among intervention versus control participants. Conclusion: Removing environmental barriers to independent living is a feasible intervention with high fidelity and adherence. Findings trended towards greater improvements in activity performance for intervention participants. Results could inform future planning for a larger pragmatic trial.

Probabilistic hazard analyses for a small island: methods for quantifying tephra fall hazard and appraising possible impacts on Ascension Island

Proximal to the source, tephra fall can cause severe disruption, and populations of small volcanically active islands can be particularly susceptible. Volcanic hazard assessments draw on data from past events generated from historical observations and the geological record. However, on small volcanic islands, many eruptive deposits are under-represented or missing due to the bulk of tephra being deposited offshore and high erosion rates from weather and landslides. Ascension Island is such an island located in the South Atlantic, with geological evidence of mafic and felsic explosive volcanism. Limited tephra preservation makes it difficult to correlate explosive eruption deposits and constrains the frequency or magnitude of past eruptions. We therefore combined knowledge from the geological record together with eruptions from the analogous São Miguel island, Azores, to probabilistically model a range of possible future explosive eruption scenarios. We simulated felsic events from a single vent in the east of the island, and, as mafic volcanism has largely occurred from monogenetic vents, we accounted for uncertainty in future vent location by using a grid of equally probable source locations within the areas of most recent eruptive activity. We investigated the hazards and some potential impacts of short-lived explosive events where tephra fall deposits could cause significant damage and our results provide probabilities of tephra fall loads from modelled events exceeding threshold values for potential damage. For basaltic events with 6–10 km plume heights, we found a 50% probability that tephra fallout across the west side of the island would impact roads and the airport during a single explosive event, and if roofs cannot be cleared, three modelled explosive phases produced tephra loads that may be sufficient to cause roof collapse (≥ 100 kg m−2). For trachytic events, our results show a 50% probability of loads of 2–12 kg m−2 for a plume height of 6 km increasing to 898–3167 kg m−2 for a plume height of 19 km. Our results can assist in raising awareness of the potential impacts of tephra fall from short-lived explosive events on small islands.

Investigating the Causes of Work-Related Injuries and their Impact on the Employee Health and Safety in Organizations in GCC Region

Ensuring employee health and safety has been considered the top priority by OSHA. Although employee health and safety has an been considered paramount in ensuring effective company operations around the world yet limited efforts are being taken by the organizations to enhance employee health and safety. This research paper aims to explore the various industrial hazards and their impact on the employee health and safety in the GCC region. This research uses primary and secondary data, Qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques to test the hypothesis. Descriptive statistics including relationship charts, frequency analysis, and ANOVA testing were included to reach the conclusion. The response was received 100 responses from different industries in GCC region to whom the survey was disseminated. The researcher has also used open publicly available data through the published information by the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). The results conclude close inverse relationship between the dependent and independent variables where the (Independent variable) is Employee safety and health and the dependent variables are electric hazard, fire hazards, fall hazards, ergonomics hazards. The reduction in the hazards will lead to increase in the employee safety and health.

Analysis of Child Safety Monitoring System using the SPSS Method

A wearing children's safety system functions as a smart gadget. Accurate and exact real-time location can be used to identify a child's surroundings. This system includes an ambient temperature display, an SOS light, and a distress buzzer. It aids them in locating their child. The system is simple to design. The programmer is designed to establish an approach that is user-friendly on both sides. GPS-equipped smart phones should be available to both parents and kids. The child's location, call history, message history, and communication via their smartphone are all tracked using this software. Safety monitoring systems use a person, rather than a mechanical system (safety monitor), to warn when roofs are six feet or more below the lowest level and are in danger of falling. A safety supervisor must be a competent person to recognize fall hazards and warn workers about them. The device has IoT tracking and a GSM module that allows you to monitor the child at all times. It has countless sensors connected to a CPU and is used to detect the right signals like heart rate, temperature and other dangers and alert the parents. A programmer called system monitoring software keeps track of, logs, and examines all levels of the IT ecosystem's system resources, from operating systems and electronics to the underlying system applications and services, to running user software. At the top Today, 80% of all child abuse cases reported around the globe. The remaining 26% were boys, with 74% being girls. In this world, a daughter goes missing every 40 seconds. Children If one's children's future is the foundation of one's nation, is affected, it affects overall development Nation. Due to abuses, children's emotional and mental stability is affected Destroying and future endeavors. The things that happen to these defenseless kids are not their fault. Parents are therefore accountable for raising their own children. But, since their children's future and career are not considered, parents are compelled to want for money. So, it is challenging to understand them. There are kids everywhere. We offer a setting in our system where this issue is able to be resolved effectively. It makes it simple for parents to follow their kids in real time as if they were close to them and they focus on their own business without any manual intervention. Ratio studies are statistical analyses of data from appraisals and property valuations. Nearly all states utilise them to produce quantitative measure of the proportion of current market price about which individually estimated taxable property is appraised as well as to offer assessment performance indicators. Evaluation parameters taken as Temperature sensor, Pulse sensor, GPS, GSM and Web camera. The Cronbach's Alpha Reliability result. The overall Cronbach's Alpha value for the model is .658 which indicates 66% reliability. From the literature review, the above 50% Cronbach's Alpha value model can be considered for analysis. Software Engineering Defect Prediction the Cronbach's Alpha Reliability result. The overall Cronbach's Alpha value for the model is .658 which indicates 66% reliability. From the literature review, the above 50% Cronbach's Alpha value model can be considered for analysis.

Evaluation of a Student Pharmacist-Driven Fall-Prevention Program for Older People.

There is limited research on the impact of fall prevention education for older community-living people led by student pharmacists, which includes a medication review to identify Fall Risk-Increasing Drugs (FRIDs). Study objectives were to first assess the knowledge and behavioral intentions of older people after attending a student pharmacist-led fall-prevention program (FPP) and secondly to quantify the number of FRIDs identified during a medication review. Between October 2022 and April 2023, four independent-living facilities and two senior centers served as programming locations. Events began with a fall prevention-focused presentation provided by student pharmacists. Attendees voluntarily filled out surveys to assess their knowledge and behavioral intentions regarding fall prevention. Optional medication reviews were offered. Additional survey questions were asked of medication review participants. If FRIDs were identified, the individual was provided documentation to share with their prescriber. Fall prevention bingo was offered at select events to review educational content and engage those waiting for a medication review. Eighty-six older people attended the presentations; 45 people completed medication reviews across six sites. Survey information was available for 65 presentation attendees and 29 medication review participants. After programming, 64 out of 65 participants stated they felt comfortable speaking to their pharmacist or provider about falls and their medications. Most survey respondents correctly selected which medications increase fall risk. Twenty-two of 29 medication review participants were taking at least one FRID. The FPP described showed positive results through a post-survey evaluation. Participants demonstrated knowledge of fall hazards including medications and a willingness to discuss falls and FRIDs with health professionals. These factors may lead to concrete interventions to avoid falls and their associated health consequences for older people.

Exploring the Importance and Performance Priorities of Older Adults With a User-Centred Approach to Create a Fall-Free Bathroom.

Fall hazards in bathroom spaces constitute one of the most critical issues in the daily lives of older adults. Bathroom falls are somewhat different and constrained in nature than those in other parts of a home environment. This study aimed to adopt a user-centred approach to explore older adults' general bathroom needs, with a specific focus on showers and bathtubs as the designated activity area. The authors employed an extended importance-performance analysis (IPA) with a mixed-method research design. Three hundred and eleven older adults participated in a face-to-face IPA questionnaire for the quantitative phase of the study. The authors gathered the qualitative data through open-ended questions from 59 older adults. The authors found positive correlation between older adults' attitudes towards an older-friendly bathroom and the potential for their bathrooms to be fall-free. The IPA calculations identify three key items with higher ratings in both importance and performance: The presence of appropriate artificial lighting, efficient mechanical ventilation and an accessible inside towel rail. Thematic analysis yields four themes: comfort, ease of access, error-proof design and emergency management. The IPA calculations and thematic analysis confirm that older adults' rankings of importance and performance and their corresponding priority levels within the overarching themes indicate the need for these aspects to perform well and justify ongoing investments. The study concludes that addressing fall prevention requires not only designing specific solutions but also utilising appropriate technology in bathing and toileting activities. Practitioners in geriatric and gerontological nursing, design, architecture and health care can use the importance and performance priority levels of older adults to guide the development and implementation of fall-free bathroom design. Policymakers can leverage the insights from this research to inform guidelines and regulations related to building codes, accessibility standards and healthcare policies.

Revolutionizing construction safety: introducing a cutting-edge virtual reality interactive system for training US construction workers to mitigate fall hazards

The construction industry is fraught with hazards, chief among them being the risk of falls from elevated positions, which are a leading cause of both fatalities and injuries among workers. Despite the prevalence of traditional safety training methods, their effectiveness in reducing fall risks remains limited. To solve this issue, this study proposes the adoption of interactive VR technologies to provide construction workers with immersive training experiences in the critical domain of fall safety. This approach not only ensures adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements but also leverages VR’s immersive capabilities to create a comprehensive and effective learning tool. To evaluate the proposed system’s efficacy, the researchers conducted an empirical assessment involving eighty-two construction workers from two small enterprises. Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving traditional training and the other undergoing VR-based instruction. Both groups underwent pre- and post-training evaluations comprising six targeted questions designed to measure the impact of each training method on their understanding and awareness of fall safety practices. The comparative analysis revealed no significant differences in baseline knowledge between the two groups prior to the training interventions. However, post-training evaluations demonstrated a notable improvement in the VR group, with a significant decrease in the number of incorrect responses, in stark contrast to the group subjected to traditional training methods. Statistical analysis further confirmed the superiority of VR training in enhancing participants’ knowledge. This was quantified by a p-value of 0.0016, indicating a high level of statistical significance well below the conventional threshold of 0.05. This study highlights the significant advantages of VR technology in construction safety training, demonstrating its superiority over traditional training methods in terms of knowledge retention and practical application. The results strongly support the wider adoption of VR in safety training, indicating its potential to enhance safety outcomes in the construction sector.

Home Environmental Factors Associated with Falls Among Elderly in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

The demographics of the world's population have changed over time. Previous research demonstrated the high rate of falls among elderly people living in rural areas in their own houses. This study aimed to use the Thai-Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) to look into the environmental factors inside and outside of residential homes connected to falls among elderly living in rural Thailand. Data was gathered between August and October 2023 using a questionnaire to obtain demographic data and the 44-question Thai-HFHAT survey. The survey was divided into seven sections covering the areas inside and outside the elderly home facility. Descriptive statistics were used in the data analysis, and statistical tests, including Fisher's exact test and the Chi-square test, were used to examine the relationship between environmental factors and falls in elderly people. The study found that issues with an elderly rural home included split-level flooring in the living room, bathroom, and bedroom, an insecurely attached carpet in the kitchen and bedroom, and a shower area not separated from the toilet. The environmental factors linked to falls among the elderly encompass insufficient lighting in the living room, bathroom, bedroom, and parking garage, debris and obstacles such as wires along the path in the living room and parking garage, and the poor condition of the staircase, characterized by inconsistent step heights or a slippery surface. Community agencies should consider the living conditions of elderly people in rural areas to effectively reduce the occurrence of falls among this population.

An Analysis of the Impact of Mining Excavation Velocity on the Development of Gaseous and Gaseous Geodynamic Hazards in Copper Ore Mines

The hazards of gaseous geodynamic phenomena and rockbursts are among the most challenging to assess and classify. This perception arises from both a review of the literature and an examination of available instructions and regulations in underground mining facilities. The hazard of gaseous geodynamic phenomena in Polish copper ore mines only appeared in 2009, whereas these phenomena occur and are commonly described in other mining countries. In Polish copper ore mines, due to the room and pillar system in fields with lengths of about 460 m, very often parallel to neighboring fields, which together give a length of about 900 m, it is difficult to identify the location of gas traps due to the large size of the area. This paper presents an analysis of the influence of the velocity of the excavation on the possibility of escalating or reducing the described mining hazards. An analysis of the impact of excavation velocity on the state of gaseous geodynamic and roof fall hazards was conducted for two mining fields. For the considered mining fields, the hypothesis was formulated that an excavation velocity greater than or equal to 17 m/month positively influences a reduction in both gaseous geodynamic and roof fall hazards.

Population-based interventions for preventing falls and fall-related injuries in older people.

Population-based interventions for preventing falls and fall-related injuries in older people.

Falls and Alzheimer Disease.

Falls are the leading cause of injury, disability, and injury-related mortality in the older adult population. Older adults with Alzheimer disease (AD) are over twice as likely to experience a fall compared to cognitively normal older adults. Intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors may influence falls during symptomatic AD; intrinsic factors include changes in cognition and impaired functional mobility, and extrinsic factors include polypharmacy and environmental fall hazards. Despite many known fall risk factors, the high prevalence of falls, and the presence of effective fall prevention interventions for older adults without cognitive impairment, effective fall prevention interventions for older adults with AD to date are limited and inconclusive. Falls may precede AD-related cognitive impairment during the preclinical phase of AD, though a narrow understanding of fall risk factors and fall prevention interventions for older adults with preclinical AD limits clinical treatment of falls among cognitively normal older adults with preclinical AD. This mini review explores fall risk factors in symptomatic AD, evidence for effective fall prevention interventions in symptomatic AD, and preclinical AD as an avenue for future falls research, including recommendations for future research directions to improve our understanding of falls and fall risk during preclinical AD. Early detection and tailored interventions to address these functional changes are needed to reduce the risk of falls for those at risk for developing AD. Concerted efforts should be dedicated to understanding falls to inform precision fall prevention strategies for this population.

Safer designs with BIM based fall hazards identification and accident prevention

The construction industry has continuously changed its work processes, methods, techniques and associated hazards. In addition, the way in which work is carried out on construction sites varies from project to project. As a result, it is difficult to prevent workplace accidents. What is worrying is that the majority of hazardous situations that arise as a result of decisions made during the design phase are not identified until construction begins. According to studies carried out around the world, some of the hazardous situations in construction are due to decisions made during the design process. The aim of this study was to minimise the hazards that arise from design decisions and cause occupational accidents. To this end, a system has been developed that operates in a BIM environment used by designers during the design phase. Thus, if a designer makes a decision that could cause a hazard, he/she would be warned by the BIM software. Therefore, in terms of occupational health and safety, safer buildings should be designed. This study uses multi-storey building projects and a system that detects and alerts on design decisions that cause fall accidents. The study concluded that most of the hazards that cause falls can be identified at the design stage. Consequently, the majority of these hazards can be eliminated through alternative design recommendations.

Measurement of traction properties of ceramic tiles and its attention for preventing pedestrian falls

Ceramic tiles are generally located in various community and industry venues because of their durability and ability to withstand blemishes, smells, and microorganisms. Thus, they are ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, entryways, laundry rooms, and utility areas. However, they can be extremely slippery in lubricated and even dusty environments. Regardless of the significance of this issue, the care aspects of ceramic tiles’ traction properties should have been systematically studied to avoid slip and fall incidence. The present study evaluates the slip resistance performance of ceramic tiles with different textures and identifies their controls on pedestrian fall prevention. For the ceramic tiles, the three most popular types of surface textures: smooth, moderately rough, and very rough, were chosen. Dynamic friction tests measured traction properties between the ceramic tiles and three shoes in four environments. The measurement results identified that the ceramic tiles exhibited high traction functioning under clean and dry conditions. Whilst the textures of ceramic tiles played a considerable role in soapsuds-covered moderately risky and oil-covered highly hazardous conditions. The current study also proposed a concept of an operational range of surface roughness and identified ideal boundaries of surface textures against diverse levels of slippery circumstances. The outcomes of the present study may be applied to enhance the surface design of ceramic tiles to preclude fall hazards in our community and workplaces.

Reliability of the 44-question Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool and demographic characteristics associated with home hazards among the Thai elderly

Background: The 44-question Thai Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) was developed to assist healthcare professionals in identifying the risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults from their home environment. However, the reliability of this tool has not been studied. This study aimed to examine the reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT and determine the demographic characteristics associated with home hazards. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate inter-rater reliability. The participants in this study were 51 older people from various types of Thai houses: a one-story elevated house, a one-story non-elevated house, and a house with two or more floors, 51 caregivers of older patients, and 5 village health volunteers (VHV). A prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with older people at different times in their homes. All participants answered 44 Thai-HFHAT questions to determine inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The reliabilities were analyzed using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Demographic characteristics including sex, occupation, and education were used to identify the factors affecting home hazards, and linear regression was used to analyze. Results: The ICC of inter-rater reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.57-0.84) and the test-retest reliability was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.88) for the older adults, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for the caregivers and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.477-0.83) for the VHV. In demographic variables, personal business career and education level (grades 1-3) had significant relations with the total number of home hazards in the 44-questions Thai-HFHAT. Conclusions: The 44-question Thai-HFHAT is suitable for home hazard assessment among older adults in Thailand. Further studies are needed to investigate changes in the house environment after using the 44-question Thai-HFHAT to determine which changes can reduce fall risk.

Reliability of the 44-question Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool and demographic characteristics associated with home hazards among the Thai elderly.

Background: The 44-question Thai Home Fall Hazard Assessment Tool (Thai-HFHAT) was developed to assist healthcare professionals in identifying the risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults from their home environment. However, the reliability of this tool has not been studied. This study aimed to examine the reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT and determine the demographic characteristics associated with home hazards. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to evaluate inter-rater reliability. The participants in this study were 51 older people from various types of Thai houses: a one-story elevated house, a one-story non-elevated house, and a house with two or more floors, 51 caregivers of older patients, and 5 village health volunteers (VHV). A prospective design was used to evaluate test-retest reliability with older people at different times in their homes. All participants answered 44 Thai-HFHAT questions to determine inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities. The reliabilities were analyzed using an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Demographic characteristics including sex, occupation, and education were used to identify the factors affecting home hazards, and linear regression was used to analyze. Results: The ICC of inter-rater reliability of the 44-question Thai-HFHAT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.57-0.84) and the test-retest reliability was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64-0.88) for the older adults, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.65-0.89) for the caregivers and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.477-0.83) for the VHV. In demographic variables, personal business career and education level (grades 1-3) had significant relations with the total number of home hazards in the 44-questions Thai-HFHAT. Conclusions: The 44-question Thai-HFHAT is suitable for home hazard assessment among older adults in Thailand. Further studies are needed to investigate changes in the house environment after using the 44-question Thai-HFHAT to determine which changes can reduce fall risk.

Quantitative correlation between rock fall and weather seasonality to predict changes in rock fall hazard with climate change

Quantitative correlation between rock fall and weather seasonality to predict changes in rock fall hazard with climate change

Delayed response in rectus abdominis muscle following a step perturbation in subjects with and without recurrent low back pain.

Delayed trunk and lower limb muscle activation is associated with balance loss and fall injuries in subjects with recurrent low back pain (LBP). This study was conducted to compare differences in the onset of muscle contractions of the trunk and lower limb muscles following a treadmill-induced step perturbation between subjects with and without LBP. Eighty-three right limb dominant individuals (43 subjects with LBP and 40 control subjects) were exposed to the perturbation (0.31m/s velocity for 0.2m). The electromyography (EMG) reaction times were analyzed during the first step following the perturbation. The EMG electrodes were placed on both sides of the trunk and lower limbs, including the rectus abdominis (RA), erector spinae (ES), tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius (GA) muscles. The group x muscle interaction was statistically significant (F = 9.44, p = 0.003). The TA muscle activation was significantly delayed compared to the RA, ES, and GA. There was a significant interaction on side x muscle (F = 4.14, p = 0.04). The RA muscles were significantly delayed on the non-dominant (t = -3.35, p = 0.001) and dominant (t = -2.53, p = 0.01) sides in the LBP group. The LBP group demonstrated a delayed reaction time on the RA muscles, which indicated poor trunk control relative to the lower limbs. The delayed bilateral RA muscle might indicate possible coordination problems relative to the ES and lower limb muscles, which may lead to potential fall hazards.

"Before I Could Get Him, He Fell": Experiences, Concerns, and Fall Prevention Strategies of Parents With Young Children.

Little is known about parents' perceptions and prevention strategies regarding childhood falls. In this qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, we sought to describe parental reports of child fall experiences, concerns, and prevention strategies in the home. Sixteen parents with at least one child younger than 18 months were asked about their awareness of fall risks, falls experienced by the child, fall concerns, prevention strategies, and where in the home the child spends time throughout the day. Seven themes emerged: (1) "falls are unexpected," (2) "role of the physical environment," (3) "children's temperament and developmental stage," (4) "physical barriers and baby products," (5) "addressing walking surfaces," (6) "modifying the height of a fall," and (7) "supervision." Parents are aware of in-home fall hazards and actively use strategies to lessen fall risk. Anticipatory guidance should promote evidence-based and evidence-informed prevention strategies and augment effective strategies some parents use to lower fall risk.

Environmental interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community.

Environmental interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community.