Tripping Hazards Research Articles

Innovative structure to mount demand feeders to concrete raceways at a production fish hatchery

AbstractObjectiveAs a type of automatic feeder, demand feeders reduce labor costs and can improve fish‐rearing efficiencies. However, mounting demand feeders can be problematic because of the variety of nonstandardized fish‐rearing units. This article describes an innovative, simple, sturdy, and durable demand feeder mount for rectangular, concrete raceways.MethodsThe feeder mount was made from aluminum and sits flat on a raceway wall or walkway. A horizontal base plate, secured to the wall by vertical plates, holds a vertical riser of aluminum tubing. Attached to this tubing is a rod that secures the demand feeder.ResultThis feeder mount design has proven durable over several years of actual use. Over this time, it has needed no maintenance other than occasional cleaning with water to remove spilled fish food. The feeder can be easily and quickly removed from the mount by simply pulling a pin and sliding the feeder off of the tubing. The mount is constructed to dramatically reduce tripping hazards and occupational safety and health risks.ConclusionThis simple, inexpensive (~US$50 to construct), and no‐maintenance mount is a viable solution to the typically difficult problem of mounting demand feeders to concrete raceways used for trout production.

A protocol to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a pilot intervention emergency department virtual observation unit fall prevention program

BackgroundAs a third of all community dwellers aged 65+ fall each year, falls are common reasons for older adults to present to an Emergency Department (ED). Although EDs should assess patients’ multifactorial fall risks to prevent future fall-related injuries, this frequently does not occur. We describe our protocol to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a pilot ED Virtual Observation Unit (VOU) Falls program.MethodsTo ensure standardized conduct and reporting, the Standard Protocol Items for Intervention Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines will be used. The VOU is a program where patients are sent home from the ED but are part of a virtual observation unit in that they can call on-call ED physicians while they are being treated for conditions such as cellulitis, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia. A paramedic conducts daily visits with the patient and facilitates a telemedicine consult with an ED physician. VOU nursing staff conduct daily assessments of patients via telemedicine. The ED VOU Falls program is one of the VOU pathways and is a multi-component fall prevention program for fall patients who present after an ED visit. The paramedic conducts a home safety evaluation, a Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). During the VOU visit, the ED physician conducts a telemedicine visit, while the paramedic is visiting the home, to review patients' fall-risk-increasing drugs and their TUG test. We will determine feasibility by calculating rates of patient enrollment refusal, and adherence to fall-risk prevention recommendations using information from 3-month follow-up telephone calls, as well as qualitative interviews with the paramedics. We will determine the acceptability of the ED VOU Falls program based on patient and provider surveys using a Likert scale. We will ask VOU nursing staff to report any safety issues encountered while the patient is in the ED VOU Falls program (e.g., tripping hazards). We will use the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, Student’s t-test for continuous variables, and Mann-Whitney for nonparametric data. We will review interview transcripts and generate codes. Codes will then be extracted and organized into concepts to generate an overall theme following grounded theory methods. This is a pilot study; hence, results cannot be extrapolated. However, a definite trial would be the next step in the future to determine if such a program could be implemented as part of fall prevention interventions.DiscussionThis study will provide insights into the feasibility and acceptability of a novel ED VOU Falls program with the aim of ultimately decreasing falls. In the future, such a program could be implemented as part of fall prevention interventions.

A Multi-Modal Foundation Model to Assist People with Blindness and Low Vision in Environmental Interaction.

People with blindness and low vision (pBLV) encounter substantial challenges when it comes to comprehensive scene recognition and precise object identification in unfamiliar environments. Additionally, due to the vision loss, pBLV have difficulty in accessing and identifying potential tripping hazards independently. Previous assistive technologies for the visually impaired often struggle in real-world scenarios due to the need for constant training and lack of robustness, which limits their effectiveness, especially in dynamic and unfamiliar environments, where accurate and efficient perception is crucial. Therefore, we frame our research question in this paper as: How can we assist pBLV in recognizing scenes, identifying objects, and detecting potential tripping hazards in unfamiliar environments, where existing assistive technologies often falter due to their lack of robustness? We hypothesize that by leveraging large pretrained foundation models and prompt engineering, we can create a system that effectively addresses the challenges faced by pBLV in unfamiliar environments. Motivated by the prevalence of large pretrained foundation models, particularly in assistive robotics applications, due to their accurate perception and robust contextual understanding in real-world scenarios induced by extensive pretraining, we present a pioneering approach that leverages foundation models to enhance visual perception for pBLV, offering detailed and comprehensive descriptions of the surrounding environment and providing warnings about potential risks. Specifically, our method begins by leveraging a large-image tagging model (i.e., Recognize Anything Model (RAM)) to identify all common objects present in the captured images. The recognition results and user query are then integrated into a prompt, tailored specifically for pBLV, using prompt engineering. By combining the prompt and input image, a vision-language foundation model (i.e., InstructBLIP) generates detailed and comprehensive descriptions of the environment and identifies potential risks in the environment by analyzing environmental objects and scenic landmarks, relevant to the prompt. We evaluate our approach through experiments conducted on both indoor and outdoor datasets. Our results demonstrate that our method can recognize objects accurately and provide insightful descriptions and analysis of the environment for pBLV.

Parametric Optimization of Ferrite Structure Used for Dynamic Wireless Power Transfer for 3 kW Electric Vehicle

The current charging technology for electric vehicles consists of plugging the cable from the AC utility to charge the batteries. This requires heavy gauge cables to connect to electric vehicles, which can be difficult to handle, presents tripping hazards, and is prone to vandalism. In addition to these inconveniences, electric vehicles must be immobilized for hours before being fully charged. Dynamic wireless power transfer has been studied worldwide as a promising technology. It is safe and convenient and allows electric vehicles to charge while moving. To improve the efficiency of a dynamic wireless power transfer system, the magnetic coupling coefficient must be maximized between the primary pad, which is integrated into the road, and the secondary pad installed in the electric vehicle. This article presents a parametric optimization of the ferrite structure used for a 3 kW dynamic wireless power transfer prototype. Different ferrite configurations are compared while studying the effect of the parameter values on their magnetic coupling coefficient. Finally, the proposed structure was validated during the experimental test, and its coupling coefficient was improved by 26% compared to the original structure.

Assessment of Household Environmental Risk Factors for Falls Among Community Dwelling Older Persons in Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala

Falls constitute a major public health problem among older persons worldwide. This study attempted to observe and identify the potential environmental hazards within and outside the houses that could have caused fall-related injuries of older persons. The modifications done to the house after the falls were also observed. Households of older persons who were hospitalised at a tertiary care centre in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India for complaints of fall related injuries (participants of a case-control study) were observed using a guide that was customized and adapted for the setting. The areas around the houses were slippery and had several tripping hazards. Marble, granite and tiled floors were found to be slippery. Door thresholds, door mats with no grip backing and plastic chairs were found to be potential tripping hazards. Steps/stairs were important in causation of falls. The bedrooms were often dark, small and cluttered with furniture. The bathrooms were frequently located outdoors and at a different level from the rest of the house. Lighting was a problem within the house, inside the toilet and bathrooms. Commonest alteration made to prevent falls was introduction of mats inside and outside the house. Changes that were needed for a safe environment for older persons are often challenged by the need to display status markers. Several potential hazards were identified within and around the house. They either precipitated the falls or modified the outcome of falls. Further research is necessary to work out a guideline for constructing safe and friendly houses for older persons.

A STUDY ON WORK SAFETY AWARENESS AMONG HOUSEKEEPING EMPLOYEES IN ONE OF THE LEADING HOSPITALS, SALEM

Cleaning, maintaining a healthy atmosphere, and providing adequate sanitation services are all part of hospital housekeeping services, as is pollution control on hospital premises. Hospital housekeeping services include activities such as cleaning, maintaining the hospital environment, and providing good sanitation. Hospital housekeeping management is a branch of general management that is responsible for overseeing hospital cleanliness, general environmental hygiene, sanitation, and waste disposal using proper procedures, equipment, and personnel. Housekeeping is commonly dened as "all activities aimed at providing a clean, safe, and comfortable environment." Workplace dangers can be controlled or eliminated with the help of housekeeping. Cleaning is only one aspect of household management. It entails keeping work areas clean and organised, removing debris (such as paper and cardboard) and other re dangers from workplaces, and avoiding tripping hazards in corridors and oors. It also necessitates paying attention to critical issues such as overall workplace organisation, aisle labelling, storage capacity, and upkeep. Cleaning is crucial in addition to incident and re prevention. Cleaning effectively is an ongoing activity rather than a one-time occurrence. This study focuses on housekeeping employees' perceptions of workplace safety.

Does Cognitive Status Moderate the Relationship between Environmental Factors and Self-Reported Health?

Using data from NHATS Round 9, the present study examines the relationships between environmental factors and self-reported health among older adults with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and normal cognition. Based on neighborhood stress process theory, we investigate the following questions: 1) Are there associations between dwelling safety hazards and neighborhood environments and self-reported health? 2) Is cognitive status a moderator between the relationship? 3) How do these associations differ between older adults with varying cognitive status (i.e., dementia, MCI, and normal cognition)? A hierarchical linear regression analyses are conducted. Results indicate that better quality of sidewalk surface and neighborhood social cohesion are associated with better self-reported health, after taking into account sociodemographic, health, and social factors. Interaction terms are then used to examine the moderating effects of cognitive status on the associations; four interactions terms are found to be statistically significant. Lastly, separate linear regression analyses are implemented for the dementia, MCI, and normal cognition groups. Findings show that the predicting power of environmental factors vary by cognitive status of older adults. For individuals with dementia, tripping hazards, cluttered home, and community disconnectedness are associated with poor self-reported health. However, no significant relationship was found for older adults with MCI. For older adults with normal cognition, better quality of sidewalk surface and neighborhood social cohesion predict better self-rated health scores. Findings of this study illuminate the important role of a hazard-free home, community walkability, and socially cohesive neighborhood environments in predicting better health status of older adults.

Food safety vs health and safety

Food safety vs health and safety

A Vision-Based Approach for Sidewalk and Walkway Trip Hazards Assessment.

Tripping hazards on the sidewalk cause many falls annually, and the inspection and repair of these hazards cost cities millions of dollars. Currently, there is not an efficient and cost-effective method to monitor the sidewalk to identify any possible tripping hazards. In this paper, a new portable device is proposed using an Intel RealSense D415 RGB-D camera to monitor the sidewalks, detect the hazards, and extract relevant features of the hazards. This paper first analyzes the effects of environmental factors contributing to the device’s error and compares different regression techniques to calibrate the camera. The Gaussian Process Regression models yielded the most accurate predictions with less than 0.09 mm Mean Absolute Errors (MAEs). In the second phase, a novel segmentation algorithm is proposed that combines the edge detection and region-growing techniques to detect the true tripping hazards. Different examples are provided to visualize the output results of the proposed method.

Bathroom Modifications, Clutter, and Tripping Hazards: Prevalence and Changes after Incident Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of bathroom modifications, clutter, and tripping hazards in the homes of US older adults and to examine changes after an incident fall. Methods: We used data from the 2015-2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study (n = 7499). Outcomes were the prevalence of bathroom modifications, clutter, and tripping hazards and changes after incident fall. Results: In 2015, 26.5% of community-dwelling older adults had clutter or tripping hazards in the home, and 69.3% had at least one bathroom modification. Compared to nonfallers, older adults with multiple falls were significantly more likely to modify the bathroom. The magnitude of hazard reduction was similar after multiple falls but was not statistically significant. Discussion: Bathroom modifications are common and increase after multiple falls. A single incident fall does not appear to lead to home environment changes to reduce fall risk. Targeting home hazards may be an opportunity to reduce fall risk.

Structured Laser Light Improves Tripping Hazard Recognition for People with Visual Impairments.

PurposeUsing a geometrically derived model and a virtual curb simulator, we quantify the degree to which a wearable device that projects a laser line onto tripping hazards in a pedestrian's path improves visual recognition for people with visual impairments (VI). We confirm this with subjects' performance on computer simulations of low contrast curbs.MethodsWe derive geometric expressions quantifying the visual cue users perceive when a single laser line is projected from their hip onto a curb. We show how the efficacy of this cue changes with the angle of the laser line relative to the subject's walking trajectory. We confirm this result with data from three subjects with VI in a simulated curb recognition task in which subjects classified computer images as an “Ascending,” “Flat,” or “Descending” curb.ResultsThe derived model predicts that human recognition performance depends strongly on the laser line angle and the subject data confirms this (r2 = 0.86, P < 0.001). The laser line cue improved subject accuracy from a chance level of 33% to 95% for a simulated, one-inch, low-contrast curb at a distance of five feet.ConclusionsRecognition of curbs in low light can be improved by augmenting the scene with a single laser line projected from a user's hip, if the angle of laser line is appropriately selected.Translational RelevanceA majority of people with VI rely on their impaired residual vision for mobility, rather than a mobility aid, resulting in increased injury for this population. Enhancing residual vision could promote safety, increase independence, and reduce medical costs.

Visuomotor control of walking in Parkinson’s disease: Exploring possible links between conscious movement processing and freezing of gait

IntroductionChanges in visual attention have been argued to influence freezing of gait (FOG) in people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, the specific visual search patterns of people with FOG pathology (PD + FOG) and potential underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The current study explored visual search behavior in PD + FOG while walking on a pathway featuring environmental features known to exacerbate FOG (e.g., narrow doorway and tripping hazards). Potential underpinning attentional mechanisms were also assessed, such as conscious movement processing. MethodsVisual search behavior of twelve people with PD + FOG tested in ON-state (Mage = 74.3) and twelve age-matched healthy controls (Mage = 72.5) were analyzed during a complex walking task. The task required participants to step over an obstacle and navigate through a narrow doorway, surrounded by clutter. ResultsPeople with PD + FOG more frequently directed visual attention to ongoing and imminent steps compared to healthy controls (Mdn = 26% vs Mdn = 14%, respectively; p = 0.042). Self-reported conscious movement processing was also significantly higher in people with PD + FOG. The one participant who froze during the walking task fixated the future trip hazard (obstacle, approximately 6 steps ahead) almost exclusively during freezing trials (i.e., 60-100% of the trial). In contrast, during ‘non-freeze’ trials, this participant increased the duration of fixations towards ongoing and imminent steps. ConclusionResults suggest that people with PD + FOG strongly monitor/control ongoing and immediately upcoming stepping movements. However, prolonged fixations towards threats to future movements might prevent people with PD + FOG from processing the visual information needed to do this, thereby provoke freezing episodes.

What's Important: What Is Our Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic?

What's Important: What Is Our Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Environmental safety assessment of a printing plant in cairo, egypt

Abstract Background The workplace environment impacts workers health, morale, productivity and engagement - both positively and negatively. The workplace environment in most of industry is unsafe and unhealthy. During the past ten years, the printing services have met a large development. Technological changes and the introduction of new work processes in the matter of printing have had a deep impact on labor, security and health. Objectives to describe the environmental features of a printing press in Cairo. Methods A descriptive observational study was carried out in a big printing press in Cairo, Egypt. Assessment of the work environment (prepress department, printing department, bookbinding section &amp; office) was done using checklist modified from that of occupational safety team, 2012. Results The majority of the study participants (79.5%) in the printing press were working in the printing and bookbinding department. which complains from poor ventilation, poor housekeeping, presence of spills &amp; tripping hazards, lack of personal protective equipments, presence of noisy machines, significant manual handling &amp; awkward body positions, lack of first aid kit &amp; hazardous containers (ink containers in the printing department &amp; adhesives in the bookbinding department) were left open. By comparing the departmental total score of the items in the environmental checklist; the prepress department were the highest in fulfilling the positive items with score (86.66%) and the printing &amp; bookbinding department were the least with total score (40.09%). Conclusion The study concluded that some areas of the printing press (printing &amp; bookbinding department) need urgent attention to the work environment and recommend periodic environmental examination, good housekeeping, training, health education &amp; provision of protective measures. Further work to confirm these findings in other study settings &amp; population is also needed.

Examining the Relationship between Construction Workers’ Visual Attention and Situation Awareness under Fall and Tripping Hazard Conditions: Using Mobile Eye Tracking

The risk of major occupational accidents involving tripping hazards is commonly underestimated with a large number of studies having been conducted to better understand variables that affect situation awareness: the ability to detect, perceive, and comprehend constantly evolving surroundings. An important property that affects situation awareness is the limited capacity of the attentional system. To maintain situation awareness while exposed to tripping hazards, a worker needs to obtain feedforward information about hazards, detect immediate tripping hazards, and visually scan surroundings for any potential environmental hazards. Despite the importance of situation awareness, its relationship with attention remains unknown in the construction industry. To fill this theoretical knowledge gap, this study examines differences in attentional allocation between workers with low and high situation awareness levels while exposed to tripping hazards in a real construction site. Participants were exposed to tripping hazards on a real jobsite while walking along a path in the presence of other workers. Situation awareness was measured using the situation awareness rating technique, and subjects’ eye movements were tracked as direct measures of attention via a wearable mobile eye tracker. Investigating the attentional distribution of subjects by examining fixation-count heat maps and scan paths revealed that as workers with higher situation awareness walked, they periodically looked down and scanned ahead to remain fully aware of the environment and its associated hazards. Furthermore, this study quantitatively compared the differences between the eye-tracking metrics of worker with different situation awareness levels (low versus high) using permutation simulation. The results of the statistical analysis indicate that subjects did not allocate their attention equally to all hazardous areas of interest, and these differences in attentional distribution were modulated by the workers’ level of situation awareness. This study advances theory by presenting one of the first attempts to use mobile eye-tracking technology to examine the role of cognitive processes (i.e., attention) in human error (i.e., failure to identify a hazard) and occupational accidents.

Satisfying Product Features of a Fall Prevention Smartphone App and Potential Users’ Willingness to Pay: Web-Based Survey Among Older Adults

BackgroundProhibiting falls and fall-related injuries is a major challenge for health care systems worldwide, as a substantial proportion of falls occur in older adults who are previously known to be either frail or at high risk for falls. Hence, preventive measures are needed to educate and minimize the risk for falls rather than just minimize older adults’ fall risk. Health apps have the potential to address this problem, as they enable users to self-assess their individual fall risk.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify product features of a fall prevention smartphone app, which increase or decrease users’ satisfaction. In addition, willingness to pay (WTP) was assessed to explore how much revenue such an app could generate.MethodsA total of 96 participants completed an open self-selected Web-based survey. Participants answered various questions regarding health status, subjective and objective fall risk, and technical readiness. Seventeen predefined product features of a fall prevention smartphone app were evaluated twice: first, according to a functional (product feature is implemented in the app), and subsequently by a dysfunctional (product feature is not implemented in the app) question. On the basis of the combination of answers from these 2 questions, the product feature was assigned to a certain category (must-be, attractive, one-dimensional, indifferent, or questionable product feature). This method is widely used in user-oriented product development and captures users’ expectations of a product and how their satisfaction is influenced by the availability of individual product features.ResultsFive product features were identified to increase users’ acceptance, including (1) a checklist of typical tripping hazards, (2) an emergency guideline in case of a fall, (3) description of exercises and integrated workout plans that decrease the risk of falling, (4) inclusion of a continuous workout program, and (5) cost coverage by health insurer. Participants’ WTP was assessed after all 17 product features were rated and revealed a median monthly payment WTP rate of €5.00 (interquartile range 10.00).ConclusionsThe results show various motivating product features that should be incorporated into a fall prevention smartphone app. Results reveal aspects that fall prevention and intervention designers should keep in mind to encourage individuals to start joining their program and facilitate long-term user engagement, resulting in a greater interest in fall risk prevention.

The role of the environment in falls among stroke survivors

BackgroundStroke survivors’ risk of falls may be particularly sensitive to the environment due to deficits such as visuospatial neglect or homonymous hemianopia. We sought to identify the prevalence of falls among stroke survivors and investigate the possible role of the environment in falling. Materials and methodsData from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 65, were used. We compared the prevalence of falling in the past month between stroke survivors and demographic and comorbidity matched controls using sequential Poisson regression models. ResultsThe proportion of stroke survivors reporting a fall in the previous month was 18.8% compared to 10.8% among matched controls (PR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.36–2.25). These differences were attenuated after adjusting for known confounders, mediators and aspects of the environment (PR: 1.17; 95% CI: 0.86–1.60). Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls (PR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.01–1.53). The association between stroke and falls was modified by neighborhood social disorder, such that in areas of low social disorder, falls in the previous month were more common in stroke survivors compared to non-stroke controls. ConclusionsThe difference in falls among stroke survivors and matched controls is largely explained by known risk factors and physical capacity. Indoor tripping hazards were associated with falls among stroke survivors and matched controls. Explanations of why the association between stroke and falls was protective in areas of high social disorder are unclear, but may warrant additional research.

A Sinking Feeling in Happy Valley: Limited Mobility Grouting Arrests Movement of Emergency Room

Shortly after construction began on a new emergency room addition at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, PA (a.k.a. “Happy Valley”), the existing structure and new construction began to show signs of distress. Floor slabs were cracking to the point of causing tripping hazards to employees and patients, and doors were not functioning properly. The building's facade was separating from the structure, and survey data revealed that the newly constructed spread column footings were 2–3 in. lower than originally constructed just a few months prior.

Men's health-seeking behaviours regarding bone health after a fragility fracture: a secondary analysis of qualitative data.

In our qualitative study, men with fragility fractures described their spouses as playing an integral role in their health behaviours. Men also described taking risks, preferring not to dwell on the meaning of the fracture and/or their bone health. Communication strategies specific to men about bone health should be developed. We examined men's experiences and behaviours regarding bone health after a fragility fracture. We conducted a secondary analysis of five qualitative studies. In each primary study, male and female participants were interviewed for 1-2h and asked to describe recommendations they had received for bone health and what they were doing about those recommendations. Maintaining the phenomenological approach of the primary studies, the transcripts of all male participants were re-analyzed to highlight experiences and behaviours particular to men. Twenty-two men (50-88years old) were identified. Sixteen lived with a wife, male partner, or family member and the remaining participants lived alone. Participants had sustained hip fractures (n = 7), wrist fractures (n = 5), vertebral fractures (n = 2) and fractures at other locations (n = 8). Fourteen were taking antiresorptive medication at the time of the interview. In general, men with a wife/female partner described these women as playing an integral role in their health behaviours, such as removing tripping hazards and organizing their medication regimen. While participants described giving up activities due to their bone health, they also described taking risks such as drinking too much alcohol and climbing ladders or deliberately refusing to adhere to bone health recommendations. Finally, men did not dwell on the meaning of the fracture and/or their bone health. Behaviours consistent with those shown in other studies on men were described by our sample. We recommend that future research address these findings in more detail so that communication strategies specific to men about bone health be developed.

The addition of stripes (a version of the ‘horizontal-vertical illusion’) increases foot clearance when crossing low-height obstacles

Trips over obstacles are one of the main causes of falling in older adults, with vision playing an important role in successful obstacle negotiation. We determined whether a horizontal-vertical illusion, superimposed onto low-height obstacles to create a perceived increase in obstacle height, increased foot clearances during obstacle negotiation thus reducing the likelihood of tripping. Eleven adults (mean ± 1 SD: age 27.3 ± 5.1 years) negotiated obstacles of varying heights (3, 5, 7 cm) with four different appearance conditions; two were obstacles with a horizontal-vertical illusion (vertical stripes of different thickness) superimposed on the front, one was a plain obstacle and the fourth a plain obstacle with a horizontal black line painted on the top edge. Foot clearance parameters were compared across conditions. Both illusions led to a significant increase in foot clearance when crossing the obstacle, compared to the plain condition, irrespective of obstacle height. Superimposing a horizontal-vertical illusion onto low-height obstacles can increase foot clearance, and its use on the floor section of a double-glazing door frame for example may reduce the incidence of tripping in the home. Practitioner Summary: Low-height obstacles such as the floor section of a double-glazing door frame are potential tripping hazards. In a gait lab-based study we found that a horizontal-vertical illusion superimposed onto low-height obstacles led to significantly higher foot clearances; indicating their potential as a useful safety measure.