Published on Sika Footwear's LinkedIn February 2024. Follow us
Preventing workplace fall accidents
Why motor control, materials & fit are essential parameters in prevention
At Sika Footwear, we prioritize your safety. No matter what surface you're working on, you should feel confident in your footing. This requires the right footwear with slip-resistant properties, but it also needs to match your foot. Because when the footwear fits well and can adapt to your foot's movements during walking, the risk of fall accidents decreases.
Knowledge, understanding, testing, and development are our primary considerations when creating new slip-resistant work and safety shoes for various industries. While it's crucial to have a deep understanding of different materials that shoes can be made of during product development, this knowledge alone is not sufficient. We also need a profound insight into how our feet and bodies function and react. The collective knowledge forms the foundation upon which we embark on developing new footwear to prevent slip and fall accidents.
Surfaces and types of materials
Wet or dry, cold or hot? Surfaces and their myriad of material types interact differently with your shoes depending on whether you're working indoors or outdoors in various weather conditions. Therefore, the material your shoes are made of matters significantly. Additionally, the design of the sole and its pattern plays a crucial role in ensuring you have the best possible grip on the surface you're moving on. You can learn more about the sole's function here
The body's motor system
The body continuously works to ensure your optimal condition and well-being, automatically and without you having to consciously think about it. Through the motor system, your body adapts to the environments you're in and the surfaces you walk on, ensuring you can maintain balance and stay safely on your feet.
Your and others' motor systems consist of inputs from your senses to and from the brain through your nervous system. The ability to maintain motor control is individual and depends on the environments you're in and the tasks your body needs to perform. For instance, imagine walking quickly across a kitchen floor where there's suddenly a slick spot due to water spilled by your colleague. The change in surroundings demands your body's ability to quickly adjust, and thus, your motor control, to prevent slipping or falling. Therefore, the motor system, in addition to the properties of the shoes, plays a significant role in preventing fall accidents.
The role of the motor system in preventing slip and fall accidents
Motor control includes the body's ability to instantly solve motor challenges created by the environment, such as a slippery area on a floor. When you're exposed to the risk of falling, your entire sensory apparatus is activated. Your visual, tactile, muscular, and joint senses rapidly send signals to the brain about the observations made in the environment. Your brain then sends signals back, automatically prompting your body to react quickly and effectively to the risk, thus keeping you safely on your feet.
For your senses to send the best and most accurate signals to the brain, it's essential that you have good contact with the surface you're moving on. Choosing shoes with slip-resistant soles is one thing, but it's also crucial that the shoes you wear match your feet. They shouldn't slip around inside the shoe, and it's important that the shoe provides good support around your foot. This way, your sensory system has the best conditions to send the right signals to your brain, which then ensures the best possible protection in situations where you may be at risk of slipping or falling.
The Danish Working Environment Authority also advises on how to best prevent fall accidents and explains the importance of well-fitted shoes:
”The risk of falling is greatly increased if the shoes do not fit tightly on the feet and cannot follow the feet's movements during walking. Therefore, the shoes should fit snugly…”
Good Working Environment in Denmark also mentions the importance of choosing the right footwear:
”Wear slip-resistant shoes that fit tightly around the foot”
Therefore, it's crucial that your shoes match your foot. We use this knowledge when developing shoes. Since all feet are different, to ensure that your foot gets the best matching shoe, we conduct 3D scans of your foot. Through an algorithm, our software compares the dimensions of your feet with our shoes and finds the right match - ensuring optimal fit. Feel free to contact us to inquire about the possibilities of having your or your employees' feet scanned. Contact us.
You can read more about workplace accidents and the importance of having good traction throughout your workday here.
Certifications
For us, it's essential that our footwear meets the necessary European certifications for slip-resistant properties. It's our guarantee, as well as yours, for safe work and for choosing the right footwear that suits the surface you work on every day.
If you want to learn more about the certifications footwear can achieve for slip-resistant properties and other certifications that enhance your safety at work, read about approvals and certifications here.
Knowledge and the right footwear for each individual are the best prevention
Preventing fall accidents in the workplace requires the right footwear. Understanding materials and the body's motor system forms the foundation for developing slip-resistant work and safety footwear. By understanding and investigating both materials, surfaces, and the body's motor system, we work diligently to reduce the risk of you and your employees slipping or falling while at work.
If you're unsure how to choose the right shoes for your employees, you now have the opportunity to book appointments for 3D scans of your employees' feet. We come to your company, and together, we find the right shoes with the most optimal fit for each of your employees. Contact us.
References (danish):
1. Arbejdstilsynet (2002): https://at.dk/regler/at-vejledninger/faldrisiko-gulv-a-1-6/
2. Godt arbejdsmiljø (2022): https://www.godtarbejdsmiljo.dk/arbejdsmiljoearbejdet/arbejdsulykker/faldulykker/gode_raad
3. A.Shumway-Cook, & M.H.Woollacott, “Motor control: Translating research into clinical practice”, 2012
