Accommodating Slips and Falls Hazards Using Anticipatory Locomotor Adjustments

Abstract

Successful hazard accommodation is an important aspect of maintaining a continuous walking pattern and avoiding slips and falls. Kinematic data was collected for thirty-six participants who were asked to step on a target within a linear runway. Experimental conditions were varied to produce a range of anticipatory locomotor adjustments by using two walking velocities (normal, fast) and target sizes (5cm x 5cm, 33cm x 53cm). Gait parameters were examined for the five steps prior to hitting the target. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to determine the changes in the gait parameters among the steps. Results showed a distribution of anticipatory locomotor adjustments over multiple steps, with the largest adjustments generally occurring during the last step. Given ample time to perceive a hazard and make necessary adjustments, it seems that individuals can successfully accommodate a slip and fall hazard. Present findings indicate that future research regarding slips and falls hazards may benefit from including analyses of multiple steps preceding hazards to understand the entire event.

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