Slip-and-fall incidents are the leading cause of occupational injuries in worker groups exposed to outdoor winter conditions. Ensuring all workers select the best slip-resistant footwear would dramatically reduce the risk of falls. Unlike other types of footwear, there is currently no accepted standard for evaluating slip resistance of footwear on ice and snow. Advertising materials tend to accentuate superficial features like the tread pattern, implying these features make the shoe appropriate for winter use. Testing has shown that slip-resistance can vary widely among footwear marketed for winter use.
This webinar will introduce a test for footwear that measures the steepest snow/ice covered incline that participants can walk on without slipping. Results of testing approximately 100 of the most popular footwear models worn by workers from the City of Toronto, as well as Personal Support Workers from Saint Elizabeth Health Care, will be discussed.
About the presenter
Dr. Tilak Dutta is a Scientist at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) and leads the Home and Community Team. He completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2012 at the University of Toronto focused on preventing back injury in caregivers and received funding from the WSIB to produce a set of videos for caregivers to update their training with current understanding of the causes of back injury. He is listed as an inventor on several patents including SlingSerter.
Registration
Registration is now closed.
For assistance, contact Betina Butler at bbutler@uwaterloo.ca.
Disclaimer: CRE-MSD receives funding through a grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour. The views expressed are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre nor of the Province.