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Performance testing of work shoes labeled as slip resistant.
Taylor Jones1, Arian Iraqi1, Kurt Beschorner1
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 302 Benedum Hall, 3700 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Applied Ergonomics
|February 8, 2018
Summary
Slip resistant shoe performance varies significantly. Shoe design features, like outsole geometry and hardness, impact slip resistance, guiding better selection and design for safety.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Materials Science
- Occupational Safety
Background:
- Variability in slip resistance (SR) across footwear is poorly understood.
- Existing SR shoe labels do not guarantee consistent slip prevention.
- Lack of data on how specific shoe design features influence friction.
Purpose of the Study:
- Quantify the impact of shoe design features on the available coefficient of friction (ACOF) in SR shoes.
- Investigate differences in ACOF and slipping rates among SR shoes.
- Correlate shoe outsole geometric and hardness parameters with ACOF.
Main Methods:
- Tested 12 SR shoes across 5 flooring types and 3 contaminant conditions using a mechanical slip tester.
- Measured heel outsole geometric and hardness parameters.
- Evaluated slipping rate with human subjects on vinyl tile with canola oil for 3 selected shoes.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in ACOF were found across different SR shoe outsole designs (p < .001).
- ACOF showed correlations with measured geometrical and hardness parameters.
- The shoe with the highest ACOF exhibited a significantly lower rate of slipping (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Shoe outsole design significantly influences slip resistance.
- Geometric and hardness properties are key predictors of a shoe's available coefficient of friction.
- Higher ACOF in SR shoes is associated with reduced slipping rates, informing safer footwear design and selection.
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