1st Edition

Understanding and Preventing Falls An Ergonomics Approach

Edited By Roger Haslam, David Stubbs Copyright 2006
    272 Pages
    by CRC Press

    266 Pages
    by CRC Press

    Readable and authoritative, Understanding and Preventing Falls provides a guide to the nature and extent of the problem of falls. Drawing on the latest research, the authors outline the combination of environmental factors that commonly lead to falls and explore how to prevent them. The case is made for a multifaceted approach to falls prevention, taking account of the complex interplay that exists between individuals and the environment.

    Broad in scope, the book is divided into two parts. The first part examines the current state of knowledge and understanding of the causes and prevention of falls, with chapters on human ambulation and balance on level surfaces and on steps and stairs followed by chapters exploring vision and the effects of aging. Rounding out the coverage, the second part contains a series of case studies illustrating how falls occur in different circumstances and varying approaches to their prevention.

    While there have been reductions in the number and severity of injuries from other causes over recent decades, the incidence of injuries from falling has remained consistently high. However, many falls are preventable. This unique resource supplies a concise overview of how to minimize the occurrences of slips, trips, and falls in a variety of situations and conditions.

    Introduction. Walking on the Level: Footwear and the Walking Surface. Steps and Stairs. Role of Vision in Falls. Ageing and Falls. Epidemiological Approaches to Investigating Causes of Occupational Falls. Investigation of Individual Fall Incidents. The Assessment and Prevention of Pedestrian Slip Accidents. Occupational Falls Outdoors: Understanding and Preventing Falls in the New Zealand Logging Industry. Falls during Entry/Egress from Vehicles. Behaviour and the Safety of Older People on Stairs. Preventing Falls. Index.

    Biography

    Roger Haslam , David Stubbs