Short answer
Incorporate advanced slip-resistant sole technologies and ensure clear performance ratings (like the 5-star GRIP rating) when designing footwear for environments where slips are a risk.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Public Health Research (2021)
- Method
- Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Sample
- 4553 participants
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Implementing footwear with a 5-star GRIP rating significantly decreases the incidence rate of self-reported slips among healthcare workers. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2021 study published in Public Health Research. Using Randomised controlled trial (rct) with 4553 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Incorporate advanced slip-resistant sole technologies and ensure clear performance ratings (like the 5-star GRIP rating) when designing footwear for environments where slips are a risk.
Slip-resistant footwear reduces workplace slips by 35% in healthcare settings
Implementing footwear with a 5-star GRIP rating significantly decreases the incidence rate of self-reported slips among healthcare workers.
Public Health Research · 2021
Key Findings
- 01The intervention group (slip-resistant footwear) had a statistically significant reduction in the slip rate compared to the control group.
- 02The mean slip rate per participant was 1.16 in the intervention group versus 1.80 in the control group.
Application
Design takeaway
Incorporate advanced slip-resistant sole technologies and ensure clear performance ratings (like the 5-star GRIP rating) when designing footwear for environments where slips are a risk.
How to apply
When designing or specifying footwear for environments with a high risk of slips (e.g., healthcare, food service, industrial settings), ensure the footwear meets or exceeds a high standard of slip resistance, ideally with a quantifiable rating.
Project actions
- 01Consider the specific environmental hazards that influence slip risk when selecting materials and tread patterns.
- 02Investigate existing safety rating systems for footwear to inform design choices.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Large sample size across multiple centers increases generalizability.
- +Randomized controlled trial design provides strong evidence of causality.
Limitations
Self-reporting of slips can be subjective; objective measurement of slip events would provide more robust data.
Reliability & validity
The RCT design enhances internal validity by minimizing bias. Reliability of self-reported slips could be a concern, but the large sample size and multiple centers may mitigate this.
Think critically
Beyond footwear, what other design interventions could be implemented in healthcare environments to further reduce the incidence of slips and falls?
Design Principles
"Prioritize safety and risk mitigation through material science and structural design in footwear."
Slips and falls are a major cause of workplace injuries, leading to significant lost workdays. This research demonstrates a tangible design solution that directly addresses a critical safety concern in high-risk environments.
What This Means for Your Design
Wearing special non-slip shoes really helps stop people from slipping at work, especially in hospitals.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when justifying the selection of materials or design features aimed at enhancing safety and reducing risk in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The effectiveness of specialized slip-resistant footwear in reducing workplace accidents is well-documented. Research, such as the SSHeW RCT, has shown that footwear with a 5-star GRIP rating can significantly decrease the incidence of slips among healthcare workers, highlighting the critical role of material science and tread design in mitigating human factors risks.
Source
Public Health Research
Slip-resistant footwear to reduce slips among health-care workers: the SSHeW RCT
journal · 2021
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about slip-resistant footwear reduces workplace slips by 35% in healthcare settings?
- Incorporate advanced slip-resistant sole technologies and ensure clear performance ratings (like the 5-star GRIP rating) when designing footwear for environments where slips are a risk. Evidence: Public Health Research (2021).
- Why does "Slip-resistant footwear reduces workplace slips by 35% in healthcare settings" matter for design?
- Slips and falls are a major cause of workplace injuries, leading to significant lost workdays. This research demonstrates a tangible design solution that directly addresses a critical safety concern in high-risk environments.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Incorporate advanced slip-resistant sole technologies and ensure clear performance ratings (like the 5-star GRIP rating) when designing footwear for environments where slips are a risk.
- What were the main findings?
- The intervention group (slip-resistant footwear) had a statistically significant reduction in the slip rate compared to the control group.. The mean slip rate per participant was 1.16 in the intervention group versus 1.80 in the control group.
- What research method was used?
- Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) with 4553 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2021 journal from Public Health Research.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing or specifying footwear for environments with a high risk of slips (e.g., healthcare, food service, industrial settings), ensure the footwear meets or exceeds a high standard of slip resistance, ideally with a quantifiable rating.
- What are the limitations?
- The study excluded staff required to wear protective footwear, and the primary outcome was self-reported, which may be subject to recall bias.