142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Duration of slip-resistant shoe usage and the rate of slipping in limited-service restaurant workers: Results from a prospective and crossover study

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 12:42 PM - 12:54 PM

Santosh K. Verma, ScD, MPH, MBBS , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Zhe Zhao , School of Public Health, UMASS, Amherst, Amherst, MA
Theodore K. Courtney, MS, CSP , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Wen R. Chang, PhD , Center for Physcial Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
David A. Lombardi, PhD , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Yueng-hsiang (Emily) Huang, PhD , Center for Behavioral Research, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Melanye J. Brennan, MS , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Melissa J. Perry, ScD , Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University, Washington DC, DC
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Slip-resistant shoes (SRS) may have a positive effect on reducing the risk of slips and falls.  Few studies, however, have examined how duration of shoe usage affects their slip-resistance properties.  This study examined the association between the duration of SRS usage and the self-reported rate of slipping in limited-service restaurant workers.

Four hundred and seventy five workers from 36 limited-service restaurants were recruited to participate in a 12-week prospective study of workplace slipping.  At baseline, information on slip-resistant status of the shoes and duration of the shoe usage was collected.  Participants reported their slip experience weekly for up to 12 weeks.  Eighty three out of 475 participants reported changing to new shoes at least once during the 12 week follow-up.

The results show that use of SRS for 6 months or less was associated with a 58% reduction in the reported rate of slipping (RR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.64). Use of slip-resistant shoes for more than 6 months was marginally associated (p = 0.06) with a reduction in the reported rate of slipping. Change of shoes among those wearing SRS was associated with 55% reduction in the rate of slipping (95% CI 11% to 77%).

The results suggest that duration of shoe usage has a significant effect on the slip-resistance property of the slip-resistant shoes. Employers’ shoe policy should not only encourage workers to wear slip-resistant shoes but also include guidance on change to new shoes at the appropriate time or regular interval.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Describe the effect of duration of usage on the slip-resistance property of the slip-resistant shoes

Keyword(s): Occupational Health and Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator for the research project and I was responsible for study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation. I earned my doctorate from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2010 and have been conducting injury research as a senior research scientist for several years. I have been the principal or co-principal investigator of multiple research studies focusing on falls and injuries resulting from falls.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4237.0: Occupational injuries