Non-fatal occupational falls on the same level.

The purpose of this study was to describe antecedents and characteristics of same level fall injuries. Fall incidents and costs were compiled from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources from 2006-2010. This study indicated that over 29% of 'fall on same level' injuries resulted in 31 or more workdays lost. The major source of injury was 'floors, walkways or ground surfaces', and the most affected body parts were the lower extremities and the trunk. With regard to gender and age, female workers had the highest risk of falls, while advancing age coincided with an increase in incidence rates. Overall, workers in the healthcare and social assistance industry, the transportation and warehousing industry, and the accommodation and food services industry had the highest risk for 'fall on same level' injuries. Furthermore, the overall compensation cost increased by 25% from 2006-2009. Along with existing evidence, these results may facilitate the design and implementation of preventative measures in the workplace and potentially reduce fall-related compensation costs. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: This research presents a unique and detailed analysis of non-fatal 'fall on same level' injuries in a large population of workers from various private industries in the USA. This information can be used to prioritise designing and implementing preventive measures and to provide workers with the understanding of risk factors associated with falls in the workplace.

Intrinsic factors associated with pregnancy falls.

Approximately 25% to 27% of women sustain a fall during pregnancy, and falls are associated with serious injuries and can affect pregnancy outcomes. The objective of the current study was to identify intrinsic factors associated with pregnancy that may contribute to women's increased risk of falls. A literature search (Medline and Pubmed) identified articles published between January 1980 and June 2013 that measured associations between pregnancy and fall risks, using an existing fall accident investigation framework. The results indicated that physiological, biomechanical, and psychological changes associated with pregnancy may influence the initiation, detection, and recovery phases of falls and increase the risk of falls in this population. Considering the logistic difficulties and ethnic concerns in recruiting pregnant women to participate in this investigation of fall risk factors, identification of these factors could establish effective fall prevention and intervention programs for pregnant women and improve birth outcomes. [Workplace Health Saf 2014;62(10):403-408.].

Nonfatal occupational falls among U.S. health care workers, 2008-2010.

The purpose of this study was to describe antecedents and characteristics of nonfatal fall-related injuries among health care workers in the United States. A special request was made for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to obtain nonfatal fall-related injury data from 2008 to 2010. Overall, workers in the nursing-related profession had the highest percentages of workplace fall-related injuries. Ninety-one percent of these injured workers were female, and more than 50% were between the ages of 45 and 64 years. More than 25% of fall injuries resulted in 31 or more workdays being lost. This study indicated that the most affected body parts were the lower extremities, with most injuries resulting in sprains, strains, and tears. Accordingly, this 3-year study revealed that a high number of fall injuries occurred at night for health care workers compared to other workers in the U.S. private sector.

Effects of obesity on slip-induced fall risks among young male adults.

Obesity is associated with structural and functional limitations with impairment of normal gait. Although falls have been identified as the most common cause of injuries in the obese, the mechanisms associated with increased fall risk among the obese population are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of gait adaptations of the obese individuals and its implication on risk of slip initiations as measured by friction demand characteristics. To exclude the aging and gender effects, a total of ten healthy young male adults participated in the study. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using a three-dimensional motion analysis system and force plates while subjects were walking at their self-selected walking pace. Results indicated that young obese adults walked similarly as their lean counterparts except for exhibiting greater step width and higher transversal friction demand, suggesting that slip-induced fall risks are similar along the horizontal direction, but increased along the transversal direction under certain floor conditions.

Non-invasive fall risk assessment in community dwelling elderly with wireless inertial measurement units.

Falls are among the most serious accidents among the elderly leading to increased injuries, reduced functioning and mortality. In 2009, about 2.2 million nonfatal fall injuries were reported among the elderly population (CDC, 2010). In this study, eleven community dwelling elderly (aged 65-84 years) participated in fall risk assessment camp at sterling senior center organized by Northern Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition (NVFPC). Three custom made wireless inertial measurement units (IMUs) were attached on trunk and both shanks. All participants performed postural and locomotor tasks such as sit-to-stand (STS) and timed up and go (TUG). Temporal and kinematic parameters were obtained. Raw signals obtained were denoised using ensemble empirical mode decomposition and savistzky-golay filtering. The mean and standard deviation of TUG time and STS completion time for participants were found to be 11.3±6.6 sec and 3.58±2.07 sec respectively. The high variation in the result may be due to the use of assistive devices (i.e., cane and walker) by two participants. The objective of this study is to classify fall prone community dwelling individuals using non-invasive system. Four participants were classified as fall prone, three without fall risk and four were at potential risk based on their objective assessment and task performance. This system provides a platform for identifying fall prone individuals and may be used for early fall interventions among the elderly.