Foot rubbing evaluation of friction between shoe and flooring

by Kei Shibata, Akihiro Ohnishi

A simple and inexpensive method to evaluate slip resistance that can be readily introduced into the workplace is required. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between a simple sensory evaluation of anti-slipperiness by foot rubbing in standing and sitting positions and the actual friction properties obtained with in situ measurements at slip onset and during sliding. We also verified the possibility of identifying a hazardous area with a high slip-induced fall risk by the sensory evaluation scores. At the foot rubbing tests, more than half of the 15 participants in experiments could adequately perceive the slip resistance using the proposed method without any education on its perception. Furthermore, hazard detection scores, where a friction coefficient of 0.2 was detected as hazardous area, were obtained from optimal cut-off points of receiver operatorating characteristic curves for the participants with friction perception capability. The scores were 28.7, 20.7, 24.7, and 52.3/100 for the slip onset while standing, sliding while standing, slip onset while sitting, and sliding while sitting, respectively. From the viewpoint of hazard detection accuracies, the standing position was a better way than the sitting although limited to participants with the capability of perceiving friction. Based on the analysis of how to apply forces, the participants who showed a small movement of the center of pressure while standing or an increase in the vertical load while sitting had the capability of perceiving friction.