Assessment of anti-slip devices from healthy individuals in different ages on slippery surfaces

The interest for effective preventive strategies for slips and falls in growing.Much remains to be done however to prevent slips and falls in the traffic environment.Using an appropriate anti-slip device may reduce the risk of slips and falls on different surfaces outdoors during winter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the best anti-slip devices of different designs in the Swedish market on a larger group of healthy individuals in different ages on five slippery surfaces as a way to develop a standard method to test anti-slip devices. Evaliuations were done according to subject's perceived walking safety and balance,videorecordings of walking postures and movements,time to take on and off each anti-slip device,advantages and disadvantages and list of priorities for own use. A heel device was preceived to be the most safe on all five surfaces.It was perceived as the most rapid to take on and off and had the highest priority according to walking safety,walking balance and choice fo