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Trips, Slips,
and Falls
Probably the
most common type
of premises
liability
injuries are
slips or trips
leading to a
fall. A
thorough
understanding of
human gait
dynamics/mechanics,
tribology,
anatomy and
physiology, and
perceptual and
aging processes
allows the
skilled Human
Factors
professional to
evaluate such
accidents and to
determine
whether they
could or even be
likely to have
occurred as
described. Good
examples of this
would be such
issues as:
Is a walking
surface
sufficiently
slip resistant
under normal (or
even abnormal)
conditions to
make a slip and
fall unlikely,
absent other
contributing
factors?
Are lighting
conditions or
other
environmental/perceptual
factors such as
to make it
difficult for
pedestrians to
detect and avoid
potential
obstacles or
unusual
conditions?
Are particular
environmental or
structural
considerations
such that they
could
potentially lead
to a trip and
fall regardless
of whether or
not they may
meet building
codes and
standards?
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