Wade III, L R (2004) Effect of exposure to an inclined surface and height on gait kinematics and postural stability. PhD thesis, Auburn University, USA.
Abstract
In 2001, there were 14,200 deaths as a result of falls in the United States with 908 of these deaths occurring in occupational settings according to the National Safety Council (National Safety Council, Report on Injuries in America, 2001). This was the highest total since the fatality census began in 1992. Fatal falls in the construction industry increased 13 percent from the 2000 levels and accounted for over half of all fatal falls, work or non-work related, in the United States. Direct and indirect cost related to fall injuries and fatalities cost the taxpayers an estimated 516 billion dollars in 2001 (National Safety Council, Report on Injuries in America, 2001). One half of these fatal fall incidents were a result of falls from a pitched roof setting, as indicated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated nearly 4,000 serious injuries were associated with industry related falls from roofs in 2001. Fatal and non-fatal falls from elevation in an occupational setting have been documented to be a significant issue in today's workforce. Historically, roofing work has been ranked among the highest of all industries with incidents of fatal and non-fatal falls resulting in high levels of lost days at work and associated monetary cost. Recent literature has indicated that exposure to an inclined surface, such as a roofing environment, has a detrimental effect on postural stability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of exposure to inclined surfaces on flat surface postural control at varying heights above the ground. Static posturography and kinematic measures of the lower extremity will serve as the parameters of the investigation of this influence. Specifically it was hypothesized that individuals will exhibit an increased sway velocity, following locomotion on an incline surfaces at two height conditions in addition a combination of hip and ankle strategies will be employed during locomotion on an incline surfaces at two height conditions. Thirty subjects, 10 male college students (inexperienced), 10 female college students (inexperienced) and 10 male roofers (experienced) between the ages of 19 to 50 years, were asked to participate in this study. Subject performed a ten minute locomotion task on both an elevated roof segment (9 to 14 feet above ground level) and a ground level roof segment (0 to 5 feet above ground level). Static platform posturography measures were acquired utilizing the NeuroCom® Balance Master System™ (NeuroCom International, Inc. ) under the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance (mCTSIB), furthermore, a Peak Performance (Peak 5. 0) Motion Analysis System (Peak Performance Technologies, Inc. ) was used to collect three-dimensional kinematic measures of the ankle, knee, and hip joints during locomotion on the roof segment. (Abstract shortened by UMI. )
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Weimar, W H |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | United States; indirect cost; safety; workforce |
| Index terms: | exposure, pitched roof, roofing, United States, construction industry, economic indicator, roof, injury, falls, stability, platform, indirect cost, strategy, roofer, college student, fatalities, interaction, investigation |
| Subjects: | management, health conditions and diseases, data collection methods, digital design, sociology, health risk and incident analysis, behavioral psychology, design practice, industry analysis, architectural elements, practitioner, data analysis and analytics, cost management, Geography, public and environmental health, structural engineering |
| Topics: | Digital Applications, Design Practice, Roles and Professions, Health and Safety, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Geographical Context, Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Engineering Principles |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
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