THE ROLE OF SURFACE WAVINESS IN FRICTION AT SHOE AND FLOOR INTERFACE

Slips and falls are a serious problem. The annual direct cost of occupational injuries due to slips, trips and falls in the U.S.A. is estimated to exceed 6 billion U.S. dollars (Courtney et al., 2001). In the total direct workers’ compensation for occupational injuries due to slips and falls, falls on the same level accounted for 65% of claim cases and, consequently, 53% of claim costs (Leamon and Murphy, 1995).