Factors Contributing to Ladder Falls and Broader Impacts on Safety and Biomechanics

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pliner EM ; Pliner EM
• Description:
  Ladder falls cause disabling injury and death in the workplace and at home. Numerous scenarios lead to ladder falls given the variation in ladder types and how they are used. Of the potential factors influencing ladder fall risk under these different scenarios, many have yet to be investigated. This dissertation used a multifaceted approach to determine ladder fall risk factors. Specifically, this dissertation tested younger and older adults, designed occupational and domestic based ladder experiments, and investigated factors that precede and follow a ladder falling event. Aim 1 of this dissertation identified individual factors associated with safe and effective domestic ladder use among older adults. Balance measured with clinical assessments was a primary predictor of safe and effective ladder use. Aim 2 of this dissertation determined individual, environmental and biomechanical factors that aid in arresting a falling event from a ladder. Ascending climbs, males, greater upper body strength, higher hand placement during recovery and reestablishing at least one foot back onto the ladder during recovery were associated with reduced ladder fall severity (i.e. better recovery). Surprisingly, glove condition was not found to contribute to ladder fall severity. Hand-rung forces were correlated with the severity of the falling event and not an individual's ability to generate force, suggesting that these forces are dependent on the circumstances of the perturbation. Findings from this dissertation may guide fall interventions (e.g. screenings, improvements in safety standards, perturbation response training, ladder re-design). Therefore, this work is expected to have impact on the safety field by reducing ladder fall injuries. Furthermore, this work contributes new knowledge to the biomechanics of ladder use and fall recovery. As part of a larger strategy to improve safety for all populations, increased diversity is needed in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Aim 3 of this dissertation utilized biomechanics as a link to develop a student-interest based pedagogy to improve engagement of underrepresented groups in the STEM fields. This work found lectures tailored to student interests to increase student engagement. Long-term effects from this work can increase diversity in the STEM fields including safety. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accident Prevention Accidents Age Factors Biomechanical Phenomena Ergonomics Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety
• Keywords:
  Accident Prevention Age Factors Biomechanics Falls Injury Prevention Ladders Risk Factors
• Publisher:
  University of Pittsburgh
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Dissertation ; Dissertation
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-268
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063147
• Citation:
  Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh, 2020 Jan; :1-268
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  University of Pittsburgh
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20150930
• Source Full Name:
  Factors contributing to ladder falls and broader impacts on safety and biomechanics
• End Date:
  20190929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e3be1320dafc06cdc2bd831924ba5d53842ad40beca5371aa1a5386a36ef4928c6ba88848b2a4fbd0c1f9ccba0434dd7fb7c14af790863d4d585332a1af24a4b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/226264/cdc_226264_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.54 MB ]