Slip and fall risk among firefighters in relation to balance, muscular capacities and age

Influencing the safety of firefighters' work environment is almost impossible. Therefore, good individual physical capacities and adequate protective equipment are important in preventing accidents due to slips and falls. This study investigated slip and fall risk in walking experiments with firefighters wearing fire-protective equipment and determined the associations of balance, muscular capacities and age with the risk of slipping. Professional male firefighters aged 33-38 and 43-56 years (n = 14 and n = 15, respectively) participated in four slipping trials under different conditions on a straight path of 8 meters. Slip distances were measured in each trial. Postural balance and dynamic stability were tested on a force platform, and functional balance was measured during walking on a wooden plank. Muscular capacity of the legs and trunk were also measured. The average slip distances with glycerol were 9.7 ± 9.1 cm (100 steps/min) and 15.6 ± 18.2 cm (120 steps/min) in the 33-to-38-year age group and correspondingly 10.8 ± 15.3 cm and 18.0 ± 18.6 cm in the 43-56-year age group. Though the older firefighters tended to have longer and more serious slips than the younger ones, the differences in slip distances were not statistically significant. Half of the firefighters, regardless of their age, experienced critical, over 5-cm long, foot slides, considered to increase the risk of an unavoidable fall. These firefighters performed significantly poorer in the dynamic stability test as well, whereas associations with muscular capacity and risk of slipping were not significant. The results suggest that the ability to exploit visual feedback efficiently in balance control may be associated with smaller risk of slipping. This kind of test may be useful in evaluations of balance ability. The findings also support the importance of adding exercises which enhance balance ability to the exercise protocols of firefighters.