Required coefficient of friction during level walking is predictive of slipping

• Subjects were unexpectedly exposed to a moderately slippery surface.
• Required coefficient of friction (RCOF) was calculated for each subject’s gait.
• Logistic regression models quantified the impact of RCOF on slip outcomes.
• Increasing RCOF by 0.01 was associated with a 1.7 odds ratio for slipping.
• RCOF is a sensitive and valid predictor of slipping.

The required coefficient of friction (RCOF) is frequently reported in the literature as an indicator of slip propensity. This study aimed to further develop slip prediction models based on RCOF by examining slips under moderately slippery conditions where the RCOF was approximately equal to the available coefficient of friction. Baseline RCOFs were found for normal walking trials and then an unexpected slip was introduced with a moderately slippery boot-floor contaminant combination for thirty-one subjects. Slip outcomes (i.e., whether a subject experienced a slip) were assessed based on the displacement of a marker placed on the heel. A logistic regression analysis was used to model the impact of RCOF on slipping. Results showed that subjects who walked with a greater RCOF were found to have a higher probability of slipping. The predicted probability of a slip across the RCOF ranged from 3% to 95% and an increase of 0.01 in RCOF was associated with a slipping odds ratio of 1.7. Thus, modest differences in RCOF can have a dramatic impact on slip propensity. This study shows that RCOF can be a sensitive and valid predictor of slipping in realistic frictional environments.