slip and fall prevention

Published on: October 15, 2021

Technology to Help Prevent Fall Accidents

Older persons may have a high risk of suffering injuries in a slip and fall accident. Fortunately, we now have devices and technology that can significantly help reduce those risks.

Over the past decade, an entire array of gadgets and devices has been introduced primarily with the goal of helping prevent fall-related injuries involving seniors and other vulnerable populations. From sensors and alarms, to watches and hip-protecting devices, there are a number of technologies that have been introduced to help reduce the risk of injuries in fall accidents involving older people. These technologies range from systems that are in place in facilities like nursing homes to wearable devices that prevent fall risks.

One study by the American Journal of Managed Care found that a camera system powered by artificial intelligence and installed in nursing homes can help reduce the risk of injurious fall accidents involving seniors by a staggering 75 percent. The system can help reduce the number of ER visits after a fall by 80 percent. The study found that the use of the system combined with staff reviews of footage of falls and near-falls involving residents, greatly helped minimize risks.

Published on: September 11, 2013

Slip and Fall Accidents: Expensive and Highly Preventable

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Although icy conditions are often thought of when the topic of slip and fall accidents arises, the risk of suffering this type of injury is very high in the summer months.This is due in part to the large number of people visiting airports, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, sports fields, and other commercial spaces.However, very often, these same places conceal dangerous conditions that can cause serious leg and back injuries.

The best Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers all agree that the most effective way for businesses to deal with slip and falls is to prevent them.This requires two things.First, recognize the common causes of falls.And second, implement safety protocols for removing the danger.

Some of the most common slip and fall accidents involve flooring that conceals various hazards.For instance, a floor that is wet because of a spill can pose a serious hazard, and when the floor is the kind that is often used in commercial spaces like marble and granite, the spill may not be easily visible.Businesses must ensure that all public walkways are constantly monitored, and that any spills are cleaned up immediately.

Published on: August 15, 2012

Could Vitamin D Supplements Be the Secret to Preventing Fall Accidents?

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Fall accidents are extremely serious, especially when they involve the elderly.It is estimated that between 30% and 40% of all seniors will suffer a fall accident at least once every year.Our Atlanta slip and fall attorneys agree with research that also shows that many of these persons will never recover from their injuries, and many will have a much higher risk of dying in the 12 months following the fall accident.

Treatment for falls and fractures may be routine in the rest of the population but in the elderly, treatment is far more complicated and hard to predict.It’s the reason why it is so important to prevent fall accidents involving the elderly in the first place.

New research seems to suggest that daily doses of vitamin D supplements could actually help reduce the risk of fall accidents involving senior citizens.The research, which was published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that a daily dose of vitamin D supplements helped reduce the risk of fall accidents by as much as 17%.In the study, the subjects were given vitamin D supplements of around 800 international unit per day.The risks of suffering a fall accident was substantially reduced compared to people who did not take the supplements.

Published on: April 11, 2011

New Bird Study Could Provide Slip and Fall Accident Prevention Solutions

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

A new study that has been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, may have avian subjects, but could provide Atlanta slip and fall accident lawyers answers to preventing of these accidents among human beings. As an Atlanta injury lawyer, I have seen the devastating personal injuries caused by slip and fall accidents. Any study that can help us to understand how to avoid injuries from these accidents is always appreciated.

It is often challenging to conduct studies into the prevention of accidents in human beings, because you can’t recruit human subjects to test in real-life situations.So the researchers used birds, specifically guinea fowl, as subjects, and studied the birds as they ran confidently across the track.The researchers created a 6 m track.Some parts of the track were covered with sand paper, while the others were covered with a slippery polypropylene lining.The birds, large guinea fowl, with a small head and the round body, were chosen, because they specifically prefer to walk rather than fly.

Some of the birds, the researchers noticed, were able to navigate the track easily.Even on the slippery surface, they slipped a little, but were able to regain their balance.Others slipped several times, and fell.The researchers studied the differences between the birds that were able to maintain their balance, and those that fell.They found that the birds that were able to maintain their balance while walking on the slippery patch, usually walked across the patch in a very upright position with their feet and the body.The birds that fell, typically took bigger steps out in front of their bodies.

Published on: May 28, 2010

Single Focal Lenses Could Minimize Slip and Fall Accidents in the Elderly

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Single Focal Lenses Could Minimize Slip and Fall Accident Risks in Elderly Persons

Wearing eyeglasses with multifocal lenses can actually increase an elderly person’s risk of suffering a fall accident when he or she is outdoors. Therefore, senior citizens, who spend a lot of time outdoors, may be better served if they shift to single focal lenses. Those findings come via a study conducted by Australian researchers at Sydney’s Prince Of Wales Medical Research Institute.

The researchers studied a group of 606 senior citizens with an average age of 80, and gave half of them two pairs of glasses with single focal lenses. The remaining members of the group were asked to continue using their multifocal lenses as usual. Both groups were asked to record the number of fall accidents they suffered over a course of 13 months.