What are the mechanics of a slip and fall?

Falls are incredibly dangerous even when they happen due to losing your footing while walking. The potential injuries can be quite serious. Whether you own a home or a business, it is essential that you are aware of fall risks. 

Occupational Health & Safety explains that knowing the mechanics of how we walk and how a fall can occur can help you to better understand the potential risks in your home or business. 

The basics

Walking requires the extension and contraction of muscles and tendons in our legs. It also requires joints to move smoothly and good balance. As you walk, you have to transfer weight from one leg to the other. As a result of this transfer of weight, you slight swing side to side when walking. This can mess with your center of gravity, which is usually in the middle of your body. 

The fall risk

When your center of gravity is not in balance, it can throw you off. You can more easily tumble. There is always the moment when walking that you transfer your weight from one side to the other. This is the moment of vulnerability. 

When you bring your foot down that now has the weight transferred to it, you need a smooth and stable surface for it to land on. If this is not present, then you may fall. For example, if you step down and it is slippery, it will throw you off because your center of gravity is already slightly off and it is too hard for you to regain that balance. This is why a fall occurs.