Article

Fall injuries and fatalities exceed 50 billion dollars annually. One half of
fatal falls are from pitched roof settings. Falls from elevation in an
occupational setting have been documented to be a significant issue in today's
workforce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of exposure
to inclined surfaces on flat surface balance at varying heights above the ground.
Thirty participants, 10 male college students (inexperienced), 10 female college
students (inexperienced) and 10 male roofers (experienced) between age 19 and 50
years participated in this study. Participants walked for 20 min on an elevated
roof segment (9-14 feet above ground level) and a ground level roof segment (0-5
feet above ground level) on separate days. Results indicated a significant
difference for all groups in sway velocity over time at both levels (elevated and
ground) and from eyes open to eyes closed conditions at both levels (p<0.05).
Statistical analysis revealed that roofers had significantly less increase in
sway velocity, post exposure than that of the inexperienced group (p<0.05). These
findings provide practical information to employers and employees during the
construction of structures that employ a pitched roof design. The implication of
these findings include the knowledge that an individual is less stable directly
after performing roofing tasks on a pitched roof setting, and should be afforded
ample time to recover before moving into activities that would place them at a
higher risk of injury from falls.
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