Absorbent flooring could help to reduce hospital injuries
A study to see if using ’shock-absorbent’ flooring can reduce injuries caused by falling in hospitals is being piloted at Portsmouth University.
The flooring is usually used in sports halls, but this is the first time it has been used in hospitals where it will be tested to see if it can help stop people, especially the elderly, avoid severe injuries if they fall. The risk of falls increases with age and older people in hospital are at even more risk and more likely to experience serious injury.
The HIP-HOP Flooring Study (Helping Injury Prevention in Hospitalised Older People) is being piloted in eight hospitals across the UK. The flooring looks like ordinary vinyl but has a memory foam backing with shock-absorbing properties.
Half of the hospitals have had the new floor laid in a bay on one of their older persons’ wards while the others will act as a ’control’. The research team will monitor the flooring over 12 months, examine the severity of all reported falls on both types of flooring and compare the results.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Radio wave weapon knocks out drone swarms
Probably. A radio-controlled drone cannot be completely shielded to RF, else you´d lose the ability to control it. The fibre optical cable removes...