Workplace Fall Prevention Through Slip Recovery Training

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility of applying slip recovery training, a novel balance training exercise intervention, to workers who are at increased risk of slip-induced falls. This will be done via field studies with industrial partners.The main specific aims are are:To investigate the feasibility of on-site slip recovery trainingTo validate field assessments for evaluating slip recovery training efficacy in subsequent researchParticipants will complete 3-6 once-weekly sessions of slip recovery training, answer daily text messages indicating any falls they experience while working over the 12 weeks after completing slip recovery training, and a subset of workers will be asked to participate in focus group discussions after the 12 weeks to provide information on the long-term feasibility of slip recovery training. A group of workers at Virginia Tech will also be asked to complete a laboratory session of testing during which they will be exposed to a laboratory-induced slip so that gold-standard measures of slip-induced fall recovery can be used to validate field assessments.Workers who complete slip recovery training will be compared to another group of workers who complete an alternative balance training that should improve balance but not improve slip recovery that is targeted by slip recovery training.

Inclusion Criteria:Virginia Tech workers in Dining Services, Facilities and Housekeeping, and construction.Veolia field workers in water distribution and water main constructionage 18-65 years oldwilling to complete 3 or 6 training sessions, lab testing session, and daily falls tracking for 12 weeksExclusion Criteria:weigh over 250 poundsanswer 'no' to all questions of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire