The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) has announced the appointment of Dr. Kurt Beschorner, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) in Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, as the new sub-committee chair of the ANSI B101.7 committee developing a new footwear slip resistance test standard.

According to Russ Kendzior, president of NFSI: “We are pleased to have someone of Dr. Beschorner’s stature to serve as the new sub-committee chair of the ANSI B101.7 as it supports the related Memorandum of Understanding with UWM, and the work of our multi-university research committee in development.”

Dr. Kurt Beschorner's research applies rigorous methods in tribology and biomechanics to identify the underlying causes of fall accidents and develop strategies to prevent these accidents. His work has been funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and his research on slip and fall accidents can be found in the journals: Ergonomics, Applied Ergonomics, IIE Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors, Journal of Tribology, Tribology Letter and Tribology Transactions.

The NFSI and UWM have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on footwear research to develop and disseminate slip and fall prevention standards info, training, and other resources to increase footwear safety and prevent slips and falls.

NFSI and UWM will:
• Investigate and determine a whole-shoe test device to serve as the basis of a national footwear slip resistance test standard;
• Designate a UWM representative (Dr. Beschorner) to serve as the chairperson of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B 101.7 sub-committee on the measurement of footwear slip resistance;
• Collaborate and participate in NFSI falls prevention and awareness activities;
• Support and participate in sponsored research, conferences, related meetings, and events;
• Designate representatives as points of contact to meet on a regular schedule;
• Share information - including data analysis and evidence-based health research - to quantify costs, reduce and prevent falls;
• Participate in national media events and major press conferences of mutual interest;
• Serve on the respective boards of each organization;
• Collaborate and participate in falls prevention and awareness activities;
• Enable a representative from UWM (Dr. Beschorner) to serve on NFSI’s Research Committee.

Dr. Beschorner’s involvement is key to maximizing the Memorandum of Understanding, noted Kendzior.

“We are also developing a multi-university Research Committee to support this effort: Murray State University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, GeorgiaTech University, Rowan University, and the University of Texas, Dallas,” said Kendzior.