Forensic human factors and ergonomics analysis of a trip and fall event in a parking lot

ABSTRACT

Built (constructed) environments should have level surfaces to promote mobility and avoid injuries from trips and falls. Wheel stops (usually long concrete slabs with metal bolts to hold them in place) are sometimes placed in parking lots to limit and control how drivers position their vehicle in designated spaces. However, they present potential problems for pedestrians traversing through the area as they can cause trips and falls. A forensic human factors and ergonomics (HFE) analysis of a trip and fall event involving a wheel stop and its bolts in a parking lot is presented. The factors of visual obstruction, salience, attention, expectancy, and relevance issues are discussed. Additionally, an alternative analysis involving hazard control is presented. Potential solutions to limit risk to pedestrians and property owners are described.

KEYWORDS:

• Wheel stop
• parking lot
• trip and fall
• pedestrian
• forensic

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank an anonymous reviewer who provided numerous helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. Portions of this article were presented at the 20^th Triennial Congress of the International Ergonomics Association in Florence, Italy (Wogalter 2018).

Disclosure statement

The author was a forensic human factors expert in a legal case similar to the scenario described in article. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 Names of persons, places and some of the events are fictitious.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael S. Wogalter

Michael S. Wogalter, Ph.D., CPE is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at North Carolina State University. Previously, he held full-time faculty positions at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Richmond. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Human Factors/Engineering Psychology from Rice University, a master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Florida, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia. He is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the International Ergonomics Society. His main research areas include hazard communication, human-technology systems interaction, cognitive ergonomics, and forensic human factors. Over three decades, he has authored about 390 publications, including books, journal articles, chapters, and conference proceeding articles, and has participated as an expert witness in cases involving analyses of human perception, cognition, and warnings.