Vil hindre knall og fall:
Preventing slips and falls through
enhancing safety in construction

Design-driven Innovation (2024-ongoing)

Fabric+ will lead the design process in partnership with Gjensidige Insurance and other industry leaders to create safer working environments for older construction workers, especially during winter.

Photo by Josue Isai Ramos Figueroa

  • Understanding construction workers' needs through co-design of fall prevention solutions. Through participatory design sessions and interviews, we will identify specific risk factors and unmet needs in current safety practices, focusing on older construction workers and current safety managers.

  • Testing winter fall prevention in controlled environments as a foundation for broader applications. Analyzing fall prevention measures in controlled settings allows for systematic assessment of risk factors and thorough data collection, leading to well-founded recommendations that can be adapted for use in less controlled settings, like public spaces.

Key Goals

Main Deliverable
Testing and prototyping

Client
Designdrevet innovasjonsprogram (DIP) of Design og arkitektur Norge (DOGA)

Collaborators
Gjensidige Insurance, Peab Norway, Consto AS, Samarbeid for sikkerhet i bygg og anlegg (SfS BA)

Location
Northern Norway

Key Fabric+ services

  • Innovation in services and systems

  • Age-friendly spaces and services

In-charge
Manuela Aguirre

The starting point

Building on Fabric+'s work in creating age-friendly spaces and services through the Ageing in the Arctic project, one of the key insights has been the need to optimize resources toward prevention rather than treatment in fall-related incidents. Further research into this subject has revealed the complexity of fall prevention, which is often addressed in isolated, siloed efforts despite the critical need for collaboration across sectors. This realization has prompted us to expand our focus beyond urban environments, leading us to explore the construction industry, where falls similarly represent the leading cause of injury.

Challenge: Disconnect between treatment and prevention budgets

Falls are the leading occupational hazard in Norway. Data from Arbeidstilsynet indicates that older workers, especially those aged 55-66, are at significantly higher risk of injury from falls. These incidents not only cause physical strain but can also lead to long-term disability, resulting in loss of ability to work, social isolation, and mental health challenges. Alongside the direct treatment costs—averaging NOK 570,000 in annual insurance claims—falls place additional financial burdens on the public sector through support costs and lost tax revenue due to time off work. In 2023 alone, NOK 9.5 billion was spent on fall-related insurance claims across all occupational sectors.

Falls are relatively inexpensive to prevent but costly to treat, yet the current funding structure keeps these budgets disconnected. Allocating a portion of treatment funds toward preventive measures could yield significant returns, yet these budgets remain separate.

  • We will employ design-driven methods—such as experimental testing and practical trials—to explore three levels of fall prevention:

    • Primary Prevention: Identifying and implementing measures to prevent falls.

    • Secondary Prevention: Minimizing the severity of injuries resulting from falls.

    • Tertiary Prevention: Reducing the risk of long-term disability after a fall.