Reducing the Effective Slipperiness of Chemical-Biological Protective Shelter (CBPS) Flooring: Commercial Non-Skid Shoe Covers and Alternative Materials

摘要

Teflon-coated floorings (Chemlam-X29A and X22B) of the chemical- biological protective shelter (CBPS) tent system are necessary for decontaminability but are slippery under foot. Under normal walking conditions, soldiers who wore ordinary combat boots reported a slipping hazard; under wet conditions with fast-paced movement, footing is expected to become even more precarious. Commercially available non-skid shoe covers were evaluated in the laboratory as a means of reducing the risk of slipping but did not prove to confer any non-slip advantage. Some alternate materials were identified that can be applied as tread to disposable shoe covers and would provide greater wet and dry slip resistance on the CBPS flooring than uncovered combat boot soles.