From lab to workplace: preventing falls, protecting livelihoods
London South Bank University (LSBU) is advancing a practical approach to prevent falls — helping people stay steady on their feet, reducing injuries and easing the financial strain caused by workplace accidents.
Dr Gaspar Epro, Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics at LSBU, is part of a research group led by Professor Kiros Karamanidis, deputy lead of the Sport and Exercise Science Research Centre (SESRC). Working with the University of Koblenz and major employers in Germany, the team set out to find simple, cost-effective ways to improve balance and prevent falls among postal and steel workers.
“Fall-related injuries at work can cause huge impact, for health and the economy,” said Dr Epro. “Improving the workforce fall resilience has the potential to save billions of euros for the German economy.”
The scale of the problem
Every year, more than 170,000 workers in Germany suffer trip, slip or fall accidents. These injuries don’t just harm people, they cost businesses and the economy. Lost working hours alone amount to around €8 billion annually, not including medical care or rehabilitation.
To tackle this, the research team developed short training sessions using treadmills that create unexpected movements, combined with virtual reality visuals. These ‘balance challenge’ exercises teach people how to react quickly if they trip or slip. The sessions made a big difference; participants improved their ability to recover balance and these benefits lasted for months.
“Unpredictable gait perturbation exercises have been shown to strongly improve balance recovery in response to tripping and slipping, and to retain these improvements over several years, even in older adults,” explained Dr Epro.
From research to real-world impact
Trials with postal and steel workers showed fewer falls after training. Building on this success, the team is applying for funding to roll out the programme more widely.
“The exercises are safe, practical and scalable, using a mobile treadmill and simple VR-based simulations that only take 30 minutes at the workplace,” Dr Epro added.
The project aligns with a wider shift in Germany’s Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) policies, which now emphasise active fall-prevention training alongside traditional safety guidelines.
By reducing injuries and early retirements, this approach could save billions, ease pressure on social systems and help people enjoy longer, healthier working lives.
“Our goal is to improve balance, prevent falls and reduce injury-related costs across industries and at-risk populations,” said Dr Epro.