Safety Direct America Profiled in The Washington Independent: Fixing the Slip and Fall Epidemic

What America’s Floors Reveal About Its Broken Safety Standards

The profile, titled “What America’s Floors Reveal About Its Broken Safety Standards,” highlights how slippery surfaces present an ongoing environmental public health problem across American infrastructure. According to CDC metrics highlighted in the report, more than 14 million older Americans face accidental falls annually, generating over $50 billion in healthcare and medical burden.

The discussion targets structural systemic failures, noting that commercial business environments frequently optimize layouts for cosmetic floor gloss and shine while bypassing basic scientific measurement controls required to verify whether pedestrians can safely traverse those spaces.

Shifting From Post-Fall Litigation To Prior Prevention

John Sotter focuses heavily on why American standards lag behind clear frameworks used throughout Europe and the UK—such as the EN 16165 standard. The profile notes that current corporate and insurance environments create a reactive loop that funds legal disputes and experts only *after* injuries take place, instead of establishing pro-active preventative requirements to catch dangerous hazards early.

Video of ASTM E303-22 Pendulum Slip Resistance Testing

The Interview with Slip Test Expert

The interview previewed details from Sotter’s upcoming safety resource book, “How to Stop America’s Slip and Fall Epidemic,” which maps out targeted public policy changes and baseline engineering metrics needed to ensure transparency and accountability.

For more media distribution updates, check our centralized John C. Sotter in the News page.