A systems-based approach to understanding slips, trips, and falls among older rail passengers

On average 30% of adults over the age of 65 years fall each year, with 1 in 5 of those falls requiring medical attention (Gillespie et al, 2012). With an ageing population across parts of the world (e.g. United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States of America) (Hollnagel, 2008; Gillespie et al., 2012), increased proportions of passengers are using public transport (i.e. railways) into older age, with implications for the design and use of the railway (Currie and Delbosc, 2010; DTI, 2000; Palacin, 2011; RSSB, 2008, 2011).