Health Update: A safer floor to fall on

A FLOOR covering which can protect old people from fracturing bones if they fall has been devised by US researchers. The tiles consist of polyurethane columns sandwiched between sheets of the same material. The columns remain upright under the forces exerted when walking but bend under the forces exerted when falling, providing a cushion effect. The flooring is to be tried in a residential care home, says New Scientist.