Lipuminen

Lipuminen is a Finnish noun derived from the verb lipua, meaning to slip or slide. It designates the unintentional movement of a person or object when contact with a surface loses sufficient grip. While commonly associated with slipping on icy or wet surfaces, lipuminen is a general concept used in safety, engineering, and everyday description of traction failures.

Lipuminen occurs when the tangential forces on a contact interface exceed the available friction between surfaces. Common causes include ice, snow, rain, oil or other lubricants, uneven or slick flooring, and inadequate footwear or tires. Factors such as load, walking speed, fatigue, and surface roughness influence the likelihood and severity of a slip.

In daily life, lipuminen can lead to falls and injuries. In transportation and industry, it raises concerns for worker safety and design of floors, stairs, ramps, and vehicles. The term also appears in physics discussions of friction and wear, distinguishing between static and kinetic slip conditions.

Prevention focuses on improving traction and surface grip: applying sand or salt on icy surfaces, using anti-slip coatings, selecting footwear or tires with good tread, and designing floors with slip-resistant textures. In vehicle dynamics, maintaining tires with adequate tread and appropriate speed reduces lipuminen risk.

An alternative Finnish term is liukuminen; lipuminen emphasizes loss of grip during movement rather than a smooth glide.