What construction workers should know about brain injuries

On Behalf of | May 30, 2023 | Construction Accidents |

Construction workers use their physical stamina and specialized tools to help erect, repair and improve edifices. Their services allow for new and refurbished residential homes and commercial properties for businesses. There are many risk factors that endanger construction workers, including the fact that many work at a significant elevation.

Falls are a serious source of injury risk, and there is also a risk generated by falling equipment and materials. Brain injuries are probably the most severe injury someone could suffer because of a fall or other gravity-related incident, and, therefore, construction workers need to be aware of that risk. In fact, construction workers may have the highest risk of any professionals when it comes to brain injuries.

Construction workers need to know that the possibility of a brain injury is one of the most pressing safety concerns on any worksite, as their careful adherence to safety rules could potentially save their life or lessen the impact of a brain injury suffered on the job.

Brain injuries are a leading cause of worker death

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) may occur because among hits their head when they fall or because something that falls strikes someone on the head. Even though workers should have safety harnesses and there are tethers that can secure supplies and tools, small mistakes can easily lead to life-altering TBIs.

Brain injuries caused by falls are responsible for roughly a quarter of all construction fatalities, and falls that lead to injury in construction workers account for 24% of all reported TBIs associated with a work injury. Even when a TBI isn’t fatal, it may result in changes to someone’s memory, personality, sense of balance or motor function that can prevent them from doing their jobs.

Therefore, construction workers should ensure they have the right safety equipment and practices in place for their protection on the job and should also know about their rights if they do get hurt. Typically, workers’ compensation benefits can help cover someone’s medical treatment expenses and can even provide disability benefits to help replace someone’s lost wages.

Learning more about job risks and also the benefits that protect those in dangerous professions like construction may give workers and their loved ones more peace of mind about the risks associated with their profession.