Page 84 - OHS, July/August 2022

PPE: HEAD & FACE PROTECTION
Why the Switch to Safety Helmets is a Good Decision
Don’t let your construction site turn into a risky business for your work crews.
BY MARY PADRON
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen frequently in industrial environments, including the construction, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture and mining sectors. However, the CDC states that the “construction industry has the greatest number of fatal and nonfatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among U.S. workplaces.”
Falls Make Up 35 Percent
of all Construction Accidents
Construction is a perilous industry with a cornucopia of risks and hazards due to dropped objects, trips, slips and falls, working at heights, struck-by accidents, exposure to chemicals and concrete hazards and the list goes on and on.
Although numerous risks co-exist at construction jobsites, it’s
important to remember that falls make up about 35 percent of all construction accidents. According to OSHA, “65 percent of the construction industry works on scaffolds,” so construction workers are at high risk for TBIs and their life-threatening or life- long consequences.
Some common traumatic brain injuries that plague the construction industry include concussions (mild TBI), skull fractures, brain hemorrhages, head bruises or contusions or hematoma.
TBI can lead to severe disabilities, including amnesia, coma and even death. The injury is tricky too because symptoms, like persistent headaches, confusion and speaking more slowly than usual, may show up several days or weeks after the accident.
Harnesses, guardrail systems and personal fall arrest systems
80 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2022
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