6/10/2011 Head Injuries - After The Fall

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HEAD INJURIES - AFTER THE FALL 

You can work for years and hardly get a scratch, then one day a fall can turn your life around. Fall injuries may cause abrasions, fractures and dislocations. However, one of the most serious results of a fall, other than death, can be a head injury. How this will affect you depends upon which part of your brain has been injured as a result of a fall or impact. Broken bones usually heal, but head injuries can result in lifelong serious problems, such as:

• Changes in personality, such as increased anxiety, depression or anger.
• Difficulties with eye and hand coordination, and inability to handle tools or play sports well.
• Defects in vision and visual illusions.
• Short-term memory loss or interference with long term memory.
• Increased aggressive behavior.
• Difficulty in distinguishing left from right.
• Changes in social behavior

How You Fall Often Determines Your Specific Injury.

From the time a worker loses a secure grip, footing or balance, until impact, several factors influence what part of the body will be injured and how severe the damage will be. They are:

• Distance of the fall - momentum and velocity affect the impact on your body.
• The angle of the body at impact - we're not like cats landing on all fours.
• The obstacles the body strikes - what if you fall on railings, steps, or vehicles?
• The surface eventually landed on - will it be a pile of hay, or broken concrete & re-bar?

What You Can Do: THINK!

• Help remind your co-workers to play it safe and avoid taking risks.
• Report unsafe conditions to the nearest supervisor.
• Make it a habit to work safely, regardless of time pressures and productivity goals.
• Practice caution at home - accidents and head injuries from falls happen more often off the job than at work.
• Know how to use fall protection and fall restraint equipment. Never say, "I don't need to fool around with that stuff-I'll only be up there a minute."

Stay Alert!

Head injuries can have devastating consequences that may impact your life forever.