Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a disturbance of normal brain function caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury. TBIs are a global public health concern and a primary cause of mortality and disability due to injuries. Even though TBIs might be minor, some can be deadly or cause temporary to permanent disability. Those occurring in contact sports such as football are commonly referred to as concussions and have received a growing amount of attention in the medical literature and the media.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs at work is known as work-related traumatic brain injury (WR TBI) and accounts for 20 to 25 per cent of job-related trauma. Severe traumatic brain injuries might hinder a worker's ability to return to their pre-injury career and be costly for both workers and employers in terms of long-term rehabilitation and disability expenditures. Continue reading to discover WORKPRO's initiatives to avoid WR TBI in the construction business.
Construction-Related Traumatic Brain Injury
In the United States, the construction industry has the highest number of fatal and nonfatal WR TBIs. Between 2003 and 2010, 2,210 construction workers perished due to a TBI (a rate of 2.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers). During that period, these deaths comprised 25% of all construction fatalities and 24% of all WR TBI fatalities across all industries.
Construction Employees in Danger
Due to their employment in dynamic conditions where they may be struck by falling or flying objects or fall from a height, construction workers are at an increased risk for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). More than half of fatal WR TBIs were caused by falls, primarily from rooftops, ladders, and scaffolding.
Recent studies have found that:
- Workers at smaller construction companies (those with less than 20 employees) had over 2.5 times the risk of dying from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as workers in larger construction companies (those with more than 100 employees).
- Those who were older than 65 years old had almost four times the risk of having a fatal traumatic brain injury compared to workers who were 25–34 years old;
- The death rate due to traumatic brain injury was substantially greater for workers of foreign birth than for workers of local birth;
- Roofers and workers in structural iron and steel had the greatest fatal traumatic brain injury (TBI) rate among construction employees.
Workplace Traumatic Brain Injury Prevention
Workpro and its parent company, GreatStar Industrial, are aiming to avoid WR traumatic brain injuries. By the hierarchy of controls, the prevention of WR TBIs should begin with efforts to "design out" dangers and implement engineering and administrative controls on construction sites and among construction workers. Important components of existing preventive programs, such as those aimed at preventing falls, being struck by or against an object or piece of equipment, and motor vehicle accidents, are these prevention initiatives.
PPE for Prevention – Construction Helmets
In many construction environments, the usage of personal protection equipment such as helmets is necessary to prevent injury. Developed over a century ago, the industrial helmet ('hard hat') is a typical piece of personal protective equipment designed to protect workers against head injuries caused by falling items or overhanging hazards.
As part of the head protection requirement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the United States regulates the use of hard hats in the construction industry. Protection of the head – Code of Federal Regulations]. American National Standards Institute American National Regulation for Industrial Head Protection is explicitly referenced by the OSHA standard.
Helmets used in the construction business are designated as 'Type I' and 'Type II'. Type I helmets are designed to lessen the force of a blow to the top of the head, whereas Type II helmets are designed to reduce the force of a strike. The Type I helmet is a standard style that has been utilized on construction sites for decades. The retention system of a helmet consists of numerous design features that assist maintain the helmet on the wearer's head. A construction helmet's retention system normally comprises a detachable chin strap and a suspension system. The suspension system consists of a head cradle attached to the helmet shell by four to six anchors and a suspension tightening "ratchet." In situations when the helmet can become detached from the user's head, chin straps are essential. Type I and Type II construction helmets do not require chin straps, per OSHA/ANSI requirements. There are no design specifications for Type I helmet chinstraps. However, when a chinstrap is included with a Type II helmet, it must match the width, retention, and length standards outlined in the ANSI standard.
In recent years, safety helmets resembling those worn for mountain climbing and other sports have been utilized on some construction sites to enhance worker protection beyond that offered by the conventional hard hat. The performance and design of contemporary safety helmets are currently being investigated. Important factors include the availability, accessibility, acceptance, and knowledge of PPE for various user groups, such as workers of all sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, and languages. A recent discussion indicated that modern helmets are around five times more expensive than their traditional counterparts.
