According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people sustain a brain injury every year in the United States. While many who experience a brain injury recover quickly and resume their normal lives, at least 125,000 are permanently disabled. One of the most dangerous work environments is the construction job site, and according to OSHA, it’s this industry that has the highest risk and number of traumatic brain injuries.
While hard hats do provide the most protection from traumatic brain injuries, they can’t altogether prevent them. During National Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month, take the time to refresh yourself and your employees about the best ways to prevent head injuries from happening.
• Always display warning signs in areas where employees have the highest risk of sustaining a head injury. The sign should clearly state the risk of injury and that the appropriate safety attire is required before entering the job site.
• Because hard hats provide the best protection against head injuries, make sure all employees wear hard hats on the job site and have all pertinent equipment to protect themselves.
• Oftentimes, incidents happen when workers don’t follow proper protocols and/or take shortcuts. Thus, it’s important for employees to thoroughly understand job site rules and always follow them.
• Institute and maintain a quality safety program in the company that educates employees on head injury prevention and safety guidelines.
• Periodically review the company’s safety guidelines to make sure they are up-to-date and cover all situations employees could face on the job site.
OHC believes prevention is better than the cure. A few easy-to-follow steps can mean the difference between safe employees and serious injuries. For help in implementing proper safety measures or other ways to prevent head injuries, give us a call.
