Evolving Helmet Safety for the Most At Risk Profession
PPE for Construction Jobsites needs to incorporate new innovations in order to address all causes of traumatic brain injuries.
- By Max Strandwitz
- Nov 08, 2023
Construction workers are responsible for building the places where we spend our lives — our homes, offices, stores and communities. Yet these workers face some of the greatest risks on the job: Ranked fourth on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) list of most dangerous jobs, there must be a continual concerted effort to keep construction workers safe from hazards on job sites.
So, what can be done to help an industry of people doing some of the most dangerous work out there?
Identify the Risks
According to OSHA, the four leading hazards, or “Fatal Four,” that construction workers face on job sites include falls, being struck by an object, electrocution and being caught between two or more objects. The danger that several of these highlighted hazards presents can vary based on how these accidents occur: Depending on how an accident takes place, workers can potentially be at risk of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Some of the biggest risks that imperil those in the construction industry are slips, trips, and falls. Falling and flying objects and working on elevated surfaces or on ladders presents increased dangers that can amplify risk. These dangers can lead to accidents that vary in severity, or even workplace fatalities.
Given the nature of construction jobsites, construction workers are at heightened risk for TBIs as well: Falls — especially from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds — led to more than half of all fatal workplace TBI-related deaths for those in construction.
Understanding the root causes of TBIs can help lead the industry towards improved safety for workers against the risks associated, and support in enforcing workplace safety. For the construction industry, a stronger knowledge of rotational motion is a good starting point.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.