Go Head-to-Head with Industry-Leading Injuries

By Joe Brandel, Contributor

Construction is a risky business by most measures. It is consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous industries for workers, with slips, trips, and falls among the largest risks in this field.^[1] From 2021-2022, the construction industry accounted for 46.2% of all fatal falls, slips, and trips across all industries in the United States.^[2] In the same year, these injuries were the leading cause of employee days away from work, with an injury rate of 22.6 people per 10,000 full time workers.^[3]

Concurrently, OSHA’s top-cited violation from last year was fall protection in the construction industry – a violation that mirrors one of the industry’s leading causes of injury.^[4] Fall protection includes proper head protection PPE like hard hats and helmets, which are required whenever employees are exposed to falling objects.

In fact, proper head protection PPE is mandatory on all construction sites given the possible danger of head injury from impact.^[5] One of the leading dangers associated with these sorts of accidents are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).^[6] In the United States, the construction industry sees the highest number of fatal and non-fatal workplace-related TBIs as compared to any other industry.[7] In addition to posing a significant risk for workers, workplace injuries also have a steep price tag. For instance, 6-9% of construction project costs are associated with workplace injuries.^[8]

Because of the heightened risk of injury or even death in the construction industry, worker safety and proper PPE usage must be an imperative on every job site. A good starting point is to fully understand the risks that exist, in order to provide PPE that addresses common accidents and injuries.

Understanding the Risks

When employees fall and strike their heads, it usually happens at an angle. For example, a worker trips over debris and hits their head, someone falls from an elevated surface, or a falling object hits a person’s head. These angled impacts to the head risk exposing the brain to dangerous rotational motion, which can lead to TBIs that can have life-altering and even fatal repercussions. TBIs are an enormous concern for the construction industry in particular, which represents a whopping 24% of all workplace-related TBI fatalities across industries.^[9]

Despite the fact that most impacts include both linear and rotational components – and the risk that rotational motion poses – the majority of traditional helmets are developed and tested to only withstand the linear force of an impact, which can lead to focal injuries, including contusions and skull fractures. When it comes to TBIs, the brain is typically much more sensitive to rotational motion than linear motion. Concussions caused by rotational motion can occur at lower levels of energy than in cases involving linear motion.^[10] In other words, even impacts that may seem to be light can lead to concussions when rotational motion is a factor.

Addressing the Dangers

In most cases, the very real threat of TBIs has not been clearly articulated by industry leaders, construction company owners, and project managers – and neither are the straightforward, scientifically-proven measures that workers can take to reduce risks faced on the job. Head protection and proper PPE usage are critical to keeping construction workers safe. On job sites, everyone should be wearing head protection, and that head protection should fit comfortably and securely on the head.

When selecting a helmet, an important consideration is whether the helmet is equipped with a rotational motion mitigating system. Thanks to many years of scientific research into rotational motion, additional protection can be added to helmets in an effort to potentially mitigate the impact of rotational motion.

For instance, rotational motion mitigating systems like the Mips® brain protection system for industrial safety helmets enable material in the helmet to slide and move relative to the wearer’s head. The intended outcome is to redirect rotational motion away from the head, consequently helping to reduce the amount of rotational energy that could otherwise be transferred to the brain.

Workers can suffer preventable injuries and deaths related to the hazards presented by falling objects, slips, trips, and falls on the job site. While the construction industry is beginning to address the many real-world risks that workers face on the job, ensuring access to proper head protection PPE is a critical step toward minimizing the dangers they face.

Joe Brandel is the Business Development Manager of the NA Industrial Safety Market, Mips (mipsprotection.com).

^[1] https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2022/workplace-injuries-and-job-requirements-for-construction-laborers/home.htm#:~:text=Workers%20in%20construction%20and%20extraction,96%20occurred%20among%20construction%20laborers

^[2] https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2023/construction-deaths-due-to-falls-slips-and-trips-increased-5-9-percent-in-2021.htm

^[3] https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/work-overview/top-work-related-injury-causes/

^[4] https://www.osha.gov/top10citedstandards

^[5] https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2004-11-17#:~:text=Section%201926.100%20(Head%20protection)%20states,be%20protected%20by%20protective%20helmets

^[6] https://www.cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/get_the_facts.html CDC

[7] https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/10/construction-helmets/#:~:text=Work%2Drelated%20Traumatic%20Brain%20Injury%20in%20Construction,100%2C000%20full%20time%20equivalent%20workers).

^[8] https://elcosh.org/document/1452/d000505/improving-safety-can-save-you-money.html

^[9] https://www.google.com/url?q=https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/10/construction-helmets/%23:~:text%3DWork%252Drelated%2520Traumatic%2520Brain%2520Injury%2520in%2520Construction,100%252C000%2520full%2520time%2520equivalent%2520workers&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1719875331339717&usg=AOvVaw1w1blTidgv2lVwWL8yv8AM

^[10] Kleiven, S (2007). “Predictors for traumatic brain injuries evaluated through accident reconstructions,” Stapp Car Crash J, vol. 51, pp. 81–114, Oct. 2007.