The risk of a fall injury can happen in any workplace, as falls can take place even at the height of a person.
However, the construction industry has a reputation for having dangerous fall incidents that result in high levels of damage and even death.
Construction sites and heights
The CDC discusses occupational fall injuries. Of course, construction injury incidents have such a high level of lethality for several reasons.
First, construction workers often spend their time at much taller heights than most other occupations. They will climb dozens of stories to work on scaffolding, which means that their falls can range anywhere from tens to hundreds of feet, or perhaps more.
Even at smaller heights, construction workers risk landing on dangerous equipment or other hard surfaces that can cause fractures and breaks in bones much more easily than landing on a more padded surface.
Common fall injuries
The most common injuries resulting from fall incidents include broken bones, bruising, lacerations, spinal damage and head injuries. This can include damage to the spine that results in partial or full paralysis which may or may not be treatable.
It also includes head injuries that range from moderate to severe, including life-changing traumatic brain injuries that can result in the loss of intellectual capability, memory power, and reasoning. TBI victims may even suffer from a change in personality, emotional destabilization and more.
Overall quality of life after a fall injury decreases significantly in most victims’ cases. This is why proactive measures to cut down on the rate of fall incidents serve as such an important thing, especially in construction work zones.
