Construction work is very demanding and notoriously risky. Because of how much stress it puts on the body and how many ways there are for people to get hurt, construction professionals often receive competitive wages. Of course, better wages are a cold comfort if someone suffers a life-altering injury, such as trauma to their head, neck or back.
These are three of the most common reasons that workers might hurt their back, neck or head when working in construction. By understanding the risks they’re taking, workers are generally inspired to prevent such injuries, whenever possible.
1. Falls
Falls are a leading cause of mortality and severe injury at construction sites. Even a fall at the same level caused by tripping over an extension cord could lead to a head injury in some cases. Falls from higher elevations could result in broken bones, including a broken back or a spinal cord injury. Falls could also result in a traumatic brain injury that could leave someone unable to continue their career.
2. Falling objects
Whenever workers have to do their jobs at a significant elevation, the potential exists for them to drop items. While safety standards do necessitate tethers and similar safety systems for tools and machinery used at a significant elevation, sometimes items fall anyway. Someone’s hard hat could potentially injure you as easily as a piece of heavier equipment if it falls from high enough and hits you in the right place. Getting hit on the head, back or shoulders could lead to serious injuries.
3. Caught-in or caught-between incidents
Workers can easily hurt their heads, necks or backs during a trench collapse or when machinery pushes them into a wall. Such scenarios might lead to life-threatening injuries and could also cause permanent damage to someone’s back.
There are many other ways that construction workers suffer injuries that require extensive medical treatments and disability benefits while they recover or pursue an alternative profession after sustaining debilitating injuries. Learning how to avoid workplace injury risks can reduce the likelihood that you will eventually need to file a workers’ compensation claim.
