Brain injuries more prevalent for construction workers

South Carolina residents who work in the construction industry or know someone who does are probably aware of the dangers involved in this type of occupation. One of them is the risk of traumatic brain injuries.

According to a report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, compared with all other occupations in the U.S., traumatic brain injuries occur more often to those who work in the construction industry. In fact, a study found that between 2003 and 2010, more than 2,200 construction workers died from a traumatic brain injury.

The research further found that 25 percent of all construction deaths were caused by traumatic brain injuries and most of those fatalities occurred because of falls, especially from scaffolds, ladders and roofs. Regarding the age group of these fatalities, employees who were 65 years of age and older were about four times more prone to suffer a fatal traumatic brain injury compared with those between the ages of 25 and 34. In addition, those who were employed with companies whose workforce consisted of less than 20 employees were about 2.5 times more prone to suffer a fatal traumatic brain injury than those employed with companies with a workforce of more than 100 construction workers.

While some occupations pose more risks than others do, workplace injuries can transpire at any job. From tripping at the office to suffering a chemical burn at the laboratory, many types of injuries can occur. Workers’ compensation exists to provide benefits to injured victims, and attorneys can often assist with the preparation and submission of the required paperwork.

Source: Safety and Health, “NIOSH: Construction workers at high risk for traumatic brain injuries”, March 29, 2016