Construction sites are dangerous places. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reports construction sites to be the most common cause of musculoskeletal injuries.
Approximately 3.4% (79,000) of the construction workforce will be affected by work-related ill heath with 2.1% (42,000) relating to musculoskeletal and head injury.
Whilst personal protective equipment (PPE) is more commonly seen within construction than some other high risk industries such as agriculture, a recent survey by brain injury charity Headway revealed that there are still some hard lessons to learn.
- Head injuries account for 20% of reportable injuries
- 52% of surveyed workers had experienced a head injury and not reported it.
- 26% sought medical attention
- 58% have marked, painted or put stickers on their hard hats which could damage the material
- 15% stored their hard hat in an unsuitable way (e.g. in direct sunlight)
- 15% did not receive proper training
- 20% felt they were working in an unsafe environment
Whilst there has been a positive trend in the reduction of construction site accidents over the last 15 years the prevalence of accidents makes effective PPE essential. There does also need to be an increased awareness of its use, storage and care, as well as how to respond to a head injury when it happens.
The signs of a brain injury can be subtle but life changing – headaches, tiredness, reduced concentration, changes in mood, personality or relationships, difficulties following conversations or changes to sight, hearing, taste or smell. When there are more visible injuries like cuts, breaks and bruises a brain injury can seem ‘invisible’. It can take a long to time to diagnose or can be missed.
To ensure that the cause of your head injury can be traced back to the incident when it happened
- Report it
- Seek medical attention
- Understand the symptoms the and signs
- Talk about it