Toolbox Talk – Traumatic Brain Injury

Today’s Toolbox Talk covers Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which occurs when a bump, blow, jolt, or penetrating injury disrupts normal brain function. TBIs are a leading cause of injury-related deaths and disabilities globally. Understanding the risks, symptoms, and prevention is crucial to keeping everyone safe on the job. While some TBIs are mild, others can be fatal or result in short- or long-term disabilities.

Up to 80% of patients may experience dizziness or balance issues following a concussion.

 

Brain Injuries that can occur with concussion:

• Right Hemisphere can impair spatial, memory, and/or visual recognition.
• Left Hemisphere can cause verbal loss, memory loss, and/or speech problems.
• Frontal Lobe damage can affect emotion, concentration, and social behaviour
• Parietal Lobe damage can cause numbness
• Temporal Lobe damage may cause memory loss and seizures

 

Most concussions occur without losing consciousness.

May cause:

• Brain Bleeding
• Brain Swelling
• Brain Bruising
• Brain Cell Damage

 

Small construction companies with less than 20 employees were 2.5 times more likely to suffer a fatal TBI injury than those that worked in larger companies.

Hard hats are the main piece of head protection that protects us from potential brain damage or other head injuries that results from the impact of falling or flying objects. It also protects the head from electric shock. To provide maximum protection, head protection hard hats must be fitted correctly and worn according to manufacturer’s instructions and country standards.

 

When should head protection be worn? 

• In areas where there is potential of being hit or struck by falling, fixed or moving objects e.g. scaffolding or crane operations
• Where there is potential to fall from height e.g. elevated work platforms
• If there is a potential of head contact with electrical hazards
• When exposed to UV, weather and extreme temperatures

 

How does it protect you? 

• Constructed with an outer shell designed to deflect or absorb an initial impact,
• and suspension/harness inside which absorbs and spreads the impact,
• the Hard hats minimize the effects of a blow to the skull.
• Some hard hats have a chin-strap ensuring the helmet does not fall or blow off.

 

Download the full Toolbox Talk document on Traumatic Brain Injury below:

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