California construction workers are at substantial risk for receiving a traumatic brain injury while at work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the highest number of workplace TBIs, both fatal and nonfatal, occur in the construction industry. Between 2003-2010, over 2,200 construction workers died from TBIs, representing more than 25 percent of all construction fatalities.
The Mayo Clinic defines a traumatic brain injury as a head injury that causes brain dysfunction. While all head injuries are potentially serious, even when they appear to be minor, TBIs and their symptoms are classified as follows:
Although all construction workers are at risk for receiving a TBI due to their often hazardous working environments, the CDC reports that some workers are at higher risk than others, including the following:
Falls are the most common cause of TBIs, although being struck by a moving vehicle and/or by falling debris also regularly results in TBIs. Any California construction worker who receives any type of head injury should receive immediate emergency treatment and be transported to a hospital. Doctors need to run tests in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis of the severity of the injury. The sooner appropriate treatment begins, the more likelihood that ill effects can be minimized.
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