Brain Injury Awareness
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, a month dedicated to supporting the over 5.3 million Americans who live with permanent brain injuries. Approximately 24% of annual brain injuries occur as a result of a workplace incident, which we can take as an indication that safety procedures in the workplace could use some significant improvements.
Jacob wrote a wonderful article on the common causes of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) last year, which you can read here. I won’t repeat all of his points, but I will point out how easy it is for a TBI to occur.
Head injuries happen quickly, and rarely from normal day-to-day parts of your job (unless you’re a football player). As Jacob’s article details, workplace TBIs are typically the result of slips, trips, falls, falling objects, and motor vehicle accidents. Dangerous workplaces like construction and mining prioritize safe procedures as a workplace principle, and yet we still see construction incidents taking up 25% of workplace TBI fatalities.
So, what causes such high numbers of accidents in these workplaces where safe procedures are so important?
It all comes back to systems.
The systems that a workplace uses to operate on a day to day basis go beyond procedure. They include aspects like design, cleanliness, and workplace culture. Compared to updating procedures, retraining employees, and discipline, these parts of a workplace’s system are often overlooked. And yet, they also happen to be the most effective in protecting against an accident.
Designing better shelving, equipment, and signage can help make it easier for employees to protect themselves from falling objects or unstable flooring. Having a regular system for checking equipment can ensure that nobody is operating with an unstable ladder or old and non-functioning PPE. A clean, well-lit workspace is protected from tripping or slipping hazards.
Workplace culture is one of the most important aspects of an effective system, as it opens the floor for operators and employees to inform leadership on what they need to be safe. Without this, people take shortcuts in order to save time and money, and do not notice when an accident is “waiting to happen.” A system that gives its employees easy reporting methods and access to safe equipment protects those employees from possible brain injury.
Reinventing workplace safety systems is exactly what TapRooT® RCA is for. Our system makes it easy for you to improve yours, giving you access to the human factors expertise necessary to make the safest workplace possible. If you are interested in learning more about what TapRooT® RCA can do for you, contact us for a free briefing here.
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