Preventing Workplace Head Injuries Saves Lives

Simple steps can be taken to reduce the risk of head injuries while on the job.

Some of the most common – and most serious – workplace accidents involve injuries to the head. Each year, thousands of workers are injured or die due to head injuries sustained on the job, according to official workplace injury data.

In such situations, injured workers are often eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits that cover all injury-related costs. But obtaining such benefits can be more complicated than many people might realize. This is why injured workers should fully understand their legal rights.

The New York workers’ compensation attorneys at Law Offices of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP have years of experience helping people who sustain work-related head injuries. If you’ve been injured on the job in New York, contact us today to review your potential legal options.

Head injuries are a risk for many workers

Work-related head injuries happen a lot more often than many people might realize. For example, nearly one out of four work-related construction accident fatalities involve fatal traumatic brain injuries, according to a recent comprehensive report about work-related head injuries published by Safety + Health magazine based on workplace accident data compiled by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). But, as Safety + Health magazine accurately notes, “The risk for head injuries also is present in numerous other occupational sectors.”

Why do head injuries happen at work?

Work-related head injuries often occur due to unsafe working conditions. Reasons why these dangerous working conditions exist include:

• Falling objects that strike a worker on the head.
• Falls from a height at work, often due to unsafe working conditions, such as a scaffolding collapse.
• Lack of safety equipment provided to workers, including hard hats and safety harnesses.
• Lack of safety training provided to workers, resulting in falls from a height and other work-related accidents.
• Poor maintenance, resulting in unsafe working conditions not being fixed or repaired.
• Failure to perform mandatory routine inspections that identify dangerous work conditions.

Effective strategies to prevent on-the-job head injuries

Safety + Health magazine has suggested safety tips to prevent work-related head injuries, including the following:

• Provide workers with proper safety protection, including head protection approved by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). This includes Type 1 head protection (protects workers from blows to the top of the head) and Class E head protection (reduces the danger of a head injury up to 20,000 volts).
• Make sure hard hats fit correctly.
• Regularly inspect hard hats for cracks or other defects.
• Train workers to safely operate equipment to avoid a head injury.

Other safety steps can be taken to avoid a work-related head injury. However, the bottom line is employers and employees should take such safety concerns seriously.

How can a workers’ compensation attorney help?

If you or a loved one sustained a work-related head injury in New York, make sure you fully understand all the legal options available to you. Make sure you talk to an experienced New York City workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano, LLP.

Our attorneys understand how the workers’ compensation system works in New York. That’s why we have such a strong track record of helping injured workers obtain the benefits they rightfully deserve.

Discover what we can do for you. Contact our New York City law firm and schedule an appointment with a workers’ compensation lawyer you can trust to put your best interests first. We have 12 offices conveniently located in New York, including five offices in New York City.