Gravity sometimes makes avoiding a tumble impossible. Jumping up and leaving the scene is the natural reaction to avoid embarrassment. However, this can wind up costing the victim previous medical intervention. When someone falls as a result of one of these five causes, the body may suffer.
1. Slipping on Wet or Slick Surfaces
When a person falls, it is usually the result of a slippery surface. A wet floor can become lethal regardless of the material or location. Many businesses must post signs that a floor is wet to warn customers that there is a slipping hazard that may cause fall injuries. In the colder months, ice outside on sidewalks, walkways and porch steps may become an even more dangerous hazard, especially if it is unseen. A slip and fall can cause bone fractures, muscle strains and even traumatic back and head injuries.
2. Tripping Over Debris
Garbage strewn about on the sidewalk or a construction site can spell trouble for an unsuspecting pedestrian. Tripping may result in a hard fall onto the ground. When this fall happens in an area with other debris, such as a construction site, there may be catastrophic consequences. Workers in this environment may become impaled on equipment. These injuries may wind up costing someone their life. While many trip and fall injuries are not this severe, there is always a chance that they could be.
3. Poor Lighting
Walking around anywhere in poor lighting may result in a fall. Inside, outside, a new place, a familiar spot, all of these may prove hazardous to traverse when poorly lit. Not only can a person not recognize obstacles, but everyday items on the floor become tripping and slipping hazards. Older people especially need to be mindful of the lighting conditions in their homes. Getting up in the evening to use the restroom may cause someone to fall and break a hip or strike their head. Either of these consequences may turn deadly for an older adult, especially one who lives alone.
4. Work Conditions
A job should not prove dangerous for a person’s health, but in some instances, it is. Some careers are notoriously risky, such as construction. With so many high-powered tools, large equipment and heights, workers have a higher chance of dealing with fall injuries in this profession than almost any other. However, there are safety measures in place to protect workers from injuries such as:
- Harnasses for working at heights
- Hard hats
- Buddy system
- Bright vests
A failure to use these and other procedures aimed at keeping workers safe may result in a higher occurrence of injuries.
5. Impairment
Any chemical that alters the brain opens a person up to suffering a fall injury. Drugs and alcohol make it more difficult for the brain and body to react to obstacles. The dangers of driving while under the influence are touted, but it is equally dangerous for an impaired individual to walk. Falling and doing damage that is not always immediately recognized, due to the reduced state, means that a serious injury can become worse.
Becoming injured after a fall can result in bruised skin and ego. However, sometimes, the damage inflicted on the body because of a hard landing is severe and warrants medical attention.
