Serious head injuries in the workplace; what to know.

It was reported on the 20 March 2023 that a 52-year-old man was left in a critical condition at Ocean Beach Amusement Park in South Shields after a workplace accident that left him with serious head injuries.  The incident has been reported to the HSE and the fairground are working closely with them to investigate how their employee was injured.

Serious Head Injuries- Accident at Work

Severe head injuries require immediate medical attention because there is a significant risk of permanent brain damage caused by a build-up of pressure on the brain due to the trauma.

A severe head injury can also cause other complications including an infection after a skull fracture, impaired consciousness, and brain damage.

There are well known symptoms to be aware of following a serious head injury including loss of consciousness, headaches seizures and repeated episodes of vomiting.  Cognitive impairment often also occurs following a head injury with sometimes, delayed onset.

Following a serious head injury, there are significant long-term risks that are important to be aware of such as, increased risk of seizures and/or epilepsy if loss of consciousness was present.  

When a family member or friend has been hospitalised for a serious head injury it can be very emotional and overwhelming trying to understand the severity of your loved one’s injuries.

A useful piece of information that may help you understand how hospitals approach the treatment of serious head injuries is the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).  This will help you obtain a basic but clearer understanding of the severity of the head injury.

When assessing whether a patient has sustained a serious head injury, medical professionals use the GCS which operates on a sliding scale between 3 and 15.

The GCS indicates the severity of a head injury.  A score of between 3 and 8 indicates a severe head injury and a score of 13 or above is classified as a minor head injury.  However, even with head injuries that are assessed as ‘minor’ at the onset due to the GCS score being above 13, the patient can suffer with significant and life long disabilities.  This is why it is vitally important to instruct specialist solicitors that will investigate all of the complex aspects of the head injury.

An Employer’s Responsibilities

Employers have a duty of care for their employees and their responsibilities can be found in more detail on the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website.

Employers have a duty to assess any risks and hazards in the workplace.  This means that they must identify any hazards that could cause injury or illness and taking action to eliminate it.  If it is not possible to eliminate the hazard, they must take action to minimise the risk.

After the identification of any hazards in the workplace, such risks must be communicated to their employees with information regarding how the employee is protected as well as any training to ensure their safety.

Employers also have additional obligations to report serious head injuries under the ‘Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.’  The detailed report of the accident is a very helpful resource when bringing a personal injury claim against your employer.

If you have suffered a head injury, or know someone who has, contact our serious injuries team for helpful advice on 0121 355 0011.