How can you protect your head during a fall. What is the best way to position your body when falling. Why is it important to stay relaxed during a fall. How can rolling help reduce impact when falling. What are the key areas to focus on to spread out the force of impact.

The Importance of Knowing How to Fall Safely

While fall prevention is crucial, knowing how to fall safely is equally important. Falls can happen to anyone, regardless of age or fitness level. In fact, studies have shown that adults aged 50-60 fall more frequently than older individuals due to higher activity levels. Understanding proper falling techniques can significantly reduce the risk of serious injury when a fall is unavoidable.

Protecting Your Head: The Top Priority

The most critical aspect of falling safely is protecting your head. Head injuries can be severe and even life-threatening. Here are some key techniques to safeguard your head during a fall:

• Tuck your chin down to lower your head
• If falling face-first, turn your head to the side
• Bring your arms up to head level for additional protection
• Place arms in front of your head if falling forward, or behind if falling backward

Are you taking blood thinners? If you fall and hit your head while on anticoagulants, it’s crucial to contact your doctor immediately. They may advise you to go to the hospital for a CT scan to rule out internal bleeding.

The Art of Turning as You Fall

When falling straight forward or backward, try to turn your body to land on your side. This technique can significantly reduce the risk of injury, especially from higher distances. Why is landing on your side preferable?

• Falling directly on your back can cause serious spinal injuries
• A frontal fall may result in damage to the head, face, and arms
• Landing on your side distributes the impact more evenly across your body

Bending Arms and Legs: A Crucial Technique

It’s instinctive to try and catch yourself with outstretched arms when falling. However, this can lead to serious injuries. Instead, focus on keeping your arms and legs slightly bent as you fall. Why is this important?

Bending your limbs helps absorb the shock of impact, reducing the risk of fractures. Landing with straight arms can result in broken wrists or arms, as they bear the full force of the fall. By maintaining a slight bend, you allow your body to cushion the impact more effectively.

The Power of Staying Relaxed During a Fall

One of the most counterintuitive yet crucial aspects of falling safely is staying relaxed. Tensing up during a fall can significantly increase the risk of injury. How does staying loose help?

• A relaxed body is better able to absorb and distribute the force of impact
• Tense muscles and joints are more prone to injury
• Flexibility allows your body to “go with the motion” rather than resist it

To help stay relaxed, try exhaling as you fall. This simple technique can help release tension in your body and improve your chances of a safer landing.

Mastering the Art of Rolling with the Fall

Rolling is an advanced technique that can significantly reduce the impact of a fall by dispersing the energy across your body. While it requires practice to master, rolling can be an effective way to minimize injury. Here’s a basic guide to rolling:

1. Start in a low squat position
2. Lean forward and place your palms flat on the ground
3. Push off with your legs and shift your weight forward
4. Allow your legs to go over your head
5. Keep your back rounded and aim to land on a shoulder
6. Let the momentum carry you through the roll and back onto your feet

It’s recommended to practice this technique in a safe, padded environment before attempting it in real-life situations.

Spreading the Force of Impact: A Key Strategy

One of the fundamental principles of falling safely is to spread the force of impact across a larger area of your body. Concentrating the force on a single point increases the risk of serious injury to that specific area. How can you effectively spread the impact?

• Try to land on fleshy parts of your body rather than bony areas
• Aim to make contact with the ground using the side of your body
• Use your arms and legs to help distribute the force, but avoid fully extended limbs

By spreading the impact, you reduce the likelihood of severe damage to any one part of your body.

Understanding the Physics of Falling

To fully appreciate the importance of proper falling techniques, it’s helpful to understand the basic physics involved. When you fall, your body accumulates kinetic energy as it accelerates towards the ground. Upon impact, this energy must be dissipated. The key to minimizing injury lies in how effectively you can distribute this energy across your body and over time.

By employing techniques such as bending your limbs, staying relaxed, and rolling, you essentially increase the time and area over which the impact force is applied. This reduces the peak force experienced by any single part of your body, thus lowering the risk of serious injury.

Common Falling Scenarios and How to Handle Them

While the basic principles of safe falling apply in most situations, certain scenarios may require specific approaches. Let’s examine some common falling situations and how to best handle them:

Falling Forward on Stairs

Stairs present a unique challenge due to their hard, angular surfaces. If you find yourself falling forward on stairs:

• Try to twist your body to the side as you fall
• Aim to land on the meaty part of your thigh and hip
• Protect your head by tucking your chin and bringing your arms up
• Try to “slide” down the stairs rather than tumbling to reduce impact

Falling Backward on Ice

Icy surfaces often lead to sudden, backward falls. In this situation:

• Tuck your chin to your chest to protect your head
• Bend your knees and try to land on the fleshy part of your buttocks
• Keep your arms slightly bent and use them to help absorb impact, but avoid landing directly on your hands or elbows

Falling from a Height

Falls from significant heights are particularly dangerous. If you find yourself in this situation:

• Aim to land on the side of your body
• Keep your limbs bent but not rigid
• Try to roll upon impact to distribute the force
• Protect your head at all costs, even if it means risking injury to other body parts

The Role of Physical Fitness in Fall Prevention and Safety

While knowing how to fall safely is crucial, maintaining good physical fitness can both help prevent falls and improve your ability to handle them when they occur. How does fitness contribute to fall safety?

• Improved balance reduces the likelihood of falls
• Stronger muscles provide better support and control during a fall
• Increased flexibility allows for better positioning and energy absorption
• Better overall body awareness aids in quicker reactions

Consider incorporating balance exercises, strength training, and flexibility work into your fitness routine to enhance your fall prevention and safety skills.

The Psychological Aspect of Falling

The fear of falling can be as debilitating as the fall itself, often leading to decreased activity and a subsequent decline in physical fitness. How can you address the psychological impact of falls?

• Practice fall techniques in a safe environment to build confidence
• Focus on improving overall fitness to enhance your sense of stability
• Consider working with a physical therapist or occupational therapist to address specific concerns
• Remember that knowing how to fall safely can significantly reduce anxiety about potential falls

Technology and Fall Safety

Advancements in technology have introduced new tools to aid in fall prevention and response. What are some technological innovations in this area?

• Wearable fall detection devices that can alert emergency services
• Smart home systems that can detect falls and call for help
• Virtual reality training programs for practicing fall techniques
• Advanced mobility aids with improved stability features

While these technologies can be helpful, they should complement, not replace, physical preparedness and knowledge of safe falling techniques.

Teaching Children Safe Falling Techniques

Children are naturally resilient and often bounce back quickly from falls, but teaching them safe falling techniques early can instill lifelong habits. How can you introduce safe falling concepts to children?

• Incorporate fall safety into play activities
• Teach basic tumbling and rolling techniques
• Emphasize the importance of protecting the head
• Practice fall scenarios in safe, padded environments

By making fall safety a natural part of physical education, we can help protect future generations from serious fall-related injuries.

Workplace Fall Safety

Many occupations involve an increased risk of falls. How can workplaces incorporate fall safety training?

• Provide regular training sessions on fall prevention and safe falling techniques
• Ensure proper safety equipment is available and used correctly
• Create protocols for responding to falls in the workplace
• Regularly assess and mitigate fall hazards in the work environment

By prioritizing fall safety in the workplace, employers can protect their workers and reduce the risk of serious injuries.

The Future of Fall Safety Research

As our understanding of biomechanics and injury prevention evolves, so too do our approaches to fall safety. What areas of research are currently being explored?

• Advanced materials for impact-absorbing clothing and protective gear
• Improved understanding of the biomechanics of different types of falls
• Development of more effective training methods for fall prevention and safe falling
• Integration of artificial intelligence in fall prediction and prevention systems

These ongoing research efforts promise to further enhance our ability to prevent falls and minimize injuries when they do occur.

Cultural Differences in Fall Prevention and Response

Approaches to fall safety can vary significantly across cultures. Some societies have long-standing traditions that incorporate elements of safe falling, while others are just beginning to address this issue systematically. What can we learn from these cultural differences?

• Martial arts traditions often include extensive training in falling safely
• Some cultures emphasize lifelong physical activity, indirectly improving fall resilience
• Varying attitudes towards risk and safety can influence fall prevention strategies
• Traditional medicine systems may offer unique perspectives on maintaining balance and preventing falls

By examining and integrating diverse cultural approaches, we can develop more comprehensive and effective fall safety strategies.

The Role of Nutrition in Fall Prevention

While often overlooked, nutrition plays a crucial role in fall prevention and recovery. How does diet impact fall safety?

• Adequate calcium and vitamin D intake supports bone strength
• Proper hydration is essential for maintaining balance and coordination
• A balanced diet provides the energy needed for physical activity and muscle maintenance
• Certain nutrients can help improve reaction time and cognitive function

Incorporating a well-balanced diet into your fall prevention strategy can significantly enhance your overall resilience and ability to avoid or safely handle falls.

Environmental Design for Fall Prevention

The design of our living and working spaces can have a significant impact on fall risk. How can we create environments that minimize the risk of falls?

• Ensure adequate lighting, especially in transitional areas
• Use non-slip flooring materials
• Install handrails in strategic locations
• Minimize clutter and remove tripping hazards
• Consider the needs of different age groups and mobility levels in public spaces

By incorporating fall prevention principles into architectural and interior design, we can create safer spaces for everyone.

The Economics of Fall Prevention

Falls, particularly among older adults, represent a significant economic burden on healthcare systems worldwide. How can investing in fall prevention and safety training benefit society economically?

• Reduced healthcare costs associated with fall-related injuries
• Decreased lost productivity due to fall-related absences from work
• Lower insurance premiums for individuals and businesses
• Increased independence and quality of life for older adults, reducing care costs

By viewing fall prevention as an investment rather than an expense, societies can realize significant long-term economic benefits while improving public health and safety.

Integrating Fall Safety into Daily Life

Ultimately, the goal of fall safety education is to integrate these principles into our daily lives. How can we make safe falling techniques a natural part of our movement patterns?

• Incorporate balance and coordination exercises into regular workout routines
• Practice safe falling techniques in controlled environments regularly
• Develop situational awareness to identify and avoid potential fall hazards
• Teach and reinforce safe movement patterns in everyday activities

By making fall safety a habitual part of how we move and interact with our environment, we can significantly reduce the risk and impact of falls in our lives.

As we continue to explore and refine our understanding of fall safety, it’s clear that a multifaceted approach involving physical preparation, environmental design, and ongoing education is key to reducing fall-related injuries. By staying informed about the latest research and techniques, and by consistently applying safe falling principles in our daily lives, we can all work towards a future where falls are less frequent and less damaging when they do occur.

Do you know how to fall SAFELY? 6 steps for personal protection.

Fall protection is often stressed, we’re always looking to avoid falls; but have you ever thought about what to do when you can’t avoid the fall?  The following 6 steps will help reduce injury as you slip, slide, or fall.

Protect your head. The most important body part that you need to protect in a fall is your head. Head injuries can be very serious, even deadly. Make sure you prioritize protecting your head as you fall by properly positioning it.

• Tuck your your chin down, lowering your head.
• If falling down, face first, turn your head to the side.
• Bring your arms up to head level for additional protection. Put them in front of your head if falling forwards or behind your head if falling backwards.
• If you are taking anticoagulants or blood thinners and fall and hit your head, this may result in a dangerous and life-threatening bleed inside your skull. Call your doctor, who may tell you to go to the hospital for a CT scan.

Turn as you fall. If you are falling either straight forward or straight backwards, try to turn your body so you land on your side. Falling directly on your back can cause serious injury to it. A frontal fall can cause damage to the head, face, and arms. By landing on your side you can reduce the chance of injury from high distances (for example, one way vertical paths).

Keep arms and legs bent. It may be tempting to try and catch yourself fully as you fall with your arms. However, landing with your arms straight out and absorbing the full force of the fall with them can cause injury. Try keeping both arms and legs slightly bent as you fall.^[3]

• Landing fully on your arms in an attempt to catch yourself can break both your wrists and arms.

Stay loose. Tensing up during a fall can increase the chances of sustaining an injury. The tension in your body won’t allow for the absorption of force from the fall. Instead of spreading the impact out over a flexible body, the parts that were kept taught are more likely to break instead of going with the motion.

• You can try breathing out as you fall to help keep your body relaxed.

Roll out of the impact. If you are able, a good technique to dissipate the force of a fall is to roll into it. By rolling, you send the energy of the fall into the roll, rather than having your body absorb the impact. Since the technique is difficult, you may want to practice falling and rolling at a gym or somewhere with padded and cushioned floors.

• Start in a low squat position.
• Lean forward and place your palms flat on the ground in front of you.
• Push off the ground with your legs and move your weight forwards.
• Your legs will go over your head.
• Keep your back rounded and gently try to land on a shoulder.
• Let the momentum carry you through the roll and back up onto your feet.

Spread out the force of the fall. A big part of falling safely is to spread out the force of the impact over a large area of your body. Falling on a single point will result in that area taking most of the damage. By spreading out the impact, you reduce the chance of serious injury to a single part of the body.

For more tips on how to fall safely click here.

More Insight & Tips

More Insight

How To Fall To Prevent Injury

Michael Zimmerman

Published

November 28, 2017

It was nearly 30 years ago that Mrs. Fletcher from the LifeCall commercials first uttered her plaintive cry: “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!” 

Back then, it was campy and funny. But in the intervening years, chances are that you, and perhaps some of your loved ones, have taken some nasty spills. It’s not just the elderly, though, who end up on the ground. 

STEVE SANFORD

A study in the Journal of Allied Health showed that 50- to 60-year-olds fall more than older folks. We’re more active, and that puts us more at risk of falling. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that people are more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury from falling than from any other cause. 

STEVE SANFORD

And we’re all going to fall down: The world is full of banana peels. So while avoiding a fall is job one, knowing how to take a fall when it’s inevitable is a crucial skill.

STEVE SANFORD

“Be smooth, don’t panic, stay loose,” says Alexa Marcigliano, who is really good at falling down. A professional stuntwoman, she’s taken serious spills in shows such as Orange Is the New Black and Blindspot. Here’s her four-point plan for a safe crash landing.

Step 1: Stay bent 

The moment you sense you’ve lost your balance, get ready to fall with bent elbows and knees. “When people panic, they become rigid,” Marcigliano says. “In the stunt world, we never reach out with locked arms. Bend your elbows and have some give in your arms to soften the impact.” When you’re rigid, you’re more likely to suffer a set of injuries called FOOSH — doctor speak for “Fall on outstretched hand.” The result is often a broken wrist or elbow.

Step 2: Protect your head

If you’re falling forward, be sure to turn your face to the side. Falling backward? “Tuck your chin to your chest so your head doesn’t hit the ground,” Marcigliano advises.

Step 3: Land on the meat

“One of the things we try for in stunt falls is landing on meaty parts of your body — the muscles in your back, butt or thighs. Not bone.” If you keep your knees and elbows bent and look to land on muscle, you’ll be less likely to crack your elbows, knees, tailbone or hips.

Step 4: Keep falling

Your instinct will be to stop your body as quickly as you can. But your safest route is to keep rolling — indeed, the more you give in to the fall, the safer it will be. “Spread the impact across a larger part of your body; don’t concentrate impact on one area,” Marcigliano says. The more you roll with the fall, the safer you will be.

Advanced trick

“In stunts, we do something called slapping out,” Marcigliano notes. “As you fall, let your body roll, and extend your arm palm-down, to slap the ground and stop yourself.

Before the fall

While you can’t prevent all slips, there’s plenty you can do to improve your footing.

• Be here now. Practice “mindfulness” — focus on the present and be aware of your surroundings, instead of being lost in your thoughts.  
• Fix your blind spots. If you can’t see it, you can’t avoid tripping over it. Have your eyesight and eyeglasses checked regularly.
• Boost your balance. Stand with your feet together. Raise one foot an inch; hold for 30 seconds. Do this for 10 reps. Repeat with your other foot.

Find exclusive interviews, smart advice, free novels, full documentaries, fun daily features and much more — all a benefit of your AARP membership — on Members Only Access.

Join AARP for Members Only Access

Already a Member? Login

Fall right! Traumatologists remind safety rules in ice | Tips | HEALTH

03/31/2022 2:02 pm

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

122

Ekaterina Saenko / AiF

Traumatologists of the Territorial Center for Disaster Medicine of the Sverdlovsk Region annually provide assistance to over 200 patients with injuries. Most of them are from road accidents and other emergencies – victims do not have time to take any action to reduce injuries. But there are situations, such as ice, when the impact force can be reduced by properly preparing for the fall.

Current advice is given by TCMC traumatologists Sergey Popov and Alexey Melnichenko.

“The first thing we would like to focus the attention of Sverdlovsk residents in the off-season (when the temperature passes through zero degrees during the day, transforming the sidewalk into a skating rink) is the right choice of shoes. It is necessary to abandon high heels and flat soles: this seemingly simple advice is often neglected. Meanwhile, the consequences of a fall, even from a height of one’s own height, can be deplorable: from simple bruises to fractures of the femoral neck and the base of the skull,” Sergey Popov explained.

Stability will give you shoes with bulky soles, anti-slip pads, a cane with a rubber tip – it will serve as an additional point of support. A hat or hood on the head can also mitigate the effects of hitting the head on the ice.

The next important point is to try to walk along the edge of the pavement covered with snow, that is, to avoid slippery surfaces. Walk slowly and often, do not keep your hands in your pockets – you simply will not have time to get them out and you will not be able to insure yourself in case of a fall, while most likely the blow will fall on the hip joint, shoulder or head, the consequences can be the saddest.

Can you help yourself in those few milliseconds before you collapse on the ice? Doctors are in solidarity – you can help, you need to fall correctly. There are several “golden” rules that are designed to reduce the force of impact.

When falling, group (tighten) the muscles as much as possible – this way they will serve as a kind of shock absorber. If you fall on your back – open your arms wide, press your chin to your neck – this will increase the impact area, but reduce its strength. If you fall forward, try to shift the trajectory so that the main bruise does not fall on outstretched arms (there is a high risk of dislocation or fracture of the hand), but on your side. Any objects you are holding at the time of the fall should be thrown aside.

So you fell! Assess your condition, if the movements of the limbs do not cause sharp pain – try to stand up, you can ask for help from passers-by. Rest for a while, as the effects of the impact may take several hours to show.

If immediately after the fall you feel a sharp pain, nausea – do not move, call an ambulance (ask eyewitnesses about it), then follow the recommendations of the doctors.

ice Sergey Popovtraumatologist’s advice Alexey Melnichenko

Next article

You may also be interested in

• How to safely survive the New Year holidays. Traumatologist advice.

• Ural traumatologist: “The safety of children is the responsibility of adults”

News smi2.ru

Basic Safety Rules for Working with Fall Harness

enter the device name. e.g. tripod

• ear anchor
• trosline system
• mobile anchor line
• counterweight system
• harness height 042

June 26, 2023

Working at height is always associated with a risk to human life and health. Therefore, certain safety standards have now been developed and introduced into mandatory use, which have a clear prescription for the use of specialized equipment when working at height. Tethers can be called the key of these devices.

Contents

• Harnesses and how they are determined
• Requirements for a fall arrest harness
• Where to buy a fall arrest harness?

According to the rules on labor protection when working at height, the employer is obliged to issue PPE to the employee depending on the type of work and taking into account the risks that affect the employee.

Safety harnesses, and how their type is determined

Before talking about the types, types and differences of harnesses, you first need to understand what it is in general and for what purposes it is used. The safety harness is an important part of the employee’s personal equipment, it is also a separate element of the safety system, which ensures safety when working at height.

The harness must not restrict the movement of the worker during the movement, however, in the event of a fall stop, keep the worker in himself and ensure that he is hovering with his head up. The task of the connecting system, due to the shock absorber, is to extinguish the jerk force in a range that will not cause serious injury to the worker. Thus, we get a reliable system that works without the participation of the employee himself, provided that it is used correctly.

Taking into account the specifics of work that can be performed at height and highly specialized tasks, harnesses can be used in the following systems:

1. Restraint system. Arranged with restraint harness in order to prevent the worker from entering the fall zone. The system is adjusted to a certain range of movement of the worker, while it is impossible to approach the height difference. This excludes a fall from a height as such. Such a system is used on the condition that all the intended work will be in safe access and access to the fall zone is not expected.
2. Safety systems. Used in situations where it is necessary to carry out work in areas where a fall is possible. Have safety harness included. In this case, the task of the harness is to hold the worker at the time of the fall, distribute the load over the body and stop the head up after the fall.
3. Positioning harnesses are used when a worker needs to be fixed at a height. For this, side points on the harness belt and a special sling are used.
4. Unsupported harnesses . A distinctive feature of such harnesses is the possibility of using them in a cable access system. These systems are used in environments where the entire system, and in particular the harness, is the means of access to the workplace. The harness has padding on the shoulder and hip straps. These changes are made in order to ensure a comfortable stay of a person in a sitting position for a long time.

choose a harness according to the job site

Harness requirements

When choosing from a variety of harnesses, you should be guided by the approved requirements that they must meet. An extended list can be found in the standards GOST R EN 361-2008 Group T58 and the National Standard of the Russian Federation.

According to these regulations, such systems must take into account:

• the presence of single or multi-filament synthetic materials in the composition, their level of tear strength, indicators of compatibility of woven tape and sewing threads with textile material of slings and belts;
• obligatory presence of straps in the hip and shoulder areas, while comparing such systems with a restraint belt cannot be allowed;
• in such constructions, regulators must be present to adjust the leash to the features of the figure, to ensure high and tight fixation of the body of a particular person;
• The straps must be wide enough to prevent them from cutting into the body when the fall is abruptly stopped. Therefore, a minimum width of 4 cm for basic straps is considered acceptable, and for auxiliary straps – from 2 cm.

Where can I buy a harness?

You can find all types of harnesses for safe work at height in our catalogue.