Understanding traumatic brain injury: how Mips system enhances head protection
November 8, 2024
By MSA Safety, for the Blue Print
By MSA Safety, for the Blue Print
Understanding traumatic brain injuryYear over year, industrial workers in the United States continue to experience on-the job injuries and fatalities related to falling objects/equipment and slips, trips, and falls.
During 2021-2022, some of the top causes of days away from work were:
An average of 364 construction workers died annually from slips, trips, or falls between 2017 and 2021 (2). One of the most serious types of injuries that can result from falling objects and equipment or slips, trips, and falls is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). What is traumatic brain injury (TBI)?A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is an injury that affects how the brain functions. There are different types of TBIs, and usually they are categorized in three levels: mild, moderate or severe. The most common form of a mild TBI is a concussion which is caused by a sudden blow or jolt to the head and diagnosed by its symptoms. The symptoms can range from low to high severity: headache, dizziness, memory loss and varying degrees of unconsciousness (3). Mild injuries, including concussions, may also lead to long term chronic illnesses such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (4).
TBI may be caused by “a forceful bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body, or from an object entering the brain (4).” TBI are considered as either:
How common are work-related TBIs?TBIs sustained on-the-job have been prevalent for industrial workers. A study found that more than 500,000 workers were reported treated for TBIs at emergency rooms over a 10 year
period (5). Non-fatal TBIsNon-fatal TBIs are most commonly associated with incidents involving contact with objects and equipment, closely followed by falls (5). Workers between the ages of 15-24 had the highest TBI rates of all workers, with the leading cause being contact with objects and equipment (5).
Fatal TBIsA total of 7,294 occupational TBI fatalities were identified over a five year period, accounting for 22% of all work-related injury fatalities during this time (6). Falls were cited as the cause of 29% of all occupational TBI fatalities, and contact with objects and equipment was cited as the cause of 18% (6). Falls were the leading cause of death for those in the construction industry and accounted for more than half of all TBI fatalities in that industry during this time period (6).
On-the job TBIs also have an impact on organization productivity and cost. In fact, according to OSHA, the average direct costs associated with a concussion are $54,571 (7). What is rotational motion?In most instances when people fall and hit their heads, the impact does not include linear forces only. Rather, they fall at an angle or impact an object that is angled relative to the fall. When a head hits something at an angle, it forces the head into a rotational motion, which studies have shown can be more dangerous than linear motions when it comes to brain injury (8).
Why is the brain sensitive to rotational motion?Many often think of the human brain as a semi-firm organ. But in reality, it has a consistency more similar to a gel. Because the brain primarily consists of water, like most biological tissues, it does not compress during impacts which makes it fairly resistant to linear motion. However, the brain, just like water, has a low shear stiffness. This makes the brain extra sensitive to shear deformations. “Shear” refers to unaligned forces pushing the brain in two different directions.
When the head is forced into rotation, the brain starts to “swirl” due to its low shear stiffness and the brain tissue can be stretched. This all correlates to the brain being sensitive to rotational motion (9) (10) (11) (12). How does the revolutionary and patented Mips brain protection system for industrial safety helmets help reduce damaging rotational motion in PPE?The Mips system is a revolutionary innovation that is designed to help reduce rotational motion and the risk of brain injury from certain angled impacts. The Mips system allows the helmet to move relative to the head at impact. This relative movement redirects energies and reduces the harmful rotational motion of the head. This technology can enhance the safety of workers in various industries and environments. Backed by extensive research and testing, the
Mips system has become the gold standard for rotational protection worldwide (13). At impact the Mips system is designed to help reduce the amount of rotational energy transferred to the head by redirecting the forces that are generated by the impact. The Mips system allows for a 10-15 mm relative movement between the helmet and the head during the critical first 5-10 ms of the impact. During the short duration of an impact, the point load on the helmet can be very high. The Mips system is designed to allow the helmet to move even under such pressure. Sources:
Content originally from MSA Safety. Reused here with permission.
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