Crush injuries can happen to just about anyone, whether or not they work in industries like construction.
But just what are crush injuries? How do they happen, and how do they physically impact the victims in question?
Crush injuries at work
Up To Date discusses crush injuries due to car crashes. Crush injuries happen as a result of the body – or parts of the body – getting compressed and impacted by larger and/or heavier objects.
Most of the time, these injuries get associated with fields like construction or industrial occupations. They can happen frequently there due to the involvement of heavy machinery, vehicles and other equipment.
Crush injuries in crashes and natural disasters
But crush injuries can also happen to people outside of these fields. The most common causes for these other injuries include car crashes and natural disasters such as earthquakes or typhoons. Any time a building or structure is at risk of collapsing, it comes along with the potential risk of crush injuries.
As for car crashes, despite the invention and application of numerous safety features, it is still possible for the body of the car to end up crumpling inward and pinning part of the passenger or driver’s body. Crush injuries to the legs or hands are most common in these situations.
Victims of crush injuries can face serious dangers such as limb loss, tissue necrosis, sepsis, organ failure and death. This can happen regardless of the cause of the injury itself. Thus, anyone suffering from any form of crush injury should have access to swift medical care.
