Construction sites have a reputation for being particularly dangerous. They can result in falls, crashes, and even crush injuries.

What are these injuries, though? How common are they among construction site workers? And how does a person treat them?

Causes of crush injuries

Up To Date discusses crush injuries and their impact on victims. Crush injuries typically occur in the event that one person has a part or the entirety of their body either hit, run over, crushed, or otherwise pinned by something larger and/or heavier. Examples can include a building collapsing on a person during an earthquake, or someone running over a victim’s foot with their heavy vehicle.

Of course, with the amount of heavy machinery and equipment on construction sites, crush injuries are not entirely uncommon. In fact, it is one of the most common ways that people suffer from crush injuries in general, outside of car crashes. They can happen if a worker gets part of their body trapped in machinery, if someone runs them over, or if they get crushed under collapsing work material.

Complications of these injuries

Crush injuries are almost always moderate to severe simply due to their nature, no matter how they happen. They demand immediate medical attention, as well. If left unattended, they could result in serious complications like gangrene, necrosis and the death of tissue, sepsis and other life-threatening infections, or the possibility of amputation. Organ failure and even death may occur in some situations, too.

These serious potential impacts serve as the main reason why a crush injury victim needs quick treatment. This can mean the difference between life and death.