"Those who study and manage retirement facilities and nursing homes say there is heightened attention to preventing falls. Trying to anticipate hazardous conditions, retirement facilities like The Sequoias hire architects and interior designers, some of whom wear special glasses that show the building as an old person would see it.
"The dangers are real. The number of people over 65 who died after a fall reached nearly 24,000 in 2012, the most recent year for which fatality numbers are available — almost double the number 10 years earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"And more than 2.4 million people over 65 were treated in emergency departments for injuries from falls in 2012 alone, an increase of 50 percent over a decade. All told, in the decade from 2002-2012, more than 200,000 Americans over 65 died after falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in that age group.
Read more about "falls:"
Jun 23, 2014
Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. According to OSHA, the four main causes for workplace falls are (1) unprotected sides, wall openings, and floor holes, (2) improper scaffold construction, (3) ...
Jul 03, 2014
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) Data Center study, “Fatal Falls from Roofs Among U.S. Construction Workers,” found that falls from roofs accounted for one-third of fall-related construction fatalities ...
Aug 30, 2012
OSHA cites Brick, NJ-based contractor for continuing to expose workers to falls and other hazards at Secaucus work site. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Brick-based ...
Feb 01, 2013
It is good news that OSHA is moving forward with enforcement against roofing companies for failure to observe safety precautions and protect employees from unnecessary and unwarranted falls from roofs. This is surely a ...
