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.

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