July 28, 2025

Head injuries and hydroplaning

As a service to our policyholders, Texas Mutual shares serious workplace injury trends based on catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to our claims department. Not all of these reported injuries are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but our goal is to help you ensure these types of incidents do not happen in your workplace. Find safety tips below to help keep your employees safe on the job.

You can contact our safety services support center with any questions at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.

In this alert:

• Head injuries
• Hydroplaning

Head injuries resulting from falls

An employee was working from an 8-foot ladder while wearing a hard hat. When they fell to the ground, the hard hat fell off and the employee suffered a serious head injury.

Even from lower heights, head injuries can have devastating consequences. They can cause long-term disability or even fatal injury. This incident highlights the limitations of traditional hard hats and underscores the critical need for improved head protection. Safety helmets with chin straps offer better overall coverage. The construction industry's shift toward safety helmets is a crucial step in preventing severe head trauma from falls and impacts.

• Consider using a safety helmet with a chin strap instead of a traditional hard hat for full head coverage.
• Follow a "no exceptions" policy for fall protection equipment for any work above ground level.
• Keep tools and materials secured while working to prevent falling object hazards.
• Follow proper use and maintenance instructions for your safety helmet.

Driving in adverse weather conditions

After completing a job, employees were driving back to the workplace. Unfortunately, they encountered inclement weather. The driver lost control of the vehicle, and the car rolled over in a single-vehicle accident.

Hydroplaning poses a significant risk to drivers. During the summer months and hurricane season, the risk increases. This crash emphasizes the dangers of losing control on wet roads, which can lead to serious injuries and property damage. Proper preparation, vehicle maintenance and safe driving techniques are crucial in preventing hydroplaning and ensuring the safety of company drivers.

• Regularly inspect and maintain tires, ensuring proper inflation and adequate tread depth.
• Consider postponing non-essential travel during severe weather conditions.
• Reduce speed significantly when driving in rainy conditions or on wet roads.
• Avoid making sudden movements in wet conditions, such as quick turns or abrupt braking.
• Put more distance between yourself and other drivers to allow more time to react to traffic changes.

Get free safety resources

Texas Mutual policyholders have access to thousands of free training materials in our multimedia safety resource center, including our safety catalog with up-to-date resources.

To access the free materials, log in to your texasmutual.com account and select Safety. If you need help accessing safety resources or you have a safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (718KB) version of the July Safety Alert.