Environmental Health & Safety

Biography

Biography: Cassandra Warner Frieson

Abstract

Environmental health as it relates to fall safety and injury prevention has become a major public health concern. According to the National Safety Council, 8.9 million emergency room visits are due to falls each year. Falls in homes account for approximately 25,000 accidental deaths annually. Falling alone is the second leading cause of death-related accidents. As our population ages, there remains a great need to educate the public on environmental health and fall safety to promote the safety of older Americans and increase their quality of life. The establishment of evidenced-based fall prevention programs can serve as a bridge to connect human health and environmental health in order to promote healthy communities, public health, and safety. Environmental health initiatives can occur on both a local and national level. Community fall prevention programs can identify and treat high fall-risk patients through screenings, assessments, and Tai Chi exercises and provide public health education on fall prevention and safety, home and workplace safety hazards, ladder safety training, and weather-related hazards to prevent injurious falls. On a broader scale, nation-wide organizational initiatives such as The National Complete Streets Coalition help determine whether transportation investments promote healthier lifestyles by increasing accessibility to physical activity, providing active modes of safe transportation, and decreasing fatal injury rates. In addition, the impact on the natural environment is minimized to reduce exposure to environmental pollutants and improve health-related outcomes.