Leading Expert Publishes Book Offering Practical Advice on Avoiding Fall Injuries

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thom Disch, an expert on the impact of fall injuries in the United States, has published the book: Stop The Slip, Reducing Slips, Trips and Falls.

The book examines why people fall, where they fall and the business side of falls, but most importantly how to prevent and avoid fall injuries.Disch has been compiling statistics and real-world stories related to slip, trip and fall injuries for 10 years. He has spent the last 2-1/2 years researching their causes and how to prevent them for this book.

"Injuries and deaths caused by falls are at record highs and the problem continues to grow," said Disch. In addition to writing Stop The Slip, Disch is the CEO of Handi-Products Inc., which develops, manufactures and distributes a complete line of slip and fall prevention products. He also holds several patents related to the development of these products.

"Over the last 15 years, deaths from heart disease and automobile accidents have decreased by more than 10 percent while deaths from falls have risen," he explained. "It's time to focus on prevention. Reading this book can teach everyone ways to help keep themselves, their family and their friends safer."

With 9 million emergency room visits from fall injuries each year in the U.S. alone, falls are the nation's number one cause of emergency room visits— a 150 percent increase over 1999. According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), falls also accounted for one million hospitalizations in the U.S. in 2014. That data also revealed that 30,000 deaths were the result of falls in 2014, making them the country's 14th leading cause of death.

"The facts are shocking," said Disch. "Seven times more people died from falls than from the flu and three times more than from firearms."

He noted that many people associate slipping and falling with the elderly, but in reality, everyone is at risk. According to data compiled by the CDC, 75 percent of all fall injuries happen to people under the age of 68 years old. And a 2015 Purdue University study showed that 52 percent of the respondents, whose average age was 20, reported having fallen at least once in a 16-week period.

Beyond their impact on health, falls have a huge financial impact on the U.S. economy. The CDC calculates the cost for lost wages and medical expenses due to fall injuries to be over $150 billion per year. That exceeds 1 percent of the annual U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

"While nothing can completely prevent slips, trips and falls, taking precautions can help reduce the risk," said Disch. In his book, he provides an action plan to help reduce the risk of falling. This simple five-step A-L-E-R-T System™ can help prevent slip and fall injuries. Disch outlines some simple steps that everyone can take to be safer. Awareness and caution are the first steps. His company also designs and manufactures products that reduce the risk of slipping. 

Disch commented, "I find it ironic that in the USA we spend over $5 billion dollars a year administering flu shots but very little is spent on slip, trip and fall prevention, which causes more death than the flu." Clearly making a small investment in safety will pay big dividends later.

More information on how to prevent falls and fall injuries can be found in Stop The Slip, Reducing Slips, Trips and Falls, which is now available on Amazon.com.

About the author: Thom Disch is the owner and CEO of Handi-Products, Inc., a Libertyville, Illinois-based company specializing in slip and fall prevention products. He has a master's degree from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor's degree in economics from Oakland University in Michigan.

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SOURCE Thom Disch