Which safety technique should you teach to prevent head injuries when falling?

• A. Land on the back to distribute impact.
• B. Keep arms wide and extended to brace.
• C. Tuck the chin, keep arms in to protect head, and roll to the side if possible to avoid landing head-first.
• D. Fall straight down with head up.

Answer: (C)

Protecting the head during a fall comes from how you position your body to avoid a head-first landing. Tucking the chin toward the chest helps keep the head and face away from the ground and reduces the risk of the head snapping forward or backward on impact. Keeping the arms in close to the body shields the head and face and helps absorb some of the force with the forearms, instead of letting the arms flare out and transfer impact to wrists or elbows. Rolling to the side, when possible, dissipates the fall’s energy and steers the body away from a direct head-first contact, increasing the chance you land on a shoulder or hip rather than the top of the head.

Landing on the back can still allow a head strike and doesn’t actively move energy away from the head. Bracing with arms wide and extended can expose joints and still leave the head unprotected. Falling straight down with the head up puts the head on a direct path to the ground, increasing the likelihood of a head-first impact.