Danger to life through meter-long icicles

Heavy head injuries from falling ice

Falling icicles can cause life-threatening injuries. Therefore, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is currently warning against the acute increase in the risk of passers-by in the course of permafrost. By falling icicles there is a high risk of serious head injuries, as physicians can also confirm from their practical experience.

22.12.2010

The meter-long and kilo-heavy icicles that are currently forming on many roof edges can pose a serious threat to the health of passers-by, according to the current warning from the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). „Homeowners, pedestrians and motorists should keep an eye on the roof edges, otherwise it can be dangerous“, emphasized the spokeswoman for the Techniker Krankenkasse Niedersachsen, Ulrike Fieback. Especially „Pedestrians should therefore always look up near buildings and avoid icicles“, explained the spokeswoman of the TK on.

What consequences the falling icicles may have, also knows Professor Christian Krettek, Director of the Department of Traumatology at the Hannover Medical School (MHH). „In the past few years, we have had to treat injuries of varying degrees of severity every winter in the Department of Traumatology“, explained the physician and added: „Thus, a head injury caused by icicles even led to a permanent facial paralysis of a patient“. In particular, serious head injuries were one of the frequent injuries caused by falling ice. To keep the risk for passersby as low as possible, the fire brigades move almost daily in most cities in Germany and remove the meter-long ice formations from the roof edges. For example, in Hamburg alone the fire brigade had to go into action 12 times on Tuesday to remove threatening icicles from the roof edges. (Fp)

Image: Daniel Lucas Egger