Universal Pictures
Ryan Gosling performs a Hollywood stuntman within the new motion comedy The Fall Guy, a free adaptation of the favored Nineteen Eighties TV sequence of the identical identify starring Lee Majors. Gosling even did just a few of his personal stunts, though skilled stunt performers dealt with essentially the most harmful sequences. It’s their job to assume the chance so the celebs do not get injured however that may translate right into a excessive fee of head accidents specifically. According to a study printed within the Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology, a major fraction of stunt performers by no means report such accidents, largely as a result of it is a aggressive trade, they usually are afraid of shedding work. The impacts can lead to extra critical cognitive points later in life.
“Many stunt performers are afraid to report their injuries, especially head trauma, in fear they will be put on a do-not-hire list or looked at as a liability,” mentioned co-author Jeffrey Russell of Ohio University. “The more injuries or trauma, the harder it may be to find work. But that should not be how it is; production companies and their unions should be ensuring stunt performers are taken care of and not reprimanded for any injuries sustained on the job.”
The work builds on Russell’s prior analysis, printed final yr, wanting on the prevalence of head trauma and concussion in stunt performers and the way effectively such accidents are managed. The prevalence of such accidents signifies that stunt performers are at excessive threat for continual traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—a degenerative mind illness related to a historical past of repetitive head impacts that may be a reason behind a lot concern in collision sports activities like soccer and ice hockey—over the course of their careers.
For the 2023 study, stunt performers responded anonymously to an internet survey. In addition to gathering related demographic data, the survey requested what number of head impacts or “head whips” (i.e., when the physique’s speedy acceleration causes a whipping movement of the head) that they had skilled on the job, what number of of these produced concussion-like signs, and whether or not a medical skilled had recognized them with concussion.
Those outcomes indicated that 80 p.c of stunt performers had skilled no less than one incident of head affect or head whip on the job. That is a a lot larger prevalence than comparable accidents reported by dancers, theater employees, and even skilled fighters. Of these, 86 p.c exhibited concussion-like signs, and 65 p.c of these continued to work regardless of these signs. Only 38 p.c mentioned they have been formally recognized.
Forty-four p.c failed to report it due to disgrace, concern of shedding work, or simply wanting to powerful it out, however most easily did not understand the severity of the harm at that second. Educating stunt performers would possibly assist them higher acknowledge such signs, though there may be restricted proof that this could improve the chance of the employees to report the harm and search medical care.