Workplace injuries topic of May Builders luncheon

NTHBA May 2, 2013 Luncheon revised

Dr. Dan Babbel discussed “Workplace Injuries and Fixes from an Orthopedic Perspective” at the May membership luncheon of the North Texas Home Builders Association held recently at the Kemp Center for the Arts. Dr. Babbel said the construction industry provides a high number of injuries and plenty of business each year for orthopedic surgeons.

“My two best friends are alcohol and power tools,” he noted. “They keep me in business.”

As for ladders, he said, “They are bad to the bone!”

He added that most injuries are sprains, strains, and contusions. “Seventy to 80 percent of adults strain their back sometime during their lives,” he said.

During his presentation, Dr. Babbel used a power-point program to better emphasize and graphically present the impact that injuries can have on individuals if they are not careful in workplace situations or when using power tools. He showed several situations that would be humorous if not for the potential for serious injury.

Dr. Babbel received his doctorate of medicine in 2005 from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb. He completed his internship in 2006 at the University Of Missouri Department Of General Surgery and his residency in 2010 at the University Of Missouri Department Of Orthopedics. In 2011, he completed a Hand Surgery Fellowship at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Babbel specializes in hand surgery and is fluent in Spanish.