Let’s face it. Serious injuries in the workplace are far too common. Each year, there’s a wide range of accidents and injuries that occur across all work sectors resulting in both nonfatal and fatal outcomes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since 2008, more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). Depending on the type of work you’re in, each job faces a wide range of hazards.
The workplace can be an extremely dangerous place. Not only is it the firm’s responsibility to guarantee a reliable working environment; each employee also has a responsibility to take caution when on the job. Of course, even the best-prepared employees can fall victim to workplace accidents, but to be forewarned is to be forearmed as the old saying goes. Here are the top five most common accidents and injuries in the workplace.
Slip and Fall Accidents– This refers to falls on wet and slippery floors or trips over something lying on the ground. Employees should keep their attention focused on what’s going on around them, and as for employers, safety guidelines should be posted to ensure that spills are promptly cleaned up and taken care of and that no leftover waste is present which can pose a dangerous threat.
Muscle Strains– Strained muscles are something that is extremely common, as anyone who regularly lifts heavy items at work probably already knows. In particular, back and neck strains are all too notoriously sustained while working. In order to avoid these type of injuries, basic training on proper lifting techniques should be practiced to prevent muscle strain.
Falling Objects– Falling or flying items in the workplace can put workers’ safety in jeopardy and can expose them to relatively minor injuries such as cuts or abrasions, as well as more serious injuries such as concussions or blindness. This issue can be easily prevented by wearing a pair of safety toe shoes while on the job.
Repetitive Strain Injury– Repetitive strain injuries are a headache that has become more and more common in the workplace over the years. Caused by a variety of tasks such as forceful or repetitive activity and poor posture, repetitive strain injuries mostly affect parts of the upper body, such as the forearm, elbow, wrist, hands, shoulders, and neck. In some cases, repetitive strain injuries can become severe, so it is extremely important to take precaution.
Crashes and Collisions– Accidents that result in a crash or impact injury are utterly common, believe it or not. Whether they involve cars, lorries or even smaller vehicles such as forklift trucks, they can pose serious impacts. Therefore, it’s up to employers to certify that seatbelts and other safety precautions are both in place and in use where it’s appropriate.
Although there’s a never-ending list of ways that people can get injured while at work, there are several protocols that employers can put into place to limit workers from coming into direct harm. Through training, signage, access to the mandatory safety equipment, and regular risk assessments, injuries in the workplace can be avoided altogether to keep workers both intact and on the job.
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