Ensuring that a work environment is safe is extremely important for both employers and employees. Injuries in the workplace can interrupt productivity, harm individuals, and cause financial losses. Today we are looking at the 5 most common workplace injuries and provide practical tips on how to prevent them.
1. Trips, Slips or Falls– Trips, slips or falls account for 1/3 of all injuries in the workplace and are a top cause of workers compensation claims. The main causes for these injuries are spills, weather hazards, poor lighting and uneven walking surfaces. The resulting injuries can range anywhere from head or back injuries to broken bones and sprained muscles. We can prevent these accidents by maintaining quality walking surfaces, good housekeeping and ensuring all employees are in the proper footwear.
2. Moving Machinery Injuries– Accidents can happen whenever you’re working around heavy machinery although they are most common with farm equipment and construction equipment. Any machinery that is not properly guided is a safety hazard. The list of machinery-related injuries includes crushed hands and arms, severed fingers and blindness, to name a few.We can prevent moving machinery injuries by understanding that any machine, part, or function that may cause injury and safeguarding them as well as proper clothing and training for machine operators.
3. Vehicle Accidents– Anytime there are vehicles present there is a potential for an accident. These accidents can include being run over, falling from a vehicle, being struck by objects falling off the vehicle and being stuck under or crushed by an overturned vehicle. To prevent these injuries, we must focus on workplace design as well as ensuring proper routes are laid out for both vehicles and pedestrians. Speed limit, priority and direction signs can also be helpful here.
4. Fires or Explosions– Explosions or fires are frequently caused by factors such as faulty gas lines, open flames or improperly stored combustible materials. The resulting injuries can include varying degrees of burns, potential disfigurement, or damage to the raspatory system. These types of injuries account for 3 percent of workplace injuries, however, have the highest casualty rate. Follow OSHA hazard communication standards to help avoid these types of injuries. You should also have material safety data sheets on hand for all chemicals and employees should be required to always wear protective equipment.
5. Repetitive Stress or Overexertion Injuries– Musculoskeletal injuries and one of the costliest workplace injuries with complaints of back pain alone cost employers over 7 billion annually and lead to over 100 million lost workdays every year. Repetitive stress injuries are the fastest growing category of workplace injury and make up more than 100 different types of job induced injuries. They’re generally sever enough to inhibit simple activities with crippling paint and could even permanently impair a worker’s ability to do his or her job.
These types of injuries can include:
– Improper lifting or manually lifting heavy objects
– No breaks
– Intensive keying
The main key to preventing these injuries is ergonomics, which is the science of adjusting the job to fit the body’s needs while providing injury solutions that are simple as well as relatively expensive. Any worker assigned to tasks that require repetitive motion should be required to take frequent breaks and equipment should be provided for anything above 50 pounds.
We can minimize these types of injuries by ensuring your employees have the proper protective equipment, adequate training and ensuring your facility is compliant with both federal and environmental regulations.
Key Take Away
Maintaining a safe workplace environment is essential and can help prevent many unnecessary workplace injuries. If you’ve been injured at work, you may be eligible for compensation as well as pre-settlement funding to help assist with your medical bills. If this is your situation, apply today and see what Trauma Cash can do for you.
