No matter what you do to keep your workplace safe and sound from all possible health hazards, the potential occurrence of an accident can never be disregarded.
Workplace injuries can not only result in employee hospitalizations but, they could even result in deaths Employers are responsible for providing employees with a reasonably safe working environment, as well as safe equipment to do their job.
Now, in here, we have listed a few of the most common causes of accidental injuries in workplaces. Go through them to keep such dangers at bay.
1. Overexertion
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, overexertion is considered one of the principal causes of workplace-related injuries.
If someone is pushed beyond reasonable limit to make him/her achieve job-related targets within the minimum amount of time, the results are often physical and mental exhaustion.
This, in turn, leads to:
- Slower reflexes
- Impaired judgment, and
- Delayed response to emergency situations.
Almost all the signs listed above may lead to the occurrence of a catastrophic workplace accident; something that is inherently linked to long-term hospitalizations or even deaths.
2. Trips, slips, and falls
Trips, slips, and falls are considered some of the leading causes of workplace-related injuries accounting for an estimated sum of $16.5 billion in workers’ compensation cost in the U.S. itself.
Most of these accidental fall injuries occur as a result of carelessness. Take the following example:
An accidental fall can very easily occur when the worker uses a chair to reach for objects instead of using a ladder. These can also occur as a result of spills, debris, wet floors, and poor housekeeping practices.
Accidental fall injuries in workplaces may lead to long-term disabilities. In certain cases, they can also result in death. So, take all necessary precautions to avoid them. Your employer should be providing you with all devices and equipment necessary to perform your job in a safe manner. If he or she is not doing that, you need to report it to a supervisor.
3. Stress
Finances, job security, personal relationship issues, and ill health all factor into the stress equation.
Stress results in distraction from the job at hand. A distracted mind is more prone to an accident more than anything else, in particular.
Hence, employers must take ample measures during work to give their employees a much-needed breather to alleviate the level of stress down to a more manageable level.
4. Lifting weights
Lifting injuries usually occur in construction workplaces where workers are compelled to lift heavier objects such as cement sacks, stone chips, etc. from one place to another for work-related purposes.
Heavy weightlifting (without using any protective gear or assisting equipment such as forklifts) may result in pulled muscles and back injuries. These injuries can become permanent in nature.
5. Workplace violence
Workplace violence isn’t an uncommon phenomenon.
These unfortunate incidents often result in injuries, property destructions, disabilities, or even deaths in extremely rare instances.
Workplace violence cases occur as a result of:
- Disgruntled former employee
- Estranged spouses
- Jealousy
- Revenge
- Deranged strangers Unhappy customers
Workplace violence can be reduced only through proper security and management. Workers and managers should always be sensitive to suspicious packages, threat calls, and other security violations. They should report such incidents (if any) to the management as soon as they get a whiff of the matter.
Remember, a step today can save a whole lot of hassle for tomorrow.
6. Workplace hazards
Hazardous substances, such as toxic gases, molten metal, etc. can really inflict permanent damage on an individual and may even result in death if proper steps aren’t taken to nip the problem in the bud at the earliest possible opportunity.
Protective work gear should be mandatory for employees who are constrained to work around hazardous substances and materials capable of harming them extensively, in case they come in contact with them.
So that’s it. It’s time we bring this to an end for now. Hope you had a good and enlightening read.
Contributed by:https://www.pastranalaw.com/
