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A workplace accident may leave an enormous impact on the business, from the personal injury claim, lost productivity, medical bills, low morale, and many other factors. The costs are high, and it isn’t only the financial matters to worry about. For instance, according to the National Safety Council, up to 104,000,000 production days were lost because of work-related injuries back in 2017.
That is why it’s best to avoid such hefty costs instead of doing short-term solutions when incidents occur. And the first step to prevention is by learning more about the common work-related injuries in the workplace. You can also ask or have a guidance from a reputed law firm for personal injury compensation claim.
Read on as I show you the most common work-related injuries and how you can prevent them from happening.
Common Injuries in the Workplace
These are the most common injuries in the workplace:
1. Slips and falls
Regardless of what the work setting is like, employees may be at risk of falling from slippery surfaces. Some may fall from great heights, such as ladders and other platforms, causing severe injuries!
2. Muscle strains
This is another very common work-related injury, especially for those who do a lot of physical labor, such as lifting heavy equipment and items at work. Back and neck strains are the most common and can cause repetitive strain injury. Strain can also happen in office workers from being stuck behind a computer, typing all day.
3. Falling objects
This isn’t only common in industrial settings, but in the typical office as well! Objects may fall from shelves or cupboards, which can cause severe injuries. It’s best to train employees on storing items safely and providing safe forms of storage.
4. Crashes and collisions
Crashes or collisions can involve cars, forklift trucks, carts, and the like, which can have nasty consequences. Therefore, proper training and safety precautions must be implemented.
5. Cuts and lacerations
Many offices gear and equipment can cause cuts and lacerations to the user. It may come from power saws or even paper trimmers, and while it may be a small injury, it still causes significant expenses in terms of medical bills and productivity.
6. Inhalation of toxic fumes
Those who work around hazardous chemicals are at risk of eye or skin reactions, or even more serious injuries and illnesses when exposed without proper protection. Make sure that your workers are provided the right protective equipment, such as safety goggles, masks, hazmat suits, depending on the chemicals they work with.
7. Noise exposure
Many industrial workers continue being exposed to loud noises without the proper equipment to protect their ears. Industrial deafness means a lot of compensation payouts, which is why you need to make sure that you provide your workers ear protection and the proper breaks to rest their bodies, particularly their ears!
How to Prevent Work-Related Injuries
Now that you know what the most common work-related injuries are, how can you prevent them from happening? Here are helpful tips you can follow:
1. Discourage any risky behavior
Encourage your employees to be productive, but don’t let them overwork themselves or go beyond their limits, causing injuries. Let them know that their safety is more prioritized over risking their minds and bodies to remain productive.
2. Provide control measures and training
If you are familiar with the safety hazards employees face, plan and implement control measures to reduce the risk. You can do this by:
- Protecting workers with protective equipment
- Change how your people work (add breaks, shorten shifts, etc)
- Remove people from the safety hazard
- Replace or remove the hazard itself
Furthermore, review your policies and procedures yearly, adjusting it as needed to make sure it applies to the risks employees face. Some rules and procedures change, so you have to adjust your safety precautions accordingly.
3. Perform inspections and supervise your employees
Poorly trained employees are a danger to themselves and others! Be sure that you train new employees and perform regular training to your employees, regardless of how experienced they are.
It’s best to perform regular inspections to ensure your employees are working well, and that all the equipment and items they handle are in good condition. Inspect machinery, tools, and other equipment, repairing or replacing broken things to prevent costly injuries.
Supervise your employees as well, so they are able to understand their duties and communicate about their queries well.
Wrapping It Up
While some accidents may be inevitable, it’s best to take all proper precautions so it reduces, or even eradicates, the risk. Hopefully, you found valuable information from this article and that you take what you learned to heart. Follow these tips and take responsibility as you reduce the risk of injuries in the workplace.
If you have questions or want to share tips and experiences on work-related injuries, share them in the comments section below. All thoughts and insights will be appreciated.
By Rahul Ghundiyal
who is founder of RNG SEO and author at Techssocial.
Member since January, 2021
View all the articles of Rahul Ghundiyal.
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