In 2020, there were 2,654,700 recorded non-fatal injuries and illnesses from workplaces around the country.
Getting hurt at any point in time is stressful, but when you’re involved with workplace accidents, there are a lot of legal issues to consider. Whether your employer wasn’t taking steps to keep you safe or you were being negligent, workplace injuries actually seem to happen more often than we may think.
Are you worried about getting hurt at work? It’s not only dangerous to get injured at work, but it also might mean lost wages or experience.
It’s important to know what the most common workplace injuries are so that you can keep yourself safe on the job. Although these are in no particular order, here are some common injuries that you should be cautious of while at work.
Slips, Trips, or Falls
As one of the most common ways to get injured at work, slipping, tripping, or falling is an easily avoidable way to hurt yourself.
In most workplaces, bosses and managers will put things into place to avoid this type of injury by default. For instance, if you work in a restaurant or a bar, you likely will have slip mats placed around the facility to make it less likely that you’ll slip on water, grease, or other liquids.
Be on the lookout for things around your workplace that might be hazardous whenever you’re walking around. Make sure your workplace has a first aid kit on hand, such as those at firstaidsuppliesonline.com/product-category/first-aid-kits/portable-first-aid-kits/.
Always be aware of your surroundings as you walk. Don’t read or look at paperwork while you’re walking from place to place – look at where you’re going!
Vehicular Accidents
Anytime there is a vehicle involved, accidents are a possibility due to their sheer size and weight. To get injured in this manner, you don’t even have to be the one driving.
If you don’t already have them in place, it’s smart to work with your managers on prevention strategies to keep employees safe. This way, you’ll be able to avoid accidents that involve vehicles rather than simply reacting to them.
You might work in an environment that constantly involves the use of vehicles. In this case, training and drills might be helpful to be sure that everyone is keeping safe on the road and workplace property.
Overexertion
While this isn’t the most exciting way to get injured, plenty of people get overexertion, muscle stress, or general pain injuries. A lot of us are using the same muscles or sitting in the same way each day while working, which can result in an unhappy body.
To avoid this, try to make sure that you’re regularly getting up to move around if you have an office job. If you’re working a job that requires similar movements, like a sports instructor, always stretch beforehand to take care of your muscles.
In addition to this, take care not to lift objects that are too heavy for you or skip your break periods.
Be Cautious of the Most Common Workplace Injuries
With these most common workplace injuries in mind, you can likely see how easy it is for people to get hurt while working. It might be due to distraction, unsafe working environments, or something else entirely, but if you’re trying to keep yourself and your fellow employees safe, it’s a good idea to be extra cautious while at work.
Remember to take care of yourself and avoid doing more than you can handle!
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