Workplace safety is crucial for both the employees and the employers since they disrupt the regular flow of business processes by affecting productivity, causing financial harm and impacting the health and well-being of the victims. But what are the most common incidents of this kind, and how can workers avoid falling prey to them?
Trips and slips
Tripping and slipping are two of the most frequent kinds of injuries not only in the workplace but overall. There are many hazards that can cause these accidents, including spills, wet surfaces, weather hazards, carpets, uncovered cables, uneven walking surfaces and poor lighting. If you become wounded by slipping or tripping over something at work, and you believe the accident was the result of your employer neglecting their duty of care towards you, you can talk to a professional solicitor at https://www.personalinjuryclaimsuk.org.uk/.
Falls that result from slips and trips make up one-third of all personal injuries in the working environment. The type and severity of the wounds vary, from minor bruising to broken bones and from superficial cuts to severe sprains or pulled muscles that cause considerable discomfort and require quite a lot of bed rest. The best way to prevent these accidents is to ensure that all walking surfaces are adequate and that all spills are cleaned immediately. If employees believe that a particular area is cluttered or obstructed and that this can be a hazard in the future, they should be encouraged to report the issue immediately.
Vehicle accidents
Although the number of fatalities and serious, life-threatening injuries resulting from traffic collisions has steadily climbed down over the past years, car crashes remain a serious and destructive problem. Anywhere there are cars, trucks or trailers, there’s a risk that an accident may occur. That includes being struck or even run over by a vehicle, falling from a moving car, being struck by objects falling from a car, or being in a collision with a fellow driver.
To avoid these accidents, it helps to know where they’re more likely to occur. Some areas are more hazardous than others. Roads that are narrow have many sharp twists and turns, or the sites that see heavy traffic on a regular basis are typically the most dangerous. Weather conditions play a role as well. Rain and fog reduce visibility, while black ice facilitates the possibility of slips.
All layout routes in the workplace should make any obstructions clearly visible and be created with both pedestrians and cars in mind. The speed limits, priority signs and correct directions must also be strictly followed.
Repetitive movements
When you think of workplace injuries, you most likely have the image of someone who has to operate heavy machinery or works in a dangerous, potentially toxic environment. However, musculoskeletal issues frequently occur as a result of repetitive motions. Although harmless in the beginning, they lead to gradual wear and tear, especially if you don’t take any breaks in order to stretch and move around a little.
Many office workers deal with carpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause pain, numbness and tingling. Although the damage occurs in the wrist initially, it can later extend to the rest of the hand, the arm and the shoulder. Uncomfortable sensations such as a burning feeling can also occur. In some cases, the only treatment that yields any results is surgery.
Poor posture, such as slouching over when sitting at your desk, can also cause significant back and shoulder pain that requires medicine and physical therapy. Eye strain is also common among those who face computer screens throughout the day. The symptoms can include a burning, itchy or sore sensation, headache, blurry vision, trouble concentrating, increased sensitivity to light and even a sore neck, shoulders and back.
Repetitive injuries, however, aren’t the exclusive domain of office workers. They also occur among those who use hand-held power tools regularly, as well as employees operating on assembly lines, as hairdressers or as cake decorators.
Machinery incidents
Employees who operate heavy machinery as part of their jobs, such as those working with farms, construction or factory equipment, can become the victims of life-altering accidents if they don’t benefit from all the mandatory safety precautions. All must receive adequate training, even if they say they have experience working with similar equipment beforehand.
Moreover, all employees must wear the adequate equipment at all times, regardless of how minor their task may seem. All machinery should also be guarded appropriately, as well as checked regularly, in order to determine if there are any irregularities. This class of injuries can be particularly disastrous, and cutting any corners during inspections and audits can have horrible consequences.
The list of possible wounds includes crushed limbs, blindness and severed fingers. Some of these injuries can cause the victim’s death and will invariably result in lifelong disability. Most employees who are injured in this manner cannot resume their activity afterwards, causing considerable loss of finances that can place them in a highly undesirable and vulnerable situation.
Loud noises
Industrial workers are also exposed to the risk of hearing damage due to the presence of constant loud noises throughout the day. Manufacturing, construction and aviation are some of the loudest industries, and workers often pay the price. The effects of hearing damage can be particularly difficult to notice initially, but later, the symptoms progress very quickly.
Long-term exposure can lead to permanent damage, including tinnitus, the perception of sound without any external source, or even progressive hearing loss. Just like with injuries caused by machines, losing your hearing is a disability and considerably impacts your daily life. The best way to protect your ears from the noise is to wear the appropriate equipment that shields your eardrums from the ear splitting ruckus.
To sum up, there are many different types of injuries that can occur, depending on your profession. There’s a difference in their severity, as well as what the victim can expect in the aftermath. However, they’re always damaging and must be consistently avoided by following protocols.