Injuries In The Workplace. Why Do Employees Keep Getting Hurt?

Everyone should have the right to feel safe whilst they’re at work. Even those who work dangerous jobs should take comfort from the fact that their employer will be putting relevant safety measures in place to look after their employees.

Sadly, whether your employer has your best interests at heart or not, many employees still suffer injuries at work, rendering them disabled, traumatised, unable to work and financially crippled.

So, why do employees keep getting hurt?

Here we’re going to look at some of the most common injuries in the workplace.

Slips and trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls mostly sound like inconveniences, however, a bad slip or fall can result in a life-changing or life-altering injury. It can leave you out of work, in pain and unable to support your family – click here to contact a slip and fall lawyer if you’ve been in an accident.

You might work in a shop, in a factory, a building site or an office, you could even slip and fall on your way across the parking lot. If you’re working from a height, climbing a ladder or even working on scaffolding then you could potentially fall and injure yourself. Often, faulty equipment is to blame in these instances.

Pulling a muscle

A pulled or damaged muscle can be incredibly debilitating.

And if you’re lifting heavy objects then you’re most at risk. However, if you’re working in an office for example and you need to pick up a box of heavy items, then you could also be at risk. Neck, back and groin strains are very common.

Being hit by falling objects

This injury is pretty common in places like factories, shops, workshops and warehouses. Or anywhere goods or items have been precociously stacked. Being struck by a falling object can result in catastrophic head injuries, especially if you’ve been hit by an object that hasn’t been secured properly.

Repetitive strain injury

Repetitive strain injury or RSI is common amongst people who do repetitive work such as typing, working on a factory line or another activity that places repetitive strain on the joints.

This injury is extremely common, so much so that many sufferers feel like they can’t bother their employers with it. However, employers should be encouraging staff to take regular breaks, have the correct posture and use ergonomic equipment where available.

Cuts

Cuts and lacerations to the body can leave someone with debilitating injuries and with potentially years of rehabilitation ahead of them.

Cuts in the workplace often occur in places where heavy machinery is used, whether that’s industrial meat slicers or equipment used to cut metals and other materials. Poor training, a lack of supervision and a failure to comply with health and safety regulations are the most common causes of cuts and lacerations in the workplace.

Loud noise exposure

You may think that injuries ascertained by exposure to loud noise are a thing of the past.

However, those who work in the construction and automotive industry, warehouses and factories are all high risk. Interestingly, most of these injuries are established over time and many victims come forward well after they’ve left their employment.

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