Workplace injuries are pretty common and anyone can meet with some kind of injuries at his or her workplace. There are a lot of common injuries sustained by the employee at their workplace. We have listed down some of the common injuries that one can sustain at their place of work in the following arrays of the article.
Most Common Injuries Sustained at Workplace:
-
Muscle Strains:
One of the most common workplace injuries is muscle strain. Strained muscles are most likely to be encountered by anyone who lifts heavy items regularly at work. Usually, back strain and neck strains are all too frequently sustained by such workers while working. However, with some basic training on proper lifting techniques, these muscle strain injuries can be easily avoided.
-
Slips, Trips and Falls:
Slips, trips and falls are amongst other most common injuries sustained at workplace. Maybe you work in a factory, a shop or in an office, you are likely to encounter slippery surface at times which is not totally avoidable.
One more great risk at workplace is the risk of falling while working at height, falls from ladders which are most common, falls from platforms etc can also be dangerous and cause severe damage to the individual.
-
Injuries Because of Being Hit by Falling Objects:
A lot of workers get injured by being hit by falling objects at workplace. Objects falling from shelves, out of cupboards etc, can cause severe injuries, especially if the individual who ends up feeling the full forces doesn’t see it coming.
By having adequate storage cages and by reminding your employees on how to store items safely, can help prevent such injuries at workplace.
-
Repetitive Strain Injuries:
Repetitive Strain Injuries or RSI is one more problem that comes among the most common injuries sustained at workplace. However, employers and workers do not take this injury as a serious one.
The cumulative impact of Repetitive strain injuries can be severe one in some cases and thus precautions must be well maintained to keep away from the danger of RSI at workplace.
-
Crashes and Collisions:
Injuries resulting due to crash and collision are also quite common at workplace. Whether they involve lorries, cars or even smaller vehicles like forklift trucks; such crash and collision injuries can have seriously nasty consequences. Thus, it is essential for employers to ensure that seatbelts and various other safety precautions are in place and are in use wherever required.
-
Inhaling Toxic Fumes:
Though most of the individuals do not work with hazardous chemicals, yet there are workers who work with chemicals and may be at risk of eye or skin reaction and also potentially more serious injuries if they are exposed to the chemicals without proper protection. Employers must provide protective equipments to the workers which include the safety goggles so as to avoid dangerous exposure.
-
Cuts and Lacerations:
Cuts and lacerations can also occur at workplace. Usually all sorts of office implements can cause painful cut. The most common causes of the lacerations include poor training, inadequate safety procedures and also lack of proper protection. Employers must help the employees prevent such accidents by providing them with safety equipments and also by providing them with training in workplace.
-
Injuries by Machines:
Such type of injury mostly occurs in a factory where there are machinery and heavy equipments. Protective equipment and proper attention to the personal details of the machineries are required so as to avoid injuries.
-
Exposure to Loud Noise:
An individual might suffer from one more type of injury at workplace, especially at heavy industries where they are daily exposed to loud noise while at work. Such workplaces may cause industrial deafness in the workers which may result in major compensation payouts. Safety measures like ear protection can help in preventing such kind of deafness.
-
Fights at Work:
Fights at work are not rare as we think. Some fights among the workmates can spill over in to physical confrontation and this may unsurprisingly cause nasty injuries. Effective procedures for dealing with employee grievances can aid in reducing the risk of such fights and injuries at workplace
-
Walking into Injuries:
Walking in to injuries at workplace mean the injuries that occur when an individual accidentally runs in to concrete objects like doors, walls, glass windows, table, chairs, cabinets etc. With this, head, knee, neck and feet injuries are very common. It is the duty of employer to focus on keeping the work environment free from hazards and prevent such types of injuries at workplace.
-
Overexertion Injuries:
Overexertion injuries at workplace include the injuries that are related to lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, throwing or carrying activities at work.
Conclusion:
Though it is true that there is no shortage of ways individuals can injure themselves at work; yet there are various things employers can do for the employees so as to prevent them from coming to any avoidable or unwanted harm. A proper training, clear signage and access to the essential safety equipment can be a big help.
- Health and Safety Executive. (n.d.). Slips, Trips and Falls. Retrieved from https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/index.htm
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/
- Safety+Health Magazine. (n.d.). Avoid Common Workplace Injuries. Retrieved from https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/avoid-common-workplace-injuries
- Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Repetitive Stress Injury. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/repetitive-strain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20353865
Also Read: