A workplace accident may strike any unsuspecting person. The result often leads to a serious or catastrophic injury, lengthy hospital stays as well as a lengthy recovery time. The medical bills pile up while you are unable to work, causing great worries for you and your family.
In many work-related injury incidents, negligence is often at the root of what happened. Employers must protect their workers and provide the necessary training to help them perform their jobs safely. Injuries and accidents may run the gamut for any worker.
Falls, contact with equipment
According to the National Safety Council, here were the top nonfatal work-related injuries that occurred in the country in 2019:
- Overexertion and bodily reaction: 31% (275,590): Heavy lifting, pushing, and pulling objects along with repetitive motion activity may lead to back, neck, and knee pain along with strains on the muscles and tendons.
- Falls, slips, and trips: 5% (244,000): Construction workers are susceptible to such injuries when falling from ladders or scaffolding, so are restaurant workers who may slip on wet floors. Traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury are possible.
- Contact with objects and equipment: 26% (229,410): Construction and warehouse workers are susceptible to injuries related to these accidents involving falling objects or being struck by equipment. Fractures and internal bleeding often are the result.
- Transportation incidents: 6% (49,430) These may include roadway and non-roadway incidents involving motorized vehicles, pedestrian/vehicle incidents, and aircraft incidents.
- Violence and other injuries by people or animals: 5% (44,480): Such incidents may be intentional attacks of one worker toward another. Other injury incidents may be animal- and insect-related.
- Exposure to harmful substances: 4% (36,840): This category affects workers exposed to extreme temperatures, chemicals, and electricity. Frostbite, respiratory damage, and burns may result.
Workplace accidents and the injuries caused by them remain a concerning topic for workers and employers. Employers remain responsible for providing workplace safety and the proper training of employees to minimize accidents. Hold them up to those necessary standards.
