The U.S. Department of Labor found that over 2.5 million personnel sustain work-related injuries or illnesses that are non-fatal, while another 5,000 workers suffer fatal injuries every year. Just under a million injured workers experience loss of wages due to time taken off from work to recover.
The following are common work-related injuries and some of the steps that employees need to take when filing workers’ compensation claims.
Back and Soft-tissue Injuries
Muscle, disk, and tendon strains, sprains, and tears are by far the most common types of injuries that employees sustain on the job, accounting for millions of dollars in compensation every year.
There are multiple types of soft-tissue injuries, some of which require only a few days of rest to recover from, while others result in permanent disability.
Some of the specific back and soft-tissue injuries that workers may suffer include:
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Also known as repetitive stress injuries, repetitive motion injuries are either permanent or temporary injuries to nerves, muscles, tendons, or ligaments resulting from performing the same motion repeatedly. These actions can include typing, hammering, lifting, or even examining items.
Repetitive motion can cause pain all over the body including the arms, wrists, shoulders, and neck. The most common condition that results from repetitive motion in the workplace is carpal tunnel syndrome. Vision problems can also frequently arise if the eyes are strained.
Overextension
Overextension is another common type of injury that results from motions such as pushing, pulling, gripping, lifting, throwing, or carrying. Injuries sustained from overextension can include torn and sprained muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and they are the most common cause of severe back injuries on the job.
Trips, Slips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of disability among workers in America. As much as 20 to 30 percent of slip and fall accidents result in injuries that are moderate to severe. These injuries can include concussions and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and broken bones.
Slip and fall injuries frequently occur when certain hazards are present on the floor of a facility, including debris, fluids, beverages, or lubricants for machinery. Slip and falls often lead to serious injuries, but in most cases result in scrapes, bruises, torn ligaments, or muscle sprains.
Employees in occupations that entail a lot of movement on their feet such as waiting and nursing are particularly vulnerable to slip and falls, with many accidents resulting in ankle and knee injuries.
In many other workers’ comp cases, falls from heights are involved. Workers may fall from scaffoldings, roofs, lifts, inventory stations, down stairways, or off of ladders. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists falls from heights as the most fatal type of construction accident.
Work-Related Vehicular Accidents
A large number of traffic accidents that occur every day are work-related. In fact, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has reported that traffic accidents are the most fatal work-related accidents in the U.S.
Most workers are unable to file a workers’ comp claim if they’re involved in a crash while commuting to or from the workplace. However, workers who drive to fulfill their job duties, such as accidents involving delivery truck drivers or employees performing off-site duties such as picking up or dropping off packages to or from another location, may be covered by workers’ comp.
If an employee has sustained injuries resulting from work-related traffic accidents that weren’t the employee’s fault, he or she may be able to pursue damages against the offending driver in addition to filing a workers’ comp claim. Keep in mind that workers’ comp won’t cover vehicle damage, even if the driver was performing job duties at the time of the accident.
Even if the accident was the employee’s fault, he or she may still be able to recover workers’ comp if injured and no longer able to work. Employee liability insurance providers can also defend the employee against damage claims that the occupants of the other vehicle may make.
Violence in the Workplace
A majority of employees don’t think about putting their lives at risk for a job. Workers expect their employers to maintain a work environment that’s consistently safe, but workplace violence can take place, resulting in injury, disability, or even death in many cases.
The fact is that violence crimes can occur anywhere at any time, even in a workplace where this kind of violence is extremely rare, such as an office space. Theft, burglary, and armed robberies are all possible incidents that may leave employees traumatized, either physically or emotionally.
Disgruntled workers or customers can also commit violent acts, whether targeted or random, in an effort to cause harm to others. Employees who have suffered from emotional or physical damages resulting from violence in the workplace may also be eligible for compensation.
Equipment Accidents and Falling Objects
Many of the worst injuries on the job result from machinery accidents, which potentially lead to amputations or death in extreme cases. Malfunctions can also cause explosions that expose workers to different types of burns of varying degrees.
Another hazard that may injure workers is that of falling objects, which could fall from various platforms including shelves, pallets, inventory stations, ladders, forklifts, and other areas, potentially causing injuries to the face, head, neck, and feet.
Shards and particles can also cause injury whether from fallen objects or malfunctioning equipment. These fragments are responsible for hundreds of thousands of eye injuries every year.
How to Reduce Work-Related Injuries
If employees want to avoid injuries in the workplace, this will require some strategizing. One way employees can avoid the risk of injury is to seek employment with companies that actively promote safe work environments.
Carefully Hiring Employees
One element of a safe workplace that will help prevent potential accidents or crime is hiring a team of good employees. Employers should carefully choose employees by conducting background checks, checking for references, and screening for drugs.
Implementing Safety Checklists
Another way to mitigate the risk of workplace accidents is to create and post safety checklists for operations, which employees should review prior to operating equipment or performing other tasks that could be hazardous if improperly performed.
Determining if Disabled Workers Pose a Risk
When it comes to employees on disability, it may be illegal to deny employment based on disability, but employees will need to determine if a disabled worker is capable of safely performing his or her duties. Otherwise, disabled workers may put other workers at risk.
Adhering to OSHA Safety Guidelines
OSHA also requires businesses to follow certain safety guidelines. These guidelines may include requiring employees working in certain areas to wear safety goggles, protective clothing, safety shoes, respirators, or other attire, and delegating specific types of workers to certain duties.
Providing Clear Work Restrictions
Employers also need to make sure that clear restrictions are in place for employees who are required to perform duties such as lifting machinery, heavy inventory, and other objects. If objects are particularly heavy, workers should wear harnesses and belts to provide support, and weight-to-worker ratios are also ideal to implement, which will allow a company to identify objects that are too heavy for a single worker to carry.
Making Sure Workers Are Properly Trained
Certain jobs also demand formal training, without which employees may be at risk of human error and subsequent accidents. Workers should receive training to properly operate machinery, tools, vehicles, and handle toxic substances.
Steps to Take Following a Work-Related Injury
If an employee is injured on the job, employers in every state are required by law to provide workers’ comp insurance. Most injuries are covered by partial wage and workers’ comp medical benefits.
The first step that an employee should take after sustaining an injury is to seek medical attention. This may involve asking for on-site first aid or requesting emergency services. Once an employee has received any form of emergency services, he or she should seek evaluation and treatment by professionals that the insurance provider approves.
It’s important to file a workers’ comp claim quickly to avoid missing the state’s deadline, after which employees will no longer be able to recover compensation. Also, it’s important to remember that insurance providers are not on the employee’s side. Insurance companies determine the results of the claim and will work hard to avoid having to make large payments to injured employees. In any case, it is important to consult a work accident lawyer that will analyze your case.
When to Hire a Workers’ Comp Attorney
Although minor claims for less severe injuries may not require the help of an attorney, employees should ensure that they don’t need one before proceeding without legal counsel. In many cases, it may be best to contact an attorney if the worker isn’t satisfied with how the claim is going. A qualified workers’ comp lawyer will be able to provide representation to help avoid the loss the employee might otherwise suffer when facing the insurance carrier alone.
