Every 7 seconds, one employee is injured in a work-related accident, according to the National Safety Council. Workplace accidents are rather common in the workplace, but most – if not all – are avoidable. Despite the high chances of an accident occurring in a work environment, proper and responsible administrative action can help prevent these types of accidents. Safety protocols are often in place in every establishment to lessen these risks. Especially in the current climate, strict adherence to these health protocols is heavily implemented to protect the health of workers and staff, and most importantly, to prevent a negative impact on the business in multiple ways.
What Is A Workplace Accident?
Approximately 4.6 million employees are injured in work-related accidents, according to NSC. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) states that workplace accidents can be defined as “an unplanned event that results in personal injury or property damage.” After all, workplace accidents are not restricted to the health and injury that may happen to workers, but also damages to machinery or property owned by the company.
Workplace accidents can be attributed to the loss of productivity on the floor, reduced morale of the staff, and increased sick days of workers, which may ultimately lead to a temporary closure of the business, or worse, permanent closure. Companies should thoroughly investigate workplace injuries to collect relevant information regarding the event. The employee also has the right to seek guidance from personal injury attorneys to assist them in their claims and ensure that they are protected by basic labor laws.
Common Injuries In The Workplace
During the course of the global pandemic, health and safety guidelines have been instilled in all companies and organizations to slow the spread of the virus and to protect their workers. According to OHSA, COVID-19 is a recordable illness if it’s a confirmed case and the infection is due to work-related duties. In the same statistic by NSC, the most common accidents in the workplace are linked to overexertion, accumulating about 33.5% of workplace injuries. This is usually caused by attempting to lift and carry products with repetitive motions.
What Can We Do To Reduce The Risks?
To prevent the most common falls on the job, proper housekeeping is one way to reduce the risk. Keeping your workspace clean and clutter-free is essential in preventing such injuries. Not to mention, wearing anti-slip footwear and using anti-slip coatings on floors may help reduce falls in the workplace.
Other ways to reduce bodily injuries include eliminating environmental factors and hazards, such as improper placement of tools and clutter. When preventing injuries caused by “struck-by-objects,” methods include wearing hardhats to avoid falling objects, and proper material placements to prevent falling, sliding or collapsing. In addition, employees must always wear proper PPE, depending on the workplace setting.
These are just a few strategies for reducing these injuries in the common workplace. With proper training and awareness, the number of injury-related cases will hopefully decline and keep workers protected on the job, no matter what the industry.