Injuries happen in the workplace from time to time. As an employee, you have rights in the situation. Companies can also take steps to avoid personal injury violations and future injuries. We’ll go through solutions for both employees and companies, as well as explain the five most common injury occurrences.

What Are the Five Most Common Workplace Injuries?

Trips, Slips, and Falls

This type of injury can cause all sorts of problems like back injuries, broken bones cuts, springs, etc. it’s easy to trip on wet surfaces. People may trip on A rug that’s not properly attached to the floor. There are many different ways that in an injury like this can occur, and that’s why it’s one of the most common workplace injuries.

Injuries Caused by Machinery

These injuries can have nasty results. A body part might get caught in the machinery or hit by moving parts. An injury may occur from flying debris or improper use by an employee. This could lead to severed limb, crushed body parts, blindness or death. These type of injuries occur may also occur due to poor oversight.

Vehicle Accidents

Some employees drive as part of their job. They may get into an accident and injured themselves. Other employees might get struck by a vehicle in the workplace and injure themselves. These type of injuries are most common and manufacturing, industrial, and agricultural businesses.

Repetitive Stress Injuries and Overexertion

These injuries could take time to develop. They were a result of lifting, pushing, caring and throwing things. Employees that deal with heavy objects, moving and or restocking items are at enhanced risk for this. What starts as a flight back pain could turn severe over time.

Falling from Heights

This may occur when an employee trips or isn’t paying close enough attention. It could also occur without the proper supervision and the proper training and protection gear. These type of accidents could cause serious injury such as broken bones, concussions, or in extreme cases death. Fall protection was the most cited violation by OSHA in 2016.

How Can an Employee Fight in This Situation?

Report the injury your employer as soon as possible. You typically have limited time to report an injury according to state law. Sometimes circumstances don’t allow that to happen, but for the most part, you should report as soon as possible.

See a doctor to find out the extent of your injuries. Don’t put this off, because it could make the injury worse. You also have a much more serious injury than you realize. May not experience a lot of pain, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a serious injury. You may need to take time off work, and a doctor’s the only person that can figure that out.

File a Workers Compensation claim to get the compensation you need. You may need to take time off work, and you should receive compensation during this time.

You can always file an appeal if you don’t like what your employer or your employer’s insurance company does during the process.

Make sure you hire an experienced personal injury attorney to help you through the process. A good lawyer knows all the laws regarding personal injury violations, and how to use that to your advantage. They will ensure you get proper compensation, and that your employer follows all the laws.

 

What Steps Can Companies Take to Prevent Future Injuries and Personal Injury Violations?

There are a few steps employers can take to avoid personal injury violations and potential injuries.

Proper Training

One of the best things you can do as an employer is making sure your employees receive proper training. This could include proper training on how to use machinery, protection gear, vehicles, etc. Employees are less likely to get injured with proper training. OSHA requires proper training for all employees.

Clean Work Environment

It’s important to make sure the work environment stays clean. Some slips, trips, and falls happen because of a wet or slick surface. Creating safety guidelines ensures that wet and slick surfaces get cleaned up quickly. Dry surfaces help to prevent injuries. You can also throw out mats, flooring, and rugs that have poor traction. These items could create personal injury violations and lead to more falls.

Proper Lighting

It’s important to make sure all areas are well lit. You could create personal injury violations if your office, warehouse, or work area doesn’t have the proper lighting. Bad lighting can make it hard for employees that used machinery, work with heavy objects, and in high up areas. Your employees are more likely to injure themselves on machinery or fall from a height if they can’s see well. Check the current OSHA standards for lighting when you’re making changes. This will ensure you avoid any potential lighting violations.