The most common work injuries are slips, trips and falls, overexertion, and contact with equipment. Most of these injuries can be prevented by taking appropriate precautions and complying with OSHA guidelines. Two of the most common types of workplace injuries are musculoskeletal disorders and slips, trips and falls. Combined, these two types of injuries account for approximately 50% of all work-related injuries.
The construction industry, for example, accounts for approximately one in five work-related deaths in private industry in our country, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This is because construction workers face heavy exposure to what OSHA calls the “Four Fatal Accident Hazards”: falls, being hit by an object, electrocution, and being trapped in or between objects. Below are the 10 most reported work-related accidents in our country, according to the National Safety Council, OSHA, and data collected annually by Liberty Mutual Insurance of the U.S. UU.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Social Security Academy. Workers can suffer electrocution-related injuries when working around exposed cords or cables. Faulty electrical outlets can also cause damage. In some cases, workers experience electrocution when working around power lines or colliding with underground cables while digging.
Employers must ensure that all electrical hazards are identified and give their workers appropriate warnings. Pulling, lifting, pushing, holding, carrying and throwing activities are the most common causes of work-related injuries. Overexertion injuries can occur in a single incident. They can also be cumulative or the result of years of doing the same strenuous activity on a daily basis.
A worker who slips or stumbles without falling can also injure muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Excessive exertion can result in long-lasting physical damage, ranging from lower back injuries to chronic joint pain caused by wear and tear. To avoid overexertion, employers should train workers on how to properly perform physical tasks, such as lifting heavy objects. They should also provide assistance equipment and give workers ample rest time.
A worker who accidentally crashes or is pushed against a wall, door, cabinet, window, machinery, or vehicle may suffer head, knee, neck, or foot injuries. Sometimes, these accidents happen because workers simply don't pay attention to where they're going. For example, in the past 15 years, cell phone use has increased eightfold in the U.S. You might think that exposure deafness isn't real, but it's not the case: Many industrial workers are still exposed to loud noises, leading to permanent hearing loss.
Deafness is also an important compensation payment, so it is in your best interest to consider this particular issue. Loud noises can cause physical and psychological stress, interfere with the approach to communication, reduce productivity, and contribute to accidents and injuries in the workplace. Makes it difficult for workers to hear warning signs. In that sense, almost all workers in any industry are exposed to overexertion and bodily reaction injuries.
Contact with objects or equipment ranks third on our list of work-related injuries, but barely. The BLS places 229,410 accidents in this category, 25.8% of all incidents compared to 27.5% for falls, slips and trips. While similar events can occur in any industry, OSHA says 75% of all “crash” deaths involve heavy equipment. This means that employers in agriculture, manufacturing and construction need to take extra care.
The first step in preventing transportation incidents, in particular car accidents, is to hire good drivers first. Start by requesting candidate driving records from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Most require the candidate's signature to release information. In addition to the most common work injuries, several other types of work-related injuries are also relatively common.
For example, many workers suffer concussions and broken bones in traumatic accidents and repetitive strain injuries (ie,. Carpal tunnel syndrome) are also common. Knowing and understanding the most common types of injuries can help businesses better prepare and take the necessary steps to prevent injuries from occurring. The BLS classifies 275,590 incidents as “overexertion and bodily reaction,” making it the most common source of work-related injuries for private companies.
Not surprisingly, the most common work injuries correlate with some of the most common workplace accidents. In fact, many types of repetitive strain injuries are quite common among workers in a wide range of occupations. Types of injuries sustained include head, back and neck injuries, broken bones, cuts, sprains and muscle strains. Avoiding these types of accidents starts by evaluating who is at risk, as well as where and when these accidents occur most often.
We've compiled this list of the most common workplace injuries and added tips to help you reduce them. OSHA recommends following its hazard communication standards to help workers avoid these types of injuries. However, in its list of the most common causes of work-related deaths (formerly labeled the “Four Fatalities”), OSHA focuses on the four workplace hazards most likely to cause fatal injuries. National Safety Council (NSC) statistics on the most common workplace injuries demonstrate how common it is for all types of employees to waste time from work due to accidents and other incidents on the job.
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the rapidly growing category of work injuries and comprises more than 100 different types of work-induced injuries, and are severe enough to inhibit simple activities with crippling and debilitating pain. Accidents can happen to anyone who works with heavy machinery, although they are more common in factories, agricultural equipment, and construction equipment. Loose clothing, shoes, jewelry, fingers, or loose hair that gets caught in machinery usually causes this type of accident. .
.