6 Ways of Recognizing and Avoiding Workplace Injuries

​The safety of your workers should be a top priority in the operations. Whatever field you might be, there are hazards at work that can cause grave consequences. It is vital to look for warning signs and prevent injuries from happening.  Here are some common workplace-related injuries and helpful ways to avoid them.

​Getting Stuck by Moving Machinery
Out of all the injury categories, this category could be the most grisly of all. There could be exposed moving parts, flying objects from unprotected machines, crushed arms and hands, severed fingers, and blindness.

A way to prevent this injury is by safeguarding the machinery and training the operators.

Slips, Trips, and Falls
These injuries cause broken bones, back injuries, cuts, and sprained muscles. For slips, watch out for oily or wet surfaces, loose rugs, and flooring with poor traction. For trips, employers must address and order improvements regarding the poor lighting, obstructed view, clutter, and uneven walking surfaces in the area.

Three important things to maintain for prevention of these injuries are quality walking surfaces, proper footwear, and good housekeeping by the employees. These would prevent any possible accidents.

Fire and Explosions
For this category of injury, risk factors include improperly stored combustible items, faulty gas lines, and poor pipefitting. This category results in a significant number of casualty. Adequately communicated evacuation plans and the effective alert system would possibly lead to less occurrence of these injuries.

Transportation-related Accidents
Injuries under this category include being run over by a moving vehicle, falling from a truck, getting crushed by an overturned car among others. This accident category is particularly prevalent in the agriculture industry. To prevent this from happening, employers should assess those at risk. Then, the company conducts preventive measures like orientations and safe systems of work.

Repetitive Stress Injuries
This type of injury may cause debilitation and pain in employees. It may also impair the worker's performance at work. Some cause of RSI includes the manual lifting of heavy objects, improper lifting, no breaks, and rigorous typing. Ergonomics prevent these injuries. 

Falling Object Injuries
Objects falling from shelves or any other high places and those dropped by another person incur serious injuries, particularly head injuries. Employees need to be extra vigilant to avoid inflicting such damage on another co-worker and always to wear personal protective gear. Additionally, employers must evaluate the workplace regularly to spot for accident-prone areas.

A holistic approach is necessary to prevent the consequences of these work-related injuries. Acquiring contractors insurance is an excellent way to safeguard you against employee's injuries.

At Black and Associates Insurance, Inc.,  we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (509) 464-0058 or Click Here to request a free quote.