The workplace can be very rewarding in general. It is the place where human potential is heralded on a daily basis and is rewarded handsomely, both in terms of personal fulfilment and money. But the workplace can also be a very risky place to be as there are many ways with which employees can be seriously injured while on the job.
Common Injuries You Can Get at Work
Max Nisen writes in an article in Business Insider that the most common workplace injury requiring sick leave were due to tears, sprains or strains from overexertion and the part of the body that is most prone to injury is the back. Whether it’s an office or a factory, a desk job or a highly physical one, here other examples of on the job injuries that employees can be a victim of:
- Serious burns
For people in the food and beverage industry, this is a valid and scary situation especially for those working in the back of the house as chefs, dishwashers, and prep cooks. For places that were not properly built or tested for back fires, kitchens are very volatile and can cause third degree burns during fire emergencies.
Also, big pots of soups can topple over or boiling oil can cause the same damage. Being a victim can basically render a person unproductive for months at a time just to heal.
- Construction-related injuries
For those working in real estate such as engineers and architects, the construction areas can be literal pits of death with the many blind spots within these areas. Unfinished walls or floors as well as materials that stick out are accident-prone areas.
Actual blocks of cement can topple over while the miniscule particles and dust from cement can be detrimental to the health of the workers due to repeated exposure.
- Manufacturing and equipment-related injuries
Factories and warehouses are the perfect places to encounter an injury. No matter how efficient, these places still have highly mechanical objects that can cause physical harm to employees. Situations such as being pinned down, stuck, or even sliced or cut are part of the risk in working in a factory.
- Stress-related sicknesses
Some injuries need not be physical. In fact, psychological injuries have a more grave effect as these do not immediately manifest until the person is at the breaking point already or illnesses have crop up because of it.
For those who have a desk job, injuries to the back and the hands are the most common. No thanks to technology and the need to be constantly connected, there is an actual rise in reported cases of carpal tunnel syndrome due to excessive use of smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Furthermore, constant pressure to deliver on very tight deadlines make people experience severe anxiety. Long -term wise, this causes cancer, heart ailments, obesity, and high blood pressure, which people have to contend with for the rest of their lives.
Usually, this happens in companies which are retrenching employees and the workers are in constant fear of losing their livelihood.
Know Your Rights
Regardless of the industry, employees must know their rights and be always ready and discerning of situations wherein they feel that they are being taken advantage of. If you have pressing questions about workplace injury claims, contact a trusted accident lawyer. Workers in San Diego may contact San Diego Accident Law Center attorneys