Top 10 Most Common Workplace Injuries and How to Stay Safe

Workplace injuries are quite a common occurrence. You might be at higher risk if you do some kind of manual work. That doesn’t really mean these injuries don’t happen in office jobs. The impact of these injuries can range from slight pain while performing tasks to straight up taking time off due to their severity. In other words, your quality of life is impacted regardless of the severity. Understanding these risks and learning to present them is the way forward. Here are the 10 most common workplace injuries.

• Sprained ankle and wrist
• Shoulder dislocation
• Nerve damage
• Whiplash
• Limb damage
• Cuts (if tripping happens on a cluttered floor)
• Fractures
• Thumb sprains
• Spine and brain damage in severe cases

Learn more about rehabilitation strategies for spine injuries.

How to prevent slips trips and falls

Employers and employees both should put efforts in avoiding this workplace injury. Here are some tips for this:

• Employers should ensure that the area does not have any clutter.
• Employers should also ensure proper lighting.
• Employees should carry safety apps that have fall detection. It can send an SOS signal after detecting the falling and you can get immediate help.

2. Handling, lifting and carrying injuries:

Handling lifts and carrying are second of the most common workplace injuries. They account for 17% of these injuries. Handling, lifting and carrying are common in warehouses where you have to move heavy stuff. However, they can happen at any place of work. The common reasons for this can be incorrect posture while carrying or improper techniques.

Injuries caused:

Handling equipment incorrectly can lead to the following:

• Muscle strains
• Pain and injury in limbs or joints
• Back or neck injuries
• Heart problems if repetitively done
• Limb fractures

 How to prevent handling, lifting and carrying injuries

To prevent this type of work injury, here are some tips that employers and employees can follow:

Employees:

• Use proper lifting techniques.
• You should bend your knees and keep your back straight.
• You should avoid bends and twists while lifting.
•  Keep the load close to the body.
• Use carrying machines for most part of the lifting work.

Employers:

• Provide training to your staff.
• Avoid manual handling where you can.
• Assess the load-carrying capability of your staff.

3. Injury by impact

Getting struck by a moving object is third among common causes of workplace injuries i.e., making up 10% of the total. This usually leads to impact injury. The severity of the damage depends on how fast the object was moving. In case, it was stationary, it depends on the rate with which you collided with it. Other reasons for impact injuries include:

• Falling objects
• Moving machinery
• Inattentiveness while carrying out any task

Damage caused:

Impact on the body can lead to the following:

• Bruises
• Fractures in ribs or other bones
• Lung puncture in severe cases
• Head and spine injuries if collision involved that regions
• Soft tissue injuries

How to prevent impact injuries:

Some of the tips that employees and employers should follow are as follows:

• There should be segregation for employees and moving objects.
• Proper head covering should be provided and made mandatory in areas with risk of falling objects.
• High-visibility clothing should be worn to make you visible to vehicles.
• If internal transport is operational, barriers should be placed and areas should be marked.
• Awareness training should be provided to employees about high-risk areas.

4. Injuries due to acts of violence

Acts of violence are another prevalent cause of workplace injuries, as they account for 9% of them. This happens due to fights between coworkers or often, due to issues with customers. At workplaces, people have different personalities. Tensions can arise when they disagree. Escalation of any of these can lead to physical fights, which can cause injuries.

Damage caused:

Physical fights between coworkers or customers can lead to different kinds of injuries such as:

• Bruises
• Cuts
• Fractures

It depends on the manner and severity of the fight to determine other effects.

How to prevent injuries from acts of violence:

To prevent injuries from acts of violence, employers should promote conflict resolution training. They should also ensure that there are CCTVs at the locations where customer altercations can take place. Team leaders should be made aware of the situations immediately when a fight breaks out. They should also be trained to handle this situation well.

5. Injuries from falling from heights

Workplace injuries due to falling from heights make up 50% of the fatal injuries at the workplace and 8% of the total injuries. These injuries happen in industries like construction. It might be caused when employees use the following equipment:

• Ladders
• Scaffolds
• Stepladders
• Mobile elevating platforms

On other occasions, falling injuries may occur from fragile surfaces breaking when you step on them. These include metal sheets, glass, roof lights, etc.

“Fall-from-height (FFH) accidents are a cause for concern in occupational settings because they can affect worker health and productivity [1]. In this sense, the figures for fatal work injuries show a general upward trend. The occurrence of FFH accidents was found to be higher among specific occupations, such as construction workers, Truckdrivers,…”

Carmen Rey-Merchán et al.

Damage caused:

Injuries occurring as a result of the following can be of the following types:

• Broken bones
• Head injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Dislocations cuts
• Sprains

Tips for prevention:

Here are the tips that can be followed to prevent these kinds of injuries.

• Heights should be assessed before working.
• Weather conditions such as high winds can be a hazard. They should be checked before working.
• The mesh should be used around elevated platforms.
• Rescue and emergency planning should be done in advance.

6. Burns

Burns are another type of workplace injuries common in industrial settings, kitchens and labs. The reasons for burns can be any of the following:

• Coming in contact with a hot surface
• Flames
• Chemicals
• Electrical sources

Damage caused:

The extent of damage depends on the degree of burns. For instance, if the surface you came in contact with was moderately hot, you might get first or second-degree burns. That means they are limited to the top layers of your skin. On the other hand, a strong chemical or a hotter surface can cause a higher degree of burn. This implies that along with skin layers, the tissue beneath is also affected.

Prevention:

The tips for preventing burn injuries are as follows:

• Follow all the safety instructions when dealing with hot surfaces.
• Training should be provided by the employers on the use of protective gloves, aprons, etc.
• Safety checks over machinery should be done so that it does not overheat.
• Employees should be taught how to care for burn injuries.

7. Eye injuries:

Eye injuries are also common in many settings. These workplace injuries commonly occur in settings where chemical handling, welding or other power tools are involved. The reasons for eye injuries are the following:

• Flying debris
• Intense light
• Chemicals

Types of eye injuries:

Burns, bruises, scratches and punctures are common eye injuries. They can further lead to temporary or permanent impairment of eyesight. You may also experience pain, swelling, and bleeding as a result of this.

How to prevent eye injuries:

You can prevent eye injuries by using these tips as an employee and employer.

• If you are required to wear safety eyewear at work, do so.
• Make sure your employees are wearing protective gear as an employer.
• Workplaces should provide training on eye safety.
• Machinery should be checked and maintained to avoid debris.

8. Injuries due to inhaling toxins

Labs or manufacturing workplaces often harbour toxins such as vapours, dust, fumes, etc.. If you inhale these, they can be a health hazard.

Damage caused:

If you inhale any of the described substances, you can get the following types of injuries:

• Breathing issues
• Poisoning
• Asthma on long-term exposure
• Lung diseases
• Irritation in eyes
• Reaction with skin

Prevention:

These tips should be followed to avoid inhalation injuries:

• Proper ventilation systems should be put in place.
• You should wear masks around harmful materials.
• Air quality should be checked regularly.
• Training for workers should be carried out to identify chemicals or fumes that are harmful.

9. Injuries due to noise:

Loud noises are a huge concern in industries such as construction and aviation. This is because it can lead to workplace injuries such as noise-induced hearing loss.

Damage caused:

Damage from loud noises is not limited to loss of hearing or ear damage. It can further cause the following:

• Increased blood pressure
• Stomach issue
• Higher heart rate
• Sleeping problems
• Irritability

Prevention strategies:

To prevent workplace injuries due to loud noises, the following steps should be taken:

• Conduct sound checks to know if the sound is over the recommended levels.
• Find solutions for loud noises such as dampening systems.
• As an employee, wear earplugs and muffs in areas of loud noises.
• Provide training for the proper use of ear safety equipment.

10. Strain injuries due to repetition

These workplace injuries happen due to repeating similar movements. These injuries might be faced by workers who work on assembly lines. It can also be faced by workers who have poor posture while doing work. Holding power tools regularly can also lead to this. In the office, using a mouse for increased time can also cause this.

Damage caused:

This workplace injury affects elbows, shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers. You can feel the following symptoms if you have this injury:

• Stiffness and weakness in these body parts
• Swelling
• Cramps
• Numbness or tingling feeling
• Pain with feeling of burning, aching, and throbbing

How to prevent repetitive strain injury

To prevent this type of workplace injury, employers should make sure that the workplace is well-designed. Well-designed in this context means that it is user-friendly and excessive use does not cause harm. Employers should also encourage breaks in between work to avoid this injury. They should tell workers to move around for better results.

Conclusion:

Workplace injuries are common but you can prevent them with the right amount of care. In case they happen, employees can file for workplace injuries compensation. We, at Concise Medico, support you by providing expert reports.