If you have ever been injured on the job, and perhaps even if you haven’t, you may wonder what the leading causes of workplace injuries are. Fortunately, the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety studies the causes of workplace injuries and shares their findings with the public so as to promote awareness of workplace injury risks.
The results of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety 2014 Workplace Safety Index indicate that the leading causes of workplace injuries in America are overexertion and falls. In fact, of the top ten causes of workplace injuries, four of the top five causes are related to exertion or falls. Injuries that are caused by exertion and falls are responsible for approximately half of the costs that employers paid to employees who were injured in 2012. Since two types of injuries are responsible for such a large portion of the total amount of injuries sustained in workplace accidents, it is important that both employers and employees educate themselves about the risk factors for those types of injuries in their particular work environment.
When employers train their employees to perform the tasks associated with their jobs, they must show them how to perform those tasks safely. For example, employers can lower the risks that are associated with things like lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling by teaching their employees how to decide whether they can safely move an item by themselves or with a partner and how to perform the task of moving the item safely.
There are many reasons that employees can fall at work, and employers can educate themselves about the particular risks that are present in their workplace environments. When employers understand what the risks are, they can take action to reduce them through actions like replacing floors with materials that are less slippery when a workspace is remodeled or requiring the use of non-slip footwear in areas where it is appropriate to do so. Floor maintenance is also an area where employers can reduce risks by assessing the products and procedures that are used in their facilities to see whether there are any things that can be changed in order to make things safer for employees.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorneys
If you have experienced an injury at work due to overexertion or a fall, you know that workplace injuries can be painful and costly. Workplace accident victims experience both the short term pain of the injury itself and the long-term pain that is associated with the recovery process. Since many workplace injuries keep accident victims out of work for an extended period of time, financial pressures can cause a great deal of stress for workplace accident victims and their families. The Mississippi Workplace Injury Lawyers at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. have helped many workplace accident victims and their families pursue the financial recovery that they deserve, and they can help you, too. To learn how, please call our office at (601) 355-2022, to schedule an initial consultation.