Considering the fact that people spend most of their waking hours at work, it should come as no surprise that getting injured on the job is fairly common in many industries. People working in fields such as construction, factory production, and public safety are particularly susceptible to getting a work-related injury. However, people who work in offices and other relatively safe environments can also be injured while working. Here are three of the more common work-related injuries.
- Repetitive Motion
Repetitive motion injuries are caused by repeating the same action over and over again. This is one type of injury that office workers are particularly prone to suffering from since they tend to do a large amount of typing, filing documents, and other tasks that require performing the same movement repeatedly and for long periods of time. Mechanics and people who perform maintenance tasks can also receive repetitive strain injuries when using tools like hammers and screwdrivers. There are certain things that you can do to help prevent repetitive motion injuries, such as ensuring that you have good posture and taking breaks from your tasks as needed.
- Slips and Falls
Employees in all types of work environments are prone to slips and falls. Slips and falls can be caused by such things as a chemical spill in a laboratory, a drink spilled in the break room, or a foreign object laying on the floor in a poorly lit area. If you fall and are injured because of negligence on the part of a company, an injury attorney will be able to explore your options with you regarding compensation for money spent on treatment and time that you had to take off from work. To help prevent these types of injuries in the workplace, clean up spills right away or ensure that there are signs warning people that the floor may be slippery.
- Exposure to Harmful Substances
Some workplaces that might see more of these types of injuries include construction sites, science laboratories, and factories. Construction workers work around dust and possibly asbestos, which is harmful if it gets into the lungs. Scientists work around a multitude of chemicals that can be very dangerous if not handled and stored properly. Always properly train employees who are going to be working around potentially harmful chemicals and other substances.
Exercise caution in the workplace to help prevent these three common work-related injuries among you and your coworkers.
