Top 5 Preventable Workplace Injuries

According to the National Safety Council, there are some very common hazards in the workplace causing injuries, bodily trauma, and even death. But the one thing these hazards have in common is that they can be easily prevented, here is a list of the five most common injuries and what you can do to prevent them:

Over-extertion of the body during activities such as lifting, pushing, and pulling are responsible for about $13.6 billion in benefit costs annually.

Remedy: Eliminate potential hazards by providing training on proper ways to perform physical activities to avoid injury as well as use of equipment such as hand trucks to lessen impact on the body. Make sure employees receive adequate breaks/rest time during jobs that can potentially cause overexertion.

Slips, Trips and Falls on wet or uneven surfaces and over objects is responsible for a substantial number of bodily trauma injuries and other medical issues sustained by workers.

Remedy: Provide proper signage for areas that are wet/slippery and place non-skid safety tape to improve traction. Mark uneven spaces on floors/steps with highly visible tape to alert traffic to potential hazards.

Falls from Heights are one of the most preventable hazards in the workplace. Most falls are due to simple lack of safety equipment.

Remedy: Proper PPE equipment, such as a safety harness is key in precluding falls from ladders, roofs, and scaffolding.

Reaction Injuries such as slips and trips without falling can cause physical damage in the form of bodily trauma and muscle injuries resulting from the reflexive action of one attempting to cope with a slip or fall.

Remedy: Just as in slip/trip/and fall prevention, non-skid tape and proper signage are critical in preventing these type of muscle injury and trauma.

Falling Objects are the cause of many serious injuries at work. Items falling from shelves or from others working above can result in head, neck, and foot as well as other injuries.

Remedy: Placing materials in proper storage areas and ensuring items are properly stacked in a safe, secure manner can prevent such injuries. Additionally, wearing proper PPE such as hard hats and/or using proper signage in areas where debris may be likely to fall can go a long way in side-stepping this hazard.