Getting hurt at work can have a huge impact on your life. An unexpected absence from work means you don’t have time to prepare. Missing time from work can mean missed pay checks. There is also a stack of paperwork that has to be completed for insurance purposes. Clearly, a work-related injury is something you want to avoid.
The key to avoiding this mess is to lower your risk of injury.
If you know what types of injuries are likely to occur, then you can take steps to prevent them from happening to you.
The first thing to realize is that work injuries can happen to anyone. On the list of top 10 preventable work injuries, #6 is “Walking into Injuries.” Walking into a wall. Walking into a door. Walking into a desk. Head, foot, and hand injuries result from these types of accidents at work all the time. In fact, walking into objects accounts for more workers’ comp claims than vehicle crashes, machine entanglement, repetitive motion injuries, and on-the-job violence.
The simple solution is to watch where you are going. Pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t walk and text at the same time. This holds true for the #2 most preventable injury: slipping or tripping at work.
The #1 most preventable workers’ compensation claim is overexertion injuries. Common activities like lifting, pushing, carrying, or pulling heavy items accounted for more than $13 billion in claims in 2013. Overexertion injuries most often include sprains and strains that cause low back pain.
Repetitive motion injuries, #9 on the list, is closely related to overexertion. Carpal tunnel syndrome is among the most common of these types of injuries, due to the amount of time employees spend at the computer typing on a keyboard.
Employers can be mindful about preventing injuries at work, too. Keeping the workplace safe includes keeping it tidy, easy to navigate, and alerting employees when floors or walkways are slippery. To reduce the risk of overexertion injuries, employees should be trained on proper lifting techniques and given sufficient breaks from work activities.
Here is the top 10 list of injuries that can be avoided at work (according to the National Safety Council, 2013):
- Overexertion
- Slipping and tripping
- Falling from heights
- Reaction injuries
- Falling objects
- Walking into something
- Vehicle crashes
- Machine entanglement
- Repetitive motion injuries
- On-the-job violence
If you do find yourself dealing with a workplace injury in South Florida, turn to Meli Orthopedic Centers of Excellence. We have orthopedic specialists in Ft. Lauderdale and Margate. We have multiple providers who are able to help you deal with the paperwork and overcome your injury quickly.
Meet our workers’ comp specialists.