According to estimates by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), more than a million workers in the United States will lose time from the job in 2019 because of a work-related injury. The number may seem staggering, but it’s down more than 70% from just 20 years ago. Nonetheless, the workplace can still be a pretty dangerous place.
The Most Common Workplace Accidents and Injuries
Regardless of where you work, whether it’s an office, a warehouse, retail or a construction site, the single most frequent cause of injury on the job is a slip and fall. That includes falls from heights, such as ladders, scaffold, platforms, roofs, cranes and upper levels on construction projects.
Other common causes of workplace injury include:
- Lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling injuries—Employees frequently attempt to take on too much weight or fail to use proper techniques for moving large or heavy objects.
- Repetitive stress or motion injury—This type of injury can affect a worker in any occupation, from a cashier to a machine operator to a computer programmer. It may involve motion or the lack of motion—standing in the same place for 8 hours can lead to debilitating injury.
- Collisions—Crashes involving heavy construction equipment, forklifts and other motorized vehicles.
- Falling objects—On a construction site, it can be a tool, piece of construction material, bit of refuse or debris, or even another person. In warehouses or retail, overstocked shelves and often be the source of serious injury.
- Injuries caused by lack of training or supervision—Many job-related injuries occur because an employee attempts to operate equipment or machinery, or use tools, without receiving adequate training, instruction or supervision.
- Inhalation of toxic fumes or exposure to toxic substances
Contact SOAR for Experienced Medical Professionals
Let SOAR help you on your path to wellness. For more information about the range of services we offer, contact us today or call our offices at 844-434-SOAR.
