Leading Causes of Workplace Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Zealous Advocacy for Employees Injured in a Charleston or Columbia Workplace Injury

The workplace or jobsite can be a dangerous place. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently ranks industries such as the construction industry and maritime-related jobs as some of the most dangerous in the country. However, the truth is that any workplace – from the fast food restaurant to the high-rise office building – can be the site of a tragic and terrible workplace accident. These accidents can wreak havoc on your personal life, your family’s finances, and your professional future. While compensation is available to injured workers, it is far better to avoid workplace accidents in the first place.

Common Causes of Myrtle Beach Workplace Accidents

Every day throughout South Carolina, workers are injured while on the job in workplace accidents. While there may be an endless number of situations and circumstances that can lead to a workplace accident, some of the more common causes of Clinton workplace injuries include:

• Falls: Falls are a leading cause of serious workplace injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, neck injuries, and spinal cord injuries. Falls can also result in hip or leg injuries that may require lengthy periods of recuperation. Roofers and others workers in the construction industry are at an increased risk of falling from heights, but an office worker who slips and falls on a bathroom floor or a department store worker who trips and falls down stairs while walking merchandise to the basement can suffer serious injuries as well.
• Over-exertion: An over-exertion injury typically causes debilitating back pain that limits your ability to perform your job and normal, everyday activities. Most over-exertion injuries are the result of pushing your body beyond its capabilities – attempting to lift a load that is too heavy, for example, or improperly picking up a load. Over-exertion injuries result in harm to the muscles and nerves of the affected area. Pain in the back and/or legs (which may be excruciating) is usually the first indication that the worker has suffered an over-exertion injury.
• Repetition: As anyone who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome knows, repetitive motions and actions performed for hours every day can lead to inflammation and pain. You may be required to rest the affected body part for a period of time – which means that you may not be able to work (or may have to accept a less-demanding and lower paying position) for a period of time. In some severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the harm caused by these injuries.
• Machinery accidents: Large, heavy equipment like cranes, dump trucks, and bulldozers on a construction site is an obvious danger: Workers can be pinned between the machine and a stationary object or crushed beneath the machine’s weight. But even offices and restaurants have dangerous machines: a trash compactor presents a deadly crush hazard if workers are not careful, and a restaurants stoves and deep fryers can cause serious burns.

These are just a few of the causes of workplace injuries in South Carolina. Any time that a worker or person present on a jobsite does not exercise reasonable care and caution, a workplace injury can result.

Preventing Columbia Workplace Injuries

There is no way to prevent all workplace injuries: however, it is possible to reduce the chances that one will be injured on the job by exercising due care at all times at work. This includes:

• Being aware of your surroundings at all times, especially if you work near moving machines and vehicles;
• Wearing any protective equipment offered to you by your employer. For example, roofers and others who work at heights should wear fall-arrest devices that can catch the worker in the event of a fall. If you work in a dangerous profession (such as in the roofing and/or construction industry) and your employer refuses provide you with reasonable and appropriate protective equipment, report this to your supervisor and/or the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
• Not pushing yourself beyond your capabilities. If you cannot lift a load above a certain weight, then do not attempt to lift a box that is in excess of this weight.
• Making certain to take regular stretch breaks from your work activity to avoid repetitive injuries.

If you are injured in a workplace injury, the experienced and dedicated worker injury team at Joye Law Firm can help. Contact our firm by phone, or complete our online form, and let us help you obtain the benefits available to you as an injured worker in South Carolina.