Avoiding Accidents at Work

It'’s in the best interest of the workers and employers alike to avoid an accident at work. The worker obviously doesn’t want to be injured, but neither does the employer want to face government inspections and reviews that can hurt their business, not to mention the harmful effect on workplace moral. To help avoid injuries it’s useful to keep the following ten things in mind:

1. Observe proper lifting techniques. There are many resources available to instruct you on safe lifting.
2. Don’t stretch before strenuous physical activity - warm up instead. Stretching increases your range of motion by gently tearing you ligaments; this temporarily weakens them and increases the chance of injury. Take a quick jog or do some jumping jacks instead.
3. When typing, ensure that your feet are flat on the floor. This improves your posture and decreases the likelihood of back injury.
4. Know your rights regarding dangerous work. Different areas have different laws governing this. Consult your state or national labour board for details.
5. Come to work well rested and well fed. Many injuries are the result of inattention and it can be difficult to focus when tired or hungry.

Increasing your overall physical fitness will decrease the likelihood you will ever need to make a compensation claim. Even people who work physical jobs need properly structured exercise. Many workers have high anaerobic fitness but poor aerobic fitness. Ensure that all safety equipment is worn and that it is in good working condition. Everything wears out eventually so make sure that your safety equipment is regularly checked. Beware repetitive stress injuries. Just because a task is not physically taxing, doesn’t mean it won’t cause injury. Use ergonomic equipment whenever possible and be sure to exercise the antagonist muscle groups of any often repeated task. (All joint motions have what are called protagonist and antagonist muscle groups. The protagonist muscles are those involved in a given motion, the antagonist muscles return the joint to a resting position. Having healthy and strong antagonist and protagonist muscles is key to maintaining healthy joints.
9. Read medication warnings. Many over the counter medications can impair your reactions and judgments. Consult your pharmacist whenever you begin using a new medication during work hours.

Work with your employer to avoid an accident at work. It’s in both of your interests to keep a safe workplace so anytime you have a safety concern, present it to your employer in a non-adversarial way. Should the worst happen, there is the possibility of persuing an accident claim against your employer.