Types of workplace injury

There are a lot of dangers in the workplace, all of which could cause quite serious damage to a worker if no appropriate precautions are taken against them beforehand. There are four main types of workplace injury, listed below, and the steps that can be taken to prevent them from affecting you.

• Back injuries – Physical overload is the single main cause of workplace injuries and can be caused by lifting, straining and bending etc. When lifting something, use appropriate equipment if it is available, and never lift from your back, always bend at the knees and lift this way. You can also pick up a back injury from having incorrect posture, especially if your job primarily involves sitting at a desk all day, as do many jobs nowadays. To avoid back injury from sitting, you can sit in the 90-90-90 position, whereby your knees, hips and elbows are all position at 90 degrees to the chair and table.
• Being hit or struck – Another common injury at work is when workers are struck or hit by one of the number of hazards in the workplace. There are no specific precautions that can be taken here, because there are a variety of hazards that fall into this category, so just be aware of what is around you and how it may pose a threat to your safety. Give yourself enough space when passing under and past equipment, or going through walkways.
• Falls – A lot of workers suffer injury through falling off ladders and other raised platforms, such as when stacking shelves or doing construction work. The best way to avoid this type of injury is to ensure that the equipment you are using is secure and all appropriate safety checks have been carried out regularly. Be sure that you wear good quality footwear to prevent you from slipping, and make sure that there are no hazards on the surface on which you are standing, such as oil or water.
• Machine accidents – Machinery-related accidents are also quite common and because of the new and complicated methods of production constantly being introduced, lack of knowledge about operation leads to injuries. You should always wear appropriate safety equipment when working with machinery, such as goggles, gloves and coveralls. Make sure that you have been given adequate training to use any new machinery, because lack of experience could be dangerous.

If you have suffered an injury at work or want to claim criminal injury compensation, contact the experts at Irwin Mitchell.