Nearly one-third (30%) of lost-time injury claims result from slips, trips and falls (not to be confused with the Steve Martin/John Candy movie “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”). They are largely associated with slipping on ice/snow, water/grease, defective flooring and tripping over objects. Such injuries at work can perhaps result in significant disability resulting in lost wages, the need for work restrictions and even permanent disability. Workplace injuries can greatly affect a worker’s ability to perform gainful employment and earn a living. They may also impair the ability to enjoy and perform even basic activities of daily living, whether on a temporary or permanent basis. The Workers’ Compensation system compensates and provides medical benefits for such injuries.
Free E-book: The Worker’s Guide To Injury Compensation In Ohio
2) Overexertion on the job:
Overexertion is associated with over 30 percent of all lost-time injury claims according to the BWC. Such job-related injuries are typically related to lifting, pushing and pulling, bending and twisting, repetitive motions and awkward postures. 54% of lost-time injury claims resulting from overexertion are associated with lifting, pushing and pulling. Interestingly, professional truck drivers are at increased risk from developing carpal tunnel syndrome, not from overexertion but, rather, from steering wheel vibration that accompanies their long hours behind the wheel.
3) Auto Accidents & Assaults on the job:
A third category, according to one source, actually involves a hodgepodge of compensable injuries such as auto accidents and assaults while on the job (police and corrections officers are prone to these); becoming caught in or compressed by machinery; and being struck by objects. These can result in significant disability and ongoing impairment, even amputation or loss of use of body parts. Amputation and loss of use of body parts are compensable under the Ohio Workers’ Compensation system.
Safe Work Australia provides an annual report with key statistics on workplace related fatalities and injuries. These are the most common workplace accidents that require time off work and the best way to avoid them:
1.Muscular stress while lifting or handling objects.
This injury is by far the most regular workplace injury in Australia, with Safe Work reporting in 2015 that close to 40 percent of time off is for this reason.
Muscular stress can be avoided if staff have the right training and supervision. In the construction industry in particular, all workers must have a white card confirming they understand workplace hazards and know how to handle objects safely.
2. Falls
Nobody should work at heights without the proper training and safety equipment. While statistics are improving, around six percent of people are still injured at work after falling from a height.
Between 10 and 15 percent of those who have time off work have simply tripped over something. To reduce the risk of this happening, a Workplace Health and Safety officer should encourage all staff to maintain a tidy environment with no tripping hazards.
3. Mental stress
Overwork and issues like bullying cause mental stress, an issue that is responsible for more than five percent of employee time off work.
To reduce workplace stress, employers should encourage regular breaks and hold catch-ups with their staff to make sure they are not feeling weighed down or pressured by the people around them.
4. General muscular stress
Even sitting at a desk can result in injury. Workers report lower back pain and problems like carpal tunnel syndrome due to ergonomically unfriendly workspaces.
Qualified inspectors can carry out checks of workstations and make recommendations to minimise the risk of general muscular stress caused by repetitive activities.
5. Being hit by falling objects
While falling objects cause less than five percent of serious workplace injuries, it is the second cause of fatalities at work (after vehicle accidents).
Wearing the correct safety gear and following WHS procedures at all times will reduce the likelihood of such an incident.
— — —
Edway Training is one of Australia’s largest registered providers of White Card and First Aid training. Please follow the links to find out more about the relevant courses:
Correct implementation of regulations and policies crucial to ensuring employee safety, says OHS expert
By Maia Foulis
15 Nov 2021
Share
Building a culture of prevention is essential to an organization’s safety program.
We’ve all heard about one-off freak accidents that tragically occur at work such as drownings, shootings or spider bites.
But others just seem to keep happening and seem inherent to most workplaces – and it can be especially frustrating for safety professionals to keep having to deal with the same issues.
“On the whole, Canada is one of the safest countries for workers,” says Robert Winsloe, Managing Director of health and safety consultancy Arinite.
Arinite recently produced a global report on occupational hazards around the world, Canada was near the top of the list:
“The results found 1.93 fatal occupational injuries occurred per 100,000 workers in Canada, making the country the 26th safest across the globe,” says Winsloe. The report did nevertheless reveal that Canada’s fishing industry is the most dangerous in the world.
And just because Canada is among the safest countries for workers, it doesn’t mean that it can rest on its laurels – and it certainly does not mean that everything is perfect.
1, Slips, trips, and falls
Statistics can vary depending on the province, country and occupation as reporting mechanisms are different. Broadly though, some occupational injuries seem to always hover around near the top when listing most frequent injuries.
The National Safety Council (NSC) says that the top three leading causes of work-related injuries are overexertion, bodily reaction and slips, trips, and falls. These account for a whopping 84 per cent of all nonfatal injuries at work, says the NSC.
Falls are most common for those working at heights; slips and trips occur most frequently when there are wet or oily surfaces, icy or snowy surfaces, cluttered environments and uneven walking surfaces.
2, Repetitive stress and overexertion injuries
Statistics Canada data from 2013 reports that the most common injuries sustained at work were sprains and strains, which made up 49 per cent of most serious workplace injuries.
Musculoskeletal illnesses (MSIs) are a huge cause of concern across most industries, from office workers at risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome to those operating heavy machinery on worksites.
READ MORE: WorkSafeBC fellowship awardee on the importance of good ergonomics
3, Being struck by or caught in moving machinery
Most prevalent in the construction sector, these types of incidents caused around 13 per cent of workplace fatalities in Ontario over the past 10 years (according to the WSIB’s Statistical Report by the Numbers in 2016). The dangers come from being run over, crushed between two objects, or hit by material moved by construction equipment.
4, Vehicle-related accidents
While clear Canadian statistics are harder to find, in the U.S. motor vehicles are the first or second leading cause of death in every major industry group, according to NIOSH.
In 2018, 1,276 U.S. workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle on a public road died in a work-related crash, accounting for 24 per cent of all work-related deaths.
38 per cent of all deaths come from the transportation and warehousing industry, followed by the construction industry (12 per cent).
And these accidents do not only affect those in the transportation sector, 57 per cent of workers who died in 2018 were not employed in a motor vehicle operator job.
5, Fire and explosion-related injuries
Thomas Marchese, worker’s compensation attorney, says that while explosions and fires only account for 3 per cent workplace injuries, they actually have the highest casualty rate among workplace accidents.
Marchese describes four types of injuries most commonly associated with fires and explosions: primary blasts, which affect body tissues or ears and lungs due to the effects of pressure; secondary blasts, which occurs when flying objects hit nearby workers; tertiary blasts, which are high-energy explosions which can lift a worker off the ground; and quaternary blast, which includes crush injuries or exposure to toxic substances.
READ MORE: How world-leading company built its safety program
How to prevent workplace injuries
Workplace injuries can only be prevented through a proactive safety culture. In addition, says Winsloe: “Ensuring implementation of regulations and policies is coordinated and supported by all stakeholders is fundamental to reducing occupational risk, whether that’s at a business or governmental level.”
Everyone has their part to play when it comes to preventing workplace injuries. As Winsloe says, whether it is at a business or governmental level, implementing regulations and policies is crucial in making workplaces healthy and safe.
Worker behaviours and attitudes towards safety also play a huge part in preventing workplace injuries.
What to do when a worker gets injured
Even the most seasoned pros can panic when a worker gets injured – especially if the incident is serious.
In Canada, reporting can vary from location to location, depending on each province’s occupational health and safety legislation.
According to Manitoba’s Workplace Compensation Board (WCB), workers should immediately tell a supervisor that they are hurt. Their supervisor may invite them to complete a form with information about the injury. Depending on the injury, you may need to go to a healthcare provider, who will fill in additional paperwork which will be used to manage your claim.
You may have guessed it; injuries entail a lot of paperwork. But that’s not the only thing to do when a worker gets injured.
If injury rates increase, or if the same injuries keep happening, organizations should review their safety program and if necessary, make changes so that it is up to scratch so as to ensure that workers are as safe as possible.