The construction industry, for example, accounts for approximately one in five work-related deaths in private industry in our country, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This is because construction workers face heavy exposure to what OSHA calls the “Four Fatal Accident Risks”: falling, being hit by an object, electrocution, and being trapped in or between objects. Here are the 10 most reported work-related accidents in our country, according to the National Safety Council, OSHA, and data collected annually by Liberty Mutual Insurance from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Social Security Academy. Workers can suffer electrocution-related injuries when working around exposed cords or cables.
Faulty electrical outlets can also cause damage. In some cases, workers experience electrocution when working around power lines or colliding with underground cables while digging. Employers must ensure that all electrical hazards are identified and give their workers appropriate warnings. Pulling, lifting, pushing, holding, carrying and throwing activities are the most common causes of work-related injuries.
Overexertion injuries can occur in a single incident. They can also be cumulative or the result of years of doing the same strenuous activity on a daily basis. A worker who slips or stumbles without falling can also injure muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Excessive exertion can result in long-lasting physical damage, ranging from lower back injuries to chronic joint pain caused by wear and tear.
To avoid overexertion, employers should train workers on how to properly perform physical tasks, such as lifting heavy objects. They should also provide assistance equipment and give workers ample rest time. A worker who accidentally crashes or is pushed against a wall, door, cabinet, window, machinery, or vehicle may suffer head, knee, neck, or foot injuries. Sometimes, these accidents happen because workers simply don't pay attention to where they're going.
For example, in the past 15 years, cell phone use has increased eightfold in the U.S. UU. Most poisoning accidents involve medicines, cleaning products, and cosmetics that we usually have in our homes. This is why it is essential to keep any product that may be dangerous out of the reach of children as a preventive measure.
A fall can affect people of all ages, but it's more common among young and old people. Often, when a child falls, it only takes a few words of encouragement to recover. However, if the person who suffered the fall feels sleepy, vomits, or loses consciousness, it is crucial to seek medical attention. Explosions and fires in the workplace are often caused by risk factors, such as faulty gas pipes, improperly stored combustible materials, or open flames.
Resulting injuries incurred include damage to the respiratory system, varying degrees of burns, and even possible disfigurement. Explosions and fires account for 3 percent of workplace injuries and have the highest casualty rate of all possible work-related accidents. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most costly work injuries. Complaints of back pain alone cost employers more than $7 billion a year and result in the loss of more than 100 million work days a year.
These types of injuries contribute to lost productivity and millions in annual costs of paying health benefits. The financial impact on the employer is one thing, but the long-term effects on workers can be serious and potentially debilitating, accounting for nearly 33 percent of occupational injuries. Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the rapidly growing category of workplace injuries and comprises more than 100 different types of work-induced injuries, and are severe enough to inhibit simple activities with crippling and debilitating pain. They could even, over time, permanently impair a worker's ability to perform their work.
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