Did you know that someone is hurt on the job every 7 seconds? It could be your friend and co-worker in an office who trips and falls or a construction worker who falls from a height. The National Safety Administration states that upwards of 12,600 people are hurt each day, leading to around 4.6 million injured people each year. These accidents are largely preventable and should be prevented when possible.
Safety at a worksite or at your place of employment comes first. Being safe doesn’t just protect you, it also helps your employer protect their bottom line. When someone gets hurt and misses work, that costs an employer money. Losing a single day may not seem like much, but when you look at the 104 million days of lost production linked to work-related injuries, you can see why it’s so significant.
So, how can employees avoid injury?
There are three primary ways that people get hurt on the job including:
- Coming into contact with objects and equipment
- Slipping, tripping and falling
- Overexerting themselves
If you want to avoid injury, then taking steps to avoid these injuries is a good place to start. To do so, take regular breaks, wear the right personal protective equipment, use ladders on an even, solid surface and be sure to use good housekeeping practices.
Your employer should be certain to have regular safety meetings and to be involved in making sure that people follow through with safety protocols at all times. They are responsible for providing you with a safe workplace and cannot allow people to do things that put others at risk. If you do get hurt, you should speak with them about filing for workers’ compensation.
