Tagged with 'workplace injury'

With the never-ending rise in technology over the last 15 years, cell phones have rapidly adapted into something we seemingly cannot live without. What began as crude portable contraptions has evolved into to sleek and powerful devices offering access to a plethora of information combined with multiple platforms for instant global communication at the convenience of your fingertips. However, this rise in technology brings with it an unfortunate downside - personal safety.
 
We've all heard the horror stories, usually involving motor vehicle accidents due to talking and/or texting while driving. While those are most definitely legitimate dangers and a true cause for concern, we might tend to overlook another dangerous aspect of advanced technology - cell phones in the workplace.
 
There are not quite any concrete numbers available, but this is a very real hazard. Reports claim that since 2006, the number of cell phone related accidents involving injury and death have nearly doubled each year. This is an important concern for the workplace, even more so for industries and occupations that already pose above average hazards.
 

Accidents Happen Quickly

Consider the following examples of life-changing accidents that were directly related to cellular phone use in the workplace.
 
Forklift operator Ramon Jamison discusses what happened the day he was distracted by texting and struck a co-worker:
“I usually keep my phone in my locker every morning, but my wife was having an ultrasound that morning and I wanted to know if we were having a little boy or a little girl, so I kept my phone with me,” says Ramon.
 
“I was moving stacks of pallets in the storage yard when I heard the message alert go off,” he adds. Ramon says he was so excited to find out that he didn’t even think about not checking his text. He looked down and had to focus on his phone for a moment to select and read the text.
 
“That’s when Ronnie suddenly walked in front of the forklift and I didn’t see him until I heard him shout,” he continues. “The thought of anyone walking in front of my forklift was the furthest thing from my mind.”
 
What should have been one of the best days of his life ended up being one of the worst. Not only did Ramon lose his job for violating his company’s rules on cell phone use, his actions caused the death of a friend and a co-worker.
 
Machine operator's split-second decision results in traumatic injury:
Believe it or not, even though you may want to stay in constant contact with your social and family life, very few things really require that you do so. Machine operator Iris McMurray explains how her desire for instant access to information led to an instant injury as well.
 
“During lunch, my boyfriend and I were texting each other about our last minute weekend trip to the beach. He was trying to find a nice hotel that still had a vacancy,” says Iris.
 
“We’re not supposed to take our phones into the production area, but everybody does it, so I figured it would be okay. Plus, I was really eager to find out if he found a place to stay,” she adds.
 
Iris said she worked for a while and then noticed she had a text from her boyfriend concerning their hotel room.
 
“It happened so fast! As I tried to reply, I somehow dropped the phone right into my machine,” she says. “My first reaction was to grab it before it got eaten by the machine, or worse yet, jam up the production line.” When Iris dropped her phone, she tried to grab it off of the machine’s conveyor, but her hand was crushed when it was caught between the conveyor belt and the roller.
 
"I’ll have to live with that split second decision for the rest of my life. If I had just followed company policy, and just waited until my afternoon break. If I had just thought about how dangerous texting around that machine was. Now, every time I look at my hand, I wonder, what if?” Iris concludes.
 
Iris could have waited to correspond with her boyfriend; it really would not have made any difference other than her eagerness to know the weekend plans. We’ve all heard the expression, “Curiosity killed the cat.” In this case, a desire for instant information injured Iris.
 
Also, consider the following recent accidents involving cellphone usage while working.
 
• A N.B worker steps in front of a truck while talking on his cell phone and dies
• A major Metrolink rail crash that kills 18 people is directly related to an engineer text messaging on the job
• A truck driver slams into a completely stopped car while using his cell phone and kills a woman
 
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
 

Create Awareness, Adopt a Policy

Many employers have strict restrictions in place for using cell phones in the workplace, especially while performing duties. However, it's one of those things that's often ignored by workers and even management. While it's nice to have the ability to be in constant contact with family and friends, we have to understand that it can cost us our health, our life, or the life of an innocent co-worker.
 
If you're working on a ladder, a lift, with heavy equipment, potentially dangerous machinery or hazardous materials, this risk is exponentially multiplied. When performing any of those duties, your top priority needs to be safety - and that's not possible when you're distracted. Even if you're standing safely in place on the ground, the temporary distraction of a text or phone call may render you incapable of seeing and avoiding a falling object that could cause injury or death.
 
Be sure to consider this next time you're on the job. If you're an employer, take the time to have a serious talk with your employees and implement rules for using cell phones in the workplace. If you're an employee, speak to your employer about this hazard and ask them to address your concerns in an effort to educate your co-workers and create a safer and more efficient workplace for everyone.
 

When one considers workplace accidents and workplace safety, they might agree that with the proper education and practices a good majority of injury incidents could be prevented. While there are surely a fair share of freak accidents, there's also a fair share that occur due to conditions such as sloppiness, carelessness, lack of safety education, lack of training and poorly maintained or faulty equipment.
 
When you work the same job day after day, it's easy to become comfortable with your equipment and surroundings - sometimes too comfortable. In an effort to simplify things, meet deadlines, save money and sometimes simply because the risk just doesn't seem that serious, millions of American workers suffer serious injuries each year on the job. From slip & falls to burns, puncture wounds, concussions and broken bones, there's never any shortage of preventable incidents.
 
If one actually took a minute to think about the risk involved, they might severely lower the chances of harming themselves or others. For example, aside from the standard risk that applies while performing a job or task by employing the proper safety protocols, there should be no additional risk. If you have to ask yourself "Is this going to be safe? Do I think this will work? Will this probably be okay? Is it safe enough to finish up this last little part?" then you're probably creating a risk for yourself that you shouldn't take. Gambling with safety in the workplace is definitely no game - especially considering you could be gambling with the safety of others who are now involuntarily exposed to the safety risks of your decision. Are you willing to make that decision for them? Are you willing to put their life or well-being on the line without their consent? Generally speaking, if you're taking shortcuts in safety then that's exactly what you're doing.
 
It seems too often that people are relying on protection instead of prevention. How many times have you seem someone throw on a hard hat and immediately place themselves in a position or situation of high-risk because they're not properly educated on safety? How many times have you seen someone get hurt in their first month on the job, even though the were wearing the proper personal protective equipment? How many times have you seen a co-worker repeatedly yet unintentionally place themselves at severe risk of injury simply because they weren't fully aware of the potential dangers? We're pretty confident that at you've seen at least one of these situations before.
 
While we won't deny that unfortunate circumstances can arise seemingly out of nowhere, we refuse to believe in a safety policy that's based solely on protection. Of course those steel-toed boots will help protect your toes from an impressive amount of bone-crushing force, but they won't help prevent you from losing a whole leg. And while that high visibility safety vest will provide added protection during low-visibility or in high traffic areas, it won't prevent you from dying on the scene should you be hit by a vehicle traveling at 60+ MPH or being ran over by an excavator.
 
Safety is important. Protection is also important. But without the proper education and training in workplace accident prevention, the risk is never really diminished.
 
Before diving headfirst into an empty swimming pool, wouldn't you check the depth of the pool first? Wait, an EMPTY pool? You shouldn't dive into an empty pool regardless of the depth, right? Right. So apply that idea to something in the workplace - let's say a frayed piece of cable. Wouldn't you test the strength of the frayed cable to ensure it's safe before using it to lift a massive piece of material? You might, but if you're even considering using the frayed cable to lift something, you're taking a serious gamble. Please, don't do it.
 
Ask yourself, are you really aware of all the risks that exist in and around your workplace? Do you know how to minimize those risks? Do you have a plan of action should a freak accident occur? How about your co-workers? How about visitors? How about your employer? If you answered no, it's time to change things.
 
For more information on accident prevention in the workplace, visit the OSHA Injury & Illness Prevention page today. Make a plan today. Don't wait until it's too late, and more importantly, don't rely on protection!
 

To showcase the importance of personal protective equipment in the workplace, we've put together this little fact sheet. Not only can the proper safety gear prevent accidents or death, it can drastically diminish the chances of serious injury on the job.
 
If you're working in an environment where your personal safety can be enhanced from the use of additional protective equipment, don't hesitate to do so. Incorporating preventative measures that will decrease your risk of injury is always a step in the right direction.
 
While you might think you've been properly protecting yourself on the job, statistics show that:
 
• Only 16% of workers who suffered head injuries were wearing hard hats
• Only 1% of workers who suffer face injuries were wearing face protection
• Only 23% of the workers who suffered foot injuries were wearing safety shoes/boots
• Only 40% of the workers suffering eye injuries were wearing protective eye equipment
 
The vast majority of the instances mentioned above were received while performing normal job duties at a typical job site. In other words, a substantial amount of injuries that happened were injuries other than what might be considered common for a specific task. While protective equipment alone cannot guarantee the absence of injury during an accident, it's a positive measure that can greatly decrease the injury that might be sustained. It's important to expect the unexpected.
 
The data that we've compiled below comes directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and has been broken down by the different types of personal protection equipment that are commonly used on the job.
 
Head Protection
When it comes to head injuries, the resulting damage can be quite serious. 86% of head injuries included cuts or bruises to the scalp/forehead and concussions occurred in 26% of incidents. Over a third of overall head injuries are a direct result of falling objects striking workers.
 
Foot and Leg Protection
66% of workers suffering leg and/or foot injuries were wearing protective footwear while 34% were wearing regular street shoes. Of the ones wearing safety shoes or boots, 85% were injured due to being struck in an unprotected area of the shoe or boot.
 
Eye and Face Protection
Of the injured workers who were surveyed, nearly all of them indicated that the use of face and/or eye protection was not a normal practice or not required for the type of work being performed when the accident occurred. Nearly 1/3 of all facial injuries are caused by blunt metal objects weighing one pound or more. Cuts, lacerations and punters occurred in 48% of cases while fractures and lost teeth accounted for nearly 27%.
 
These are just a sample of the statistics. There are many other types of injuries that can be sustained on the job including hand and arm injuries, torso injury, damage from failure or improper use of respiratory equipment and even impairment or loss of hearing due to a failure to utilize proper ear protection.
 
Remember that personal protective equipment is not a replacement for proper procedure and safety gear does not eliminate hazards. Every workplace is different and the risks that are presented can constantly vary. Stay safe, remain aware and always protect yourself with the proper safety gear.
 

Nearly a year after the 2012 year has ended, the numbers have been compiled and figures provided by the federal government are showing that there were fewer serious workplace injuries as compared to 2011. However, the numbers are also showing that the injuries resulted in longer periods of time away from work, with the average amount of time being 9 days for recuperation as compared to 8 days in 2011.
 
In other words, there have been fewer injuries overall but the injuries themselves have been more serious occurrences.
 
Of the total, ergonomic injuries account for about 34% (or one in three), which is generally unchanged from the prior year. Yet again, the average amount of time away from work as a result of these injuries increased to 12 days from 11. Injuries to laborers and those working with freight, stock and materials showed the highest number of ergonomically injuries with a rate of 164 injuries per 10,000 workers. In 2011 there were only 140 injuries per 10,000.
 
The leading general causes for injuries in 2012 are as follows
 
• Overexertion, responsible for 63% of cases
• Slips, trips and falls which account for 23%
 
The most common types of injuries that occurred were sprains, strains and tears. These accounted for 38% of the total while shoulder problems make up 13% and knee problems account for 12%.
 
While one might assume that older employees might be more susceptible to injuries related to overexertion, the lowest injury rate was actually among those workers who fall into the group of 65 or older. Additionally, the same group required the longest amount of recovery time and therefor the longest number of days out of work at an average of 14 days. The highest injury rate by age group was among those who are 45 to 54 years old.
 
The seriousness of training and safety precautions among employers and employees is also a concern, as numbers are showing that new workers with less experience account for 30% of all cases which is an 8% increase over the 2011 working year.
 
Of course, there are always certain areas where injury numbers will rise and other areas where numbers will fall. These are factors that depend on which statistical variables are analyzed and reported on. When grouped by occupation, age, type of injury and other factors, the numbers can change drastically. The most important factor is that the number of fatal injuries has decreased in 2012, which is definitely a positive statistic.
 
Whether you're an employer or an employee, workplace safety should be a top priority. We spend a lot of time at work which means there's an increased chance that we will experience and injury at some point. Observing and exercising the best safety practices can not only reduce the intensity of these injuries but it can prevent them altogether. Encourage your employees, employer or co-workers to educate themselves on workplace safety and to follow the best practices for their occupation and job duties. Remember, a safe workplace is a smart workplace.