Many employees fall victim to very common workplace injuries. The sad thing is, these are very common but are not really addressed because they all seem minor. With simple precautionary measures though, you can diminish the chances that your employees will meet accidents while at work. So, what are the top 10 workplace injuries?
1. Overexertion
The number one most common workplace injury is overexertion. This is mostly related to manual handlings such as pushing and pulling, carrying, holding, throwing, lifting, and other activities that require the use of hands and limbs. Most common incidents filed under overexertion involve hand and arm strain, back pain, and others.
2. Falls On the Same Level
This pertains to falls that have happened on same-level surfaces. Common injuries filed in this category are slipping on wet floors, falling on snow-covered surfaces, and others. Most victims of this accident are elderly employees who have lesser control over their balance.
3. Falls To Lower Level
Falling from stairways, roofs, ladders and other elevated areas are the top three most common workplace accidents in 2009. It has consistently been among the top three incidents for the past couple of years.
4. Bodily Reactions
Slips and trips are, without a doubt, among the most common accidents occurring in the workplace. These are listed as the fourth most common accident in 2009 because at least $5.4 billion were spent on giving medical attention to employees who have tripped or slipped in the workplace.
5. Struck By Objects
These involve accidents such as tools falling directly on any part of the workers' body as well as falling debris and concrete objects from elevated surfaces that resulted in hospitalization. Accidents as minor as books hitting the head of the worker are also included under this category.
6. Highway Incidents
Official business trips account for more than $2.5 billion spent on hospitalization, surgeries, and treatment in 2009. This type of accident involves car collisions and other accidents that occurred on highways and among pedestrians.
7. Caught In/Compressed By
These are injuries that result from workers being compressed by or caught in any operation of workplace machinery. Injuries of this kind can also result from exposure to extreme heat.
8. Repetitive Motion
Prolonged repetitive motion accounts for hundreds of insurance claims filed every year. Clerical jobs and other types of jobs that require an extended period of physical repetitive work are often the cause of job-related carpal tunnel syndrome, vision problems, and physical injuries.
9. Struck Against Objects
$2 billion dollars were spent on accidents involving the employee being struck against objects in 2009 alone. This category includes accidents such as running into doors, windows, walls, tables, chairs, and other concrete objects.
10. Workplace Violence
It seems to many that workplace violence is not a reality. Every year, many people are victimized by violent assaults, sexual harassment, coercion, physical attacks, robbery, homicide, and other forms of workplace violence.
