Most people don’t expect to show up to work in the morning as a healthy employee and leave later that day with a workers’ compensation claim. However, this is something that many people will experience in their lifetime. These types of personal injuries can cause you not only physical pain, but emotional and financial pain as well. So to help keep you healthy and avoid any accidents at work or just in your daily life, here are three common causes for workplace and other injuries and how to avoid them.
Physical And Mental Fatigue
When you’re tired, you’re not giving yourself or your actions the attention needed to be safe. Especially if you’re in a dangerous situation, like working around heavy machinery or using dangerous tools or other objects, you want to ensure that you’re prepared physically and mentally for the tasks at hand. If you’re not, Christina Hamlett, a contributor to Chron Small Business, shares that you can have delayed response times that could put you in serious danger. To keep this from happening you, make sure you’re getting the rest you need before going to work and that you’re always giving your job your undivided attention when participating in something that would be considered dangerous.
The Handling Of Materials
Another big cause for injuries both at work and during personal time is through the handling, or mishandling, of materials. While it’s not so much the actual materials that we’re going to focus on, it’s more of what happens to you after you’ve mishandled those materials. According to Karla Bowsher, a contributor to Money Talks News, when materials are mishandled, you can get cuts, bruises, fractures, punctures, sprains or strains, and inflammation. Depending on the extent of these injuries, you may have to abstain from work or play for a period of time until you’re healed. But if you’re always safely handling materials, using correct lifting techniques and not overworking yourself, you can reduce your chances of getting injured in this way.
Insufficient Training
Similar to the mishandling of materials, injuries can also occur when you’ve had insufficient training with a procedure or piece of equipment. Giselle Tattrie, a contributor to BizFluent, shares that you should always get the proper training before using things like heavy machinery or certain tools. If you’re using these things for your job, your employer should offer this training to you before you begin using them. If this training doesn’t happen, both you and your employer are putting yourselves at risk for some serious repercussions.
To keep yourself safe from injury, it’s good to know what some of the most common injuries are and how to best avoid them. Consider the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe in all areas of your life.