Injuries at work are a matter to be treated very seriously with thousands of Britons treated for work related injuries every year, millions of pounds spent in compensation and millions of days off work there is a significant problem for the individual and the country.
Knowing the most common injuries can mean being knowledgeable of the common culprits of injury and gives each of us a better idea of what to look out for.
There are about 24 million days lost at work each year in Britain and about 6 million of those are due to work related injuries.
The most common reason injuries happen is because a person is negligent in their actions or behaviour and falls, trips and slips make up the most common cause of injury in the work place. So whether it is a wet floor or a rickety ladder, there are safety issues at hand that must be watched out for. Trips and falls account for 40 per cent or so of the work place injuries and most can be prevented with a little mindfulness and people doing their jobs.
In second place for the causes of injury are electrical shocks and related issues. Once again electrical issues can be prevented by ensuring some simple safety guidelines are followed. These are caused by bad handling of equipment and bad wiring and other issues not being catered for in old buildings.
Manual handling is the third most common cause of injury in the work place. Manual handling and lifting of materials causes numerous issues, though the most common are back problems. These issues are contributed to by bad posture and poor seating among other problems. Lifting courses are there to teach people how to lift items, though it seems years of bad habits can’t be catered for in many cases and even after these people injure backs.
Falling objects are also a very common reason for injury and this is another area that is easily avoidable with a little more effort and care from people. Ladders and other items should be provided for those who wish to lift things down, as well as harnesses should they be required. Safe packing and stacking of items also has its place in this area and ensures that people are in a far safer position.
Transport injuries are also very common, whether in the work place or outside of it. These can include anything from injuries working forklifts to injuries on the road. The usual road rules apply here as do the usual culprits such as tailgating, impatience and bad luck. These injuries can be very severe and cause a large loss of days and increases in insurance for businesses who are involved in this sector.