Maintaining a safe environment in the workplace is important for a multitude of reasons, which include the health of workers, productivity, insurance costs and company morale. Understanding the causes and results of common workplace injuries can help companies in Colorado prevent on the job accidents from occurring.
Regardless of the activities one engages in while on the job, all employees can feel stressed or fatigued. Employees who are mentally or physically exhausted have slower reflexes, impaired judgement, delayed reactions and trouble focusing on details. Stress also hurts workers and could lead to mistakes and health risks like hypertension, stroke or a heart attack.
Workers sometimes become used to the dangers inherent in some jobs but should still wear the proper gloves, eye wear, clothing and other protective equipment when dealing with heavy machinery or hazardous materials. Injuries caused by hazardous materials may include skin infections, blindness, respiratory diseases and burns. Workers that perform dangerous jobs or operate heavy machinery are not the only ones who face risk as many people in offices are prone to slips and trips. Slips occur in break rooms and dining areas when liquids fall on the floor and are not cleaned up, and some flooring in office settings is also slippery after being mopped. Items that are left in the wrong spot and low visibility areas lead to tripping, and it can be important to remove extension cords after use and ensure carpeting and tiles have not come loose from floors.
Workers' compensation is often more complicated than it seems. Some claims are denied when an on the job injury occurs, and some workers are offered less than they need for present and future medical expenses. These reasons may make it advisable to contact an attorney when filing a claim.
Source: The Houston Chronicle , "Top 10 Causes of Workplace Injuries", Christina Hamlett, December 15, 2014
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