An injury at work is no longer a headline-grabbing occurrence unless it's on a large scale as what happened in the Philippines last week, when 11 workers fell from a City construction site. But this doesn't mean to say that they no longer happen. Injuries at work are still commonplace that is hardly surprising when you consider the amount of time an average worker will spend doing his/her work.
The most common types of injuries are those to the upper body. These types of injury happen mainly to workers in occupations wherein their job requires doing the same tasks repeatedly. Those working in food processing, electronic and auto assembly or even office data entry are the types of jobs that require a worker to do the same tasks constantly thus the likelihood of upper body injuries. The neck, shoulders, elbows, hands and wrist are most susceptible to soft tissue injuries. These types of repetitive motion injuries may develop or may become progressively worse overtime. Those exerting force and subject to extreme vibrations are most at risk.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common form of upper body injury, this occurs when the median nerve gets trapped between tendons that are inflamed or swollen. This in turn can lead to severe pain being experienced in the wrists and hands rendering the victim unable to use their hands properly, a loss of feeling and in extreme cases partial paralysis.
Another common injury in the workplace is back injuries, second only to the common cold as a reason workers lose much time at work. Back injuries will normally include muscle strains, ligament damage and/or tendon ruptures. The simplest are strained or pulled muscles but all these are often caused by over-stretching.
An injury at work is easily sustained by those workers that are required to lift or move heavy objects. Bad posture is also another reason for workers to suffer back problems, sitting in a chair that is not ergonomically designed and uncomfortable is the right mixture for a back problem.
Since there are two halves to a body, the legs and feet are just as prone to accidents especially for those that work in heavy industries. These types of injury normally consist of sprains, strains or muscle tears and unfortunately broken limbs. These injuries can normally be avoided by properly factored workstations and by wearing correct work gear (steel toe capped boots).
An injury at work can have serious repercussions financially not only on the victim but also on the employer with increased insurance premiums or worse, sanctions laid against the company. Compensation claims are a workers right if they have been incapacitated at work, but with a little thought from both employer and employee the number of claims could be drastically reduced. Nobody wants to make a claim against a company that has served them well over many years but if the unexpected does happen then a worker should be able to secure their own entitlements and rights. However, companies rarely undertake compensation claims since they have insurances ready just in case.
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