Top 10 Causes of Workplace Accidents

Accidents can happen at any time, anywhere for anyone. They may not happen intentionally and there always will be infinite possibilities of having something wrong. A workplace accident can be described as an occurrence during work in the workplace that leads to injury. Even we are attentive & conscientious about the health and safety rules of the company we may be injured while working.

Numerous factors can cause accidents, ranging from overexertion to mishandling of hazardous materials. These injuries not only put employees at risk of hospitalization. It also can impact your insurance rates, reduce productivity, increase workers' compensation claims and so on. According to the 2016 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, nonfatal workplace injuries amounted to nearly $62 billion in direct U.S. workers compensation costs.

In today’s blog, we’re going to give you a closer look at the Ten most common workplace accidents.

1.Stress in work

Stress can foster negative effects physiologically, emotionally and mentally, as well as weaken or distract any worker. Employees must be in the right mindset and physically sound for the job. When an employee's mind is too distracted they are very likely to make mistakes that could cause injury and may cause risk of heart attack, stroke or hypertension.

2.Overexertion when lifting

When you are picking up something heavy without bending your legs in your workplace, there may be chances of back pain and muscle cramps. 7.6% of the total injuries comes under this overexertion.

3.Poor Lighting

Poor lighting can be a major cause of trips, falls, and other workplace injuries. Inadequate lighting is responsible for a number of accidents each year. This is often overlooked when attempting to prevent accidents in the warehouse or workplace. Every area in the workplace should be well lit, including offices, warehouses, parking areas, and outside entryways.

4.Falling from a Height

Falling from a height, while more common in construction or manual work environment, as also common other environments such as office, retails etc. 8.9% of the total accidents comes under this category. The person who is working at a certain height will always have a chance for this type of accidents. The employee must be very much careful about this time of accidents as it may be fatal.

5.Fatigue

Failing to take a break is another common cause of accidents. A lack of adequate sleep can cause exhaustion, inattention, and accidents. Even a well-rested employee can grow fatigued while on the job, so it’s necessary to take breaks at regular intervals or when needed. In order to recover from gruelling manual labour, it is essential that employer to give adequate breaks.

6.Collisions with Co-Workers and Objects

Accidents resulting in crash or impact injuries are also quite frequent at work. You may not be purposefully colliding with your fellow employees but even if you left the drawer open or if you close the door suddenly the fellow person can hit. It may find funny but not for the one you hit.

7.Hazardous Material Accidents

Wrong handling of hazardous materials or not wearing protective equipment is another common cause of accidents in the workplace. Protective clothing, eyewear and gloves are mandatory for employees whose jobs require them to be around hazardous materials, chemicals and toxic waste. By reading material safety data sheets and providing the appropriate protective attire, many workplace incidents can be avoided.

8.Struck by Equipment

Plenty of workers find themselves on the receiving end of falling objects. In these scenarios, a worker is stripped of their ability to see these objects coming towards them with enough time to react and can result in serious injury or even death. Some of the keys to preventing these incidents include wearing the proper equipment like goggles and face shields.

9.Slips & Trips

Slips happen where there is too little friction or traction between the footwear and walking surface and trips happen when your foot collides with an object or uneven surface. Slick floors and high-traffic corridors can cause a trip or fall. Improper footwear may also contribute to these accidents, which not only can result in injuries but also workman’s compensation-related case.

10.Violence or fight between employees

These aren’t quite as rare as we might like to think. Hundreds of people die each year from workplace violence. Employees in conflict with one another tend to be especially unsafe when working together. Effective procedures for dealing with employee grievances can help reduce the risk of fights between them. Many companies have courses specially designed for staff awareness which may help your company if you face such issues.

Workplace injuries are painful for employees and put a significant financial strain on your business. Many organizations have taken measures to lower their incident rates including, forming safety committees, investing in the proper protective equipment, performing ongoing safety training and conducting safety assessments.

Remember one devoted worker can do more by personal suggestion to prevent accidents than a carload of safety signs, Safety brings first aid to the uninjured.