Workplace safety is a paramount point of concern in Pennsylvania and across the United States. As we enter into 2020, it is important to do everything we can to keep workers protected from injury. However, the statistics indicate that we have a lot of work to do in this arena. According to the National Safety Council, every 7 seconds there is an injury in America’s workplaces.
According to the statistics, the top five professions most likely to incur an injury that requires time away from work are service personnel (like police and firefighters), transportation personnel, manufacturing personnel, maintenance personnel, and construction workers. By far the most common variety of injury is overexertion. This can involve repetitive motions and lifting. The best way to avoid an overexertion injury is to take many short breaks and lift with the legs rather than the back.
The second most common type of injury involves contact with objects and equipment. Many times this type of injury is caused by lack of awareness regarding the environment. Wearing proper safety gear also helps to reduce this type of injury. Keeping heavy objects closer to the floor will also help reduce injury related to those objects.
Finally, slips, trips, and falls also cause a great deal of injury. Many of these falls are directly related to the use of ladders. Ensuring that ladders are properly stabilized on flat ground can reduce the number of injuries in this area. Proper housekeeping will also ensure that any spills are wiped up immediately, reducing the likelihood of a slip.
A combination of workplaces that are up to code and awareness on the part of employees will help reduce workplace injury across the country.
