Each day in America, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates about a dozen workers will lose their lives in workplace accidents. Countless more will be injured, ranging from mild to severe. While this number is harrowing, it is actually encouraging when comparing it to OSHA data from four decades ago, when roughly 38 workers died a day due to preventable accidents.
Across the decades, OSHA has been collecting and reviewing workplace accident data and information to improve safety in all industries. Using their findings, we can see the most common types of workplace accidents and injuries. Perhaps, through careful study, we can all do what we can to try to prevent such accidents.
Five of the most common injuries suffered in a workplace accident or on-the-job are, in no particular order:
- Repetitive stress injuries (RSI): A worker who needs to repeatedly complete the same action again and again, day after day, may suffer a repetitive stress injury. For example, an industrial worker can develop chronic knee pain from carrying equipment at work. On the other hand, office workers often suffer from an RSI in the form of carpal tunnel syndrome caused by using a keyboard all day.
- Overexertion: Some workers may suffer chronic soreness, muscle tears, tendon rips, and other debilitating injuries in one or a few moments of overexertion. It is not uncommon for a worker to become overexerted when trying to lift a heavy object.
- Broken bones: OSHA reports that falls from heights and falling objects are the two leading causes of fatal construction accidents. It is not surprising then to find that broken bones and fractures are commonly reported in nonfatal workplace accidents in all workplaces.
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI): A worker who falls, is hit by an object, or caught between moving machinery may suffer a TBI as a result. Immediate medical attention must be provided to any employee who suffers a workplace accident that could have feasibly caused a brain injury of any sort.
- Burn injuries: Electrocutions are also included in OSHA’s “Fatal Four” most common fatal construction accidents. People who survive an electrocution may suffer a third degree burn that causes permanent scarring. Burn injuries can also be caused by open flames, hot surfaces, and caustic chemicals.
(Would you like to know more about commonplace workspace accidents? You can click here to view the official OSHA statistics, hosted on the U.S. Department of Labor website.)
Compassionate Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Alexandria, Virginia
The Barrera Law Firm, PLLC is here to provide comprehensive legal services to Virginian workers who need workers’ compensation benefits after a workplace injury limits them. We believe each honest worker should be able to rest and recover without having to worry about serious financial consequences due to missing work. With us by your side, you can feel confident that your workers’ comp case will progress favorably.
Talk about your options with us today. Call (571) 290-2390 to request a consultation.