People spend a good portion of their lives at work, and there are several laws and precautions in place that are designed to keep people safe in the workplace. Employers are required to carry worker’s compensation insurance, and organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Association and the National Safety Council actively work to help keep workplaces as safe as possible. Still, there are many people who are injured, and even killed while they are on the job.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the year 2014 saw the highest number of workplace fatalities since 2008. In 2014, more than 4800 people died on the job. This averages out to 13 on the job deaths everyday in a variety of industries from manufacturing, to construction, to professional and business services, and more. Regardless of the industry, car crashes have become the most common cause of worker deaths, and was named as a cause of worker fatalities in over 40% of cases. Distraction is one possible reason for this, especially when workers are asked to participate in job related meetings over the phone while they are driving.
In addition to being killed at work, many people are also injured on the job to the point where medical attention is necessary. In 2014 alone, workers were sidelined from their jobs more 99 million days due to work related injuries caused by incidents such as falls, overexertion, or being hit by an object.
Watching out for danger
Even though there are watchdog groups and company policies that are supposed to help keep people safe at work, it is important for individuals to take the precautions necessary to help them stay safe of the job. Workers need to keep an eye out to see what is around them and avoid dangerous situations as much as possible, If they notice something about their work environment that is not safe, it is important to contact the people in the company who have the power to remove the dangerous obstacle, or at least work with employees on finding a way to avoid it.
Workers also need to practice common sense when interacting with their work environment, and pay close attention to any safety training they might get and use any necessary safety gear such as helmets, gloves, padding, seat belts, or any other training or tools that are available.
Protecting your rights
Even with the best efforts to stay safe, workplace injuries still happen. Filling out a workers’ compensation claim is a start, but often employees aren’t readily supported by their employer’s worker’s compensation insurance policy and human resource department quite the way they should be. You should reach out to an experienced lawyer to discuss workers’ compensation claims.