Occupational accidents are physical or mental injuries that the worker may suffer as a result of carrying out the activities of their work. Although more and more emphasis is placed on their prevention, according to the HSE, the latest figures indicate that in the last year, injuries caused by work activity increased, with an estimated 609,000 occupational accidents.
In this post, experts in work injury claims in Gloucester provide an overview of the most common workplace accidents.
Construction, industry and agriculture: the most serious work accidents
Although the sector with the highest percentage of accidents is the service sector, since it is also the sector with the highest occupancy, it is the construction industry and agriculture sectors that register the greatest number of serious occupational accidents and, even, fatal, derived from the use of heavy and dangerous machinery that increase the risk of accident.
In these sectors, the most common, and most serious, accidents involve entrapments that cause crushing and amputations caused by the use of machinery, followed by falls from a high altitude, especially in the case of construction, and other injuries, in general, less serious such as blows, cuts and wounds caused by materials and tools.
Offices: they are not exempt from risks
When we talk about workplace accidents, we usually think immediately about sectors like the previous ones. But offices, although they have a low risk of serious accidents, are also a place to be careful.
Among the most frequent work accidents in offices are the following:
- Falls, slips, and trips: 25% of accidents in the office are caused by falls caused by the materials in the workplace. Therefore, order and cleanliness are very important to prevent this type of work accident.
- Falls from a height: the stairs are the cause of about 5,000 work accidents per year and some of these falls cause very serious injuries.
- Cuts and wounds: in offices, it is common to work with sharp objects that can cause considerable accidents at work. It is necessary to use them with caution and maintain order in the workspace to avoid injuries.
- Blows: High intensity blows with doors and other furniture elements, such as shelves, drawers or cabinets, are very common work accidents and occur much more often than may seem.
- Contact with electrical installations: an office is a place surrounded by cables and plugs, with temporary connections that are perpetuated over time and this type of facility deserves special caution. Misuse of electrical elements causes almost 2,000 work accidents per year.
Overstresses and muscle injuries: no sector is saved
The injuries caused by muscle over-exertion and physical fatigue are very common accidents in all work sectors. In the case of jobs that require constant physical activity, such as construction, industry, or agriculture, the most frequent work accidents are back injuries and tendinitis.
In offices, and other similar places where people work sitting most of the time, back, neck and arm injuries, caused by poor posture are frequent. Correct postural habits and ergonomic furniture according to the activity can help avoid this type of work accident.
Stress and anxiety: in the spotlight, occupational accidents are also considered
In the definition of work accidents, we talk about both physical and mental injury. Mental fatigue, stress, anxiety and depression are the focus of accidents in the workplace, since in recent years it has been the second cause of sick leave.
These states can often trigger physical illnesses derived from work, such as cardiovascular, digestive, skin problems or alter concentration and intellectual capacity.
It is important to pay as much attention to this typology of work accidents as to physical injuries. Therefore, the prevention of occupational risks must include the psychosociological dimension of work, which deals with the health and well-being of workers.
Accidents are avoidable, they are causal and not accidental
The prevention of occupational accidents is fundamental. Many accidents at work can be avoided with a good prevention plan to assess risks, and with which workers receive the information and training necessary for the safe performance of their work and also be assessed normatively, by monitoring the specific health and other factors such as personal sensitivity (basic pathology, disability, treatments, etc.).
If you have suffered a workplace accident, you should seek medical help and, in the case of a serious accident, legal help from specialists such as http://shireslaw.com who are experienced in dealing with compensation claims for occupational accidents.
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