Employers will often research their company’s past history and compare it with the types of worker’s compensation claims that are reported. By comparing these statistics, they can take proactive measures to reduce the number of workplace injury claims they must handle each year.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents normally involve one of the following five activities or materials:
- Handling materials or moving freight
- Trips, and slip and fall accidents
- Running into or being struck by an object or piece of freight
- Mishandling of tools or a malfunction while the tool or machine is in operation
- Trauma injuries that are caused by repetitive or cumulative actions that cause strain on a specific area
Each accident must be thoroughly reviewed to determine the exact cause and possible fault.
Workplace Injuries
Commonly reported workplace injuries can include any of the following:
- Strains or sprains
- Punctures, cuts, lacerations, or other types of open wounds
- Contusions and bruising
- Inflammation and swelling (possible dislocation of a joint)
- Broken bones or fractures of varying degrees (compound break, greenstick fractures, etc.)
Each type of workplace injury can range from mild to severe and should be immediately examined to determine the extent of the trauma. All injuries, no matter how minor, should be immediately reported to a supervisor so that the worker can receive medical attention.
