Workplace injuries can occur in almost any industry and anywhere. To prevent serious injuries, some necessary precautions should be taken. Every sector has risks of their own. But this risk is more critical in sectors like construction, manufacturing, mining. In these sectors people may face a lot of serious risks and injuries that can effect their life comparing to other sectors. For example, the risk of injury increases when the crane counterweight is insufficient at the construction site. Similar incidents can occur in the mining industry due to the working environment. Because of this, every employer in the institution has to take the necessary precautions. These precautions usually include conscious actions such as occupational safety training, personnel training, organization of the work environment, and signage of appropriate places. These workplace injury prevention practices often vary according to the size, nature, and even geographical location of the institution. All the precautions taken to prevent workplace injuries are very important, not only in terms of reducing resentment but also in terms of employee loyalty, performance, and feeling safe.
Common Workplace Injuries
An organization must first learn extensively about common workplace injuries in order to set the right strategy before taking action. In this way, the functionality of the precautions taken can increase as awareness about the injuries increases. Hiring the right person for the job is as important to prevent any injuries as much as organizing the work environment. Choosing a person who is capable of what the work needs is a good option among workplace injury prevention strategies. The physical competencies required by each job are different. It is also important to choose the right employee to minimize risks while doing workplace injury prevention.
1. Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common workplace injuries, and they have serious outcomes like fractures, bruises, or even death. This type of incident constitutes the majority of workplace injuries. The general reason is environmental factors in the workplace. These factors can be poor lighting, slippery floors, or uneven items on the floor or in the surrounding area. To prevent such an accident, organizing the workplace and making it suitable for work can be used as a workplace injury prevention strategy.
2. Muscular Handling Injuries
Incidents that occur, especially in jobs that require physical strength, are called muscular handling injuries. The musculoskeletal system injuries can happen due to a lack of necessary equipment among the work materials, or the wrong move by doing the job. It can happen when lifting heavy objects, moving, pushing, or pulling something. Providing the necessary equipment can be adopted as a strategy for workplace injury prevention.
3. Repetitive Strain Injuries
Repetitive strain injuries are very common in every type of job. Even desk jobs can be affected by this type of injury. Repetitive strain injuries can be a source of aches. This type of injuries can effect different body parts like arms, legs, back and waist.There are several strategies to be adopted to prevent it. Among these, it is an option to encourage desk workers to move a little more and to create an environment in the office so that they can walk and rest during breaks.
4. Machinery and Equipment Injuries
Depending on the machinery and equipment, very serious injuries can occur. It is usually caused by equipment malfunctions, misuse, or neglect of safety precautions by both employees and employers. For an effective workplace injury prevention strategy, safety measures must be taken, and heavy sanctions must be applied if necessary.
Tips for Workplace Injury Prevention
It is quite easy to create a safe work environment to prevent injuries. Workplace injuries can happen in any industry, so taking precautions is the responsibility of every employer. All you have to do is create effective workplace injury prevention strategies.
1. Create a safety and wellness plan
It includes a series of strategies such as identifying risks in the workplace, documenting previous occupational accidents, establishing safety procedures, and training employees. In such an existing plan, employees know in advance what awaits them and how they should behave, and the employer takes the necessary precautions in advance.
2. Educate employees
Every employee who is a beginner at the job should take the necessary education in the institution. Details such as potential risks and how to implement security plans against these risks should be given in this training. It is a good workplace injury prevention strategy for employees to attend this training and for the employer to arrange such training for each employee without any interruption.
3. Identify safety concerns
By identifying potential risks, you can begin to plan a strategy. Methods such as checking each area of the organization, reviewing past accident reports, if any, or hiring a safety consultant to check these details are recommended.
4. Dress for the weather and job conditions
Geographical conditions are one of the factors that affect workplace injuries. Dressing appropriately for the weather is essential for a good workplace injury prevention plan. For example, details such as thermal clothing and suitable shoes for someone working in the field during the winter, reflective clothing for night workers, or the use of helmets and glasses as required by the job can be life-saving.
5. Install proper lighting
Using appropriate lighting is an important detail to improve the working environment. Especially for those who work in the field and at night, it is necessary to use strong lights such as spotlights and sufficiently brighten every point of the working environment to ensure their safety.
6. Perform regular inspections
Regular inspections are also recommended for an effective workplace injury prevention plan. During this checking process, it is learned whether the security precautions are applied and whether the machinery and equipment are working, and according to the results, the necessary arrangements are made again.
7. Address staffing needs
You can minimize possible incidents by completing whatever employees need. Hiring enough people for the job, providing protective equipment for the team, or arranging the work environment are the basic steps to address staffing needs.
8. Provide protective gear
Some protective equipment should be given to the employees, especially in the construction sector. This protective equipment can be headgear, glasses, gloves, reflective clothing, hearing protectors, and safety equipment. Employees should use this equipment when it’s necessary, and these materials should be replaced in case of any damage. These steps are very helpful when trying to apply these strategies for workplace injury prevention.
