The Most Common Workplace Industrial Accidents

Workplace accidents injure millions of Americans every year. Fortunately, many of them are preventable through improved employee training and policies or through the employee simply being more careful. However, sometimes the company is at fault, and those situations call for a Houston industrial accident lawyer to protect the injured person’s rights and ensure that they are compensated fairly for any injuries, lost pay and medical bills. Although the types of accidents that occur vary quite a bit, there are several that stand out as happening much more often than should be the case. A number of them are caused by falling or nearly falling. The former often occurs when an employee is using a ladder or climbing or descending stairs and slips and falls. Slippery floors or areas with debris left on them can cause falls or near-falls as well. Injuries to muscles or body trauma often result from these types of accidents. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that there were more than 8,000 violations related to falls in 2013, the most frequently cited citation that year. Conversely, there are times when an object or multiple objects fall onto people from a shelf or after being dropped by somebody. Unfortunately, very serious head injuries are commonly the result of these incidents, especially if a hard hat was not used or required. Scaffolding violations numbered more than 5,000 in 2013, according to OSHA. Sometimes people accidentally walk into things such as cabinets, chairs, tables, walls and doors, which can cause foot, head and other injuries. Workplaces should be free of improperly placed hazards as much as is possible. Additionally, employees working with large machines can have clothes, shoes, fingers and hair caught in them, which can cause serious injuries. These types of incidents are especially worrisome if little or no training had been provided to the employee using the machine. Many a chemical plant accident has been caused by exposure to hazardous chemicals. According to OSHA, more than 6,000, violations related to a lack of hazard communication were reported in 2013. Those who manufacture and import these types of substances are required to provide detailed training about the hazards that come with handling these chemicals. Those who drive as part of their job duties are sometimes injured in accidents on the roads. These are not accidents incurred while commuting to and from work but those that occur while performing work directly related to their job. Violence is unfortunately a part of the workplace on occasion. This usually occurs when increased tension between employees results in a physical altercation. These situations oftentimes leave one or more people with often serious injuries. Overexertion injuries are the most common to take place in workplace settings and are also the most costly to employers as millions of dollars are paid out in benefits on an annual basis. These usually result from carrying, holding, lifting, pulling, pushing or throwing items. Similar types of injuries but much less obvious are repetitive motion afflictions that usually result from using a computer for long periods of time or a job that requires the same type of repeated physical action. Common injuries resulting from these and similar types of activities include carpal tunnel syndrome, back and vision problems. Unfortunately, workplace accidents can affect the injured person’s physical and mental health. However, if an employer has not responded to the incident appropriately or was the cause of the injury, a professional Texas City refinery accident attorney can help ensure that the employee’s rights are protected and that appropriate compensation and medical expenses are taken care of.