Workplace injury in Homestead and other Florida cities is unfortunately all too common. Although many of us associate workplace and job injuries with high risk occupation such as construction, factory work, and police work, every worker in Florida is at risk.
This is truly a type of injury that does not discriminate. No matter what tasks you are expected to complete during the day, there’s a chance that some of those tasks may be putting you at risk of serious injury.
According to Liberty Mutual Research Institute, the 10 most common causes of work in 2012 were:
Overexertion.
Any pulling, lifting, holding, throwing, pushing, and carrying can lead to serious injury. Obviously, lifting or holding heavier items can lead to strain and stress on the muscles, while any physical exertion can lead to fatigue, strain injuries, stress injuries, and even cardiac issues.
Falls (without falling to a lower floor or level).
Simple slip and fall accidents in Homestead and across Florida occur every day in the workplace. They can be caused by spilled liquids, poorly maintained floors, slippery surfaces, and more. They do not have to be dramatic to lead to head injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, or other serious injury.
Struck by an object or equipment.
In construction or in any job, being hit with a heavy object, such as a box, piece of equipment, or even something falling from a shelf can lead to serious head injuries and can even prove fatal.
Falls (involving another floor or level).
Construction falls often are not simple slip and falls but involve falling from one floor to another. For example, if a building is being built on multiple floors and a construction worker slips and falls from one floor to another, the added height can lead to even more serious injuries. You don’t have to be in construction to suffer from this type of injury, either. Stair-related falls are one of the more common examples of these injuries, and they can affect anyone from office workers to factory workers.
Other exertions.
According to Liberty Mutual, basic tasks such as kneeling, walking, reaching, bending, twisting, climbing, stepping, standing, crawling, and standing could lead to exertion that could result in serious workplace injury. Repetitive strain injury can occur in every workplace, even in seemingly safe office spaces.
Roadway accidents and incidents.
Florida was ranked second only to Texas when it came to the number of job-related roadway fatalities. These types of incidents can include pedestrian accidents or collisions involving company vehicles. Construction workers, truck drivers, commercial drivers, highway workers, and emergency responders can all be especially susceptible to this type of injury.
Slips or trips (but with no fall).
Even if you don’t fall when you slip or trip, you could suffer an injury. You could end up throwing yourself against a hard surface and sustaining a fracture or head injury. You may also suffer a fracture simply if your feet get caught up in a piece of uneven floor surface or a piece of equipment.
Crushed or caught in equipment.
Factory workers and construction workers are especially vulnerable to crushing injuries caused by equipment failure or by poor safety policies. Unfortunately, these types of injuries have a high risk of fatalities and permanent injury, due to the size and force exerted by larger machines.
Repetitive stress injuries.
Repetitive stress injuries are often dismissed as minor injuries caused in office jobs. However, these can be debilitating and can prevent someone from continuing their work. In some cases, repetitive stress injury can lead to chronic pain.
Thrown against equipment or object.
Being flung against a truck or piece of equipment due to violence or due to malfunctioning equipment can lead to severe injury. Depending on how the throw occurs and which part of the body hits the equipment, serious head injuries or even fatalities can result.
While there is no way to predict and prevent all on-the-job injuries, employers in Florida are expected to take precautions to ensure that their employees are safe. While employees are protected by workers’ compensation in Florida, in some cases they may also have a legal claim if an employer was negligent in providing a safe workplace. To find out whether you have a claim, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free, no commitment case evaluation.