You’ve probably heard the words, “safety first,” plenty of times. However, workers are injured on the job every day. Some of these injuries are serious and life threatening, while others are not as grave and require little attention. From falling down, to developing carpal tunnel because of too much time typing to hurting a hand while lifting heavy objects, injuries occur in a variety of workplace environments and can affect any worker. Reducing the occurrence of injuries is the main objective of safety and health professionals all over the country.
Each year, more than 2 million workers are injured severely enough on the job that they cannot return to work and need ongoing medical care. The good news: You have a job. The bad news: Certain physical hazards can make the job dangerous. No one wants to get injured at work. Fortunately, most workplace accidents can be prevented if you learn to protect yourself and follow a few precautions. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting injured at work.
1. Avoid Overuse: Lifting too heavy a load or lifting improperly causes many on-the-job injuries. To protect your back against injury, learn and use proper lifting techniques and never bend or twist while lifting or carrying. If an object is too heavy for you to lift by yourself, ask a co-worker for help.
2. Incorporate a safety and wellness plan: The foundation for a safe work environment is an effective accident prevention and wellness program. The program needs to cover all levels of employee safety and health with the encouragement to report hazardous practices or behavior.
3. Educate employees and management staff: Continually cultivate a safety standard among employees and management staff. Train employees about the importance of following safety measures as often as possible. Supplemental training in body mechanics can reduce strain injuries, and keep employees safe during lifting and moving.
4. Don’t take shortcuts: Accidents happen when employees skip steps to complete a job ahead of schedule. Make sure all instructions are clear and organized to prevent undue mishaps in the workplace.
5. Keep an orderly workplace: Poor housekeeping can cause serious health and safety hazards. The layout of the workplace should have adequate markings, be free of debris, and stations for cleaning up spills.
Some workers are injured severely enough that they cannot return to work and need ongoing medical care, leading to lost revenue and a reduction in workforce. Providing protective gear and minimal education isn’t always enough. Follow these tips, along with an effective accident prevention and wellness program, to reduce the number of workplace injuries and the resulting costs.
Watauga Orthopaedics is a leader in diagnosing and treating work-related injuries for employees in the Tri-Cities area. Our team of skilled physicians utilizes the most advanced techniques for shorter recovery times and faster healing and focuses on getting injured employees back to work as quickly as possible.
Our workers’ compensation services include:
- Prompt evaluation and treatment of work-related injuries
- Timely response to referring physicians
- Comprehensive work status reports
- Development of return-to-work programs, including work restrictions and light duty assignments
- Functional capacity evaluations (FCE)
- Independent medical evaluations (IME)
For more information on our workers’ compensation services or to make an appointment for an injured employee, call Watauga Orthopaedics at (423) 282-9011.
