The Top 3 Most Common Workplace Accidents

Workplace accidents are unfortunately unavoidable – people can sometimes make mistakes or be caught in a bad situation. This isn’t just bad for the employee, but the employer, who can often be left with thousands of dollars to pay. Therefore, awareness of the most common workplace accidents and how they can be avoided or managed is essential.

1. Trips and Falls

Tripping and falling are some of the most common workplace accidents – we’ve classed them under the same bracket as they tend to be similar. This can be a minor trip, whereby no one is harmed, perhaps only some equipment, to a serious injury to employees like head injuries and broken bones. Obviously, the bigger the accident, the more money this will cost too. In some cases, a fall may turn out to be fatal for an employee.

This can be due to poor workplace standards, such as a lack of signs or equipment left in an inconvenient place. The important thing is that most trips and falls can be avoided with good practice, making it essential for employers to remind their employees of health and safety rules and ensure hazards are well located and handled.

2. Transportation Incidents

Transportation incidents are also incredibly common, especially depending on where you look. In some states like Florida, some of the most significant claims on workers compensation in Florida are related to transportation incidents – in fact, 37% of fatal workplace injuries are in this category. Though transportation incidents are responsible for the highest number of claims, other claims on workers compensation in Florida include trips and falls again and exposure to harmful substances. 

Part of this is because jobs relying on vehicles often get into issues, especially when relying on human drivers. Humans are subject to distractions such as reading text messages or eating while driving, and these can significantly impact a driver’s ability to stay safe. Removing these distractions can help reduce the risk of more transportation incidents.

3. Burns

Though we’ve mentioned hazardous substances before, one of the more specific yet common injuries these can cause are burns. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration suggests that over 40,000 burn injuries are obtained each year. Although employers have a responsibility to ensure their employees provide a safe workplace, it is still possible for employees to get injured when working with dangerous substances.

Employers can try to prevent burns by having the appropriate PPE to hand and briefing employees. This includes running proper training both initially and throughout their career to help remind them about the dangers of their work and thus maintain carefulness and concentration when handling dangerous substances or situations. It’s also essential to label any dangerous substances or hazards effectively using bright colors or specific symbols.

These are the top three workplace accidents – with care and attention, their occurrence can be substantially reduced, helping to look after employees and make the workplace safe.

Similar Stories