Understanding On-the-Job Injuries

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that any organization with more than 10 employees must report injuries, collect data about injuries, and provide a detailed risk management plan on how to avoid on-the-job injuries. It is important that these companies participate in the direct observation of the work environment through regular workplace inspections to identify hazards and potential cause of past injuries.

On-The-Job Injuries

Injury data must include:

• The most common types of injuries, such as burns, cuts, sprains, bruises, fractures;
• The severity of injury, including workers compensation or disability claims and the number of missed work days;
• The most common areas of the body that were injured, such as hands, shoulders, and head;
• The cause of injury, such as falls, slips, body position, and flying objects;
• Injury rates by shift time;
• The frequency of injury per shift, per day, and per employee; and
• The injury rates by sex, age, and job type.

One of the most common on-the-job injuries related to ergonomic-related problems where many employees undertake repeated tasks for a long time and then experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Therefore, employing ergonomic strategies is a way to eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles and bad posture.

Other common on-the-job injuries may relate to faulty equipment and machinery or ones that have not been adequately maintained. Poor training and a lack of knowledge on the part of the user of those tools, machines, or equipment may also result in on-the-job injuries.

Workplace Injury Lawyer

All of these underlying reasons and the lack of any particular risk assessment program that continually looks at on-the-job injury data are the sole responsibility of the organization. Employees do not have to be the victims of these types of injuries and then be forced to seek legal compensation for their injuries, reduced quality of life, inability to work, or other issue that has forever changed their life. If an organization is proactive about creating a healthy and safe work environment, there is a better chance that on-the-job injuries can be minimized or even eliminated.

However, if you are someone who has been injured on the job or you are a loved one who has lost someone in a workplace accident, then you need to seek the advice of a personal injury attorney who can offer the best strategy to ensure you are compensated. Our workers compensation lawyers in Baton Rouge can help to resolve your issue quickly and capably.