There were more injuries to manufacturing workers resulting in days off work than to workers in any other industry apart from the service and transport, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Every employer must carry out constant safety checks and staff training to reduce the risk of workplace injuries. As part of any Londonderry employee’s induction, they need to be made aware of a workplace’s specific hazards. In other words, they need to understand what could injure them. These are the top five causes of injuries to manufacturing employees:
- Contact with moving parts 40%: Factories are full of machines, often moving at high speeds. Coming into contact with moving parts can often lead to amputations or worse. That is why safety guards need to be in place.
- Overexertion 24%: It is easy to damage your back when lifting. There are often heavy parts or heavy loads to lift.
- Slips, trips and falls 19%: Falling is always a possibility, but especially if you are tired from working long hours at a repetitive job. Spilled liquids increase the risk of a slip.
- Repetitive motion 8%: A production line is more efficient than one worker completing a whole task. Unfortunately, this restricts each worker to a limited range of movements which can strain the body with time.
- Hazardous substances 6%: Whether the chemicals are used in the manufacturing process, or to clean the floor, they often exist in considerable quantities.
- Other 3%: Injuries can occur from spilling cups of coffee, a workplace fight and many more things.
If you suffer an injury in your Londonderry workplace, you will need the help of an experienced local attorney to ensure you receive the worker’s compensation you need.