Top 5 Preventable Workplace Incidents
The National Safety Council has released an infographic explaining the top 10 preventable accidents within a workplace. Our office wanted to share this list with our readers as we believe that safety in the workplace is of the utmost importance! By supporting the National Safety Council through our blog, we hope to spread awareness to others and prevent future injuries. Below you will find the top 5 preventable workplace incidents as explained by the NSC.
Top 5 Preventable Workplace Incidents
- Overexertion Injuries
Pulling, lifting, pushing, holding, carrying, and throwing activities at work account for approximately $13.6 billion in benefit costs annually.
Train employees on the proper way to perform physical activities, utilize equipment and lean practice to eliminate potential exertion hazards, ensure that employees are given ample breaks to rest in jobs that could result in overexertion.
- Slipping/Tripping
Slipping on wet floors or tripping over a foreign object/uneven surface can cause muscle injuries, body trauma and a variety of other medical issues.
Ensure that Non-Slip rugs are placed in potentially slippery areas, use signage to indicate slipper areas/conditions, clearly label and/or cover uneven areas/cords on the floor, train employees on proper management of spills and clean-up of debris.
- Falling from Heights
Falls that happen from an elevated area such as roofs, ladders, and stairways may be caused by slip and fall incidents and/or due to faulty equipment.
These types of accidents can be reduced by the use of proper personal protection gear, installation of guard rails and other engineered devices, training and employee diligence.
- Reaction Injuries
Reaction injuries are caused by slipping and tripping without falling and can cause muscle injuries, body trauma, and a variety of other medical issues.
Address slipper areas around the facility by clearing snow and/or placing no slip rugs/strips near entrances/exits, labeling or making uneven walkways and keeping work spaces clean and uncluttered.
- Object injuries
Objects that fall from shelves or are dropped by another person can cause very serious injuries. The most common injury from a fallen object is a head injury.
Store/stack materials in a safe and secure manner, use signage in areas where debris may fall and ensure proper PPE is in use.
More Preventable Workplace Injuries
To read five more examples of preventable workplace injuries, visit our article, Preventing Injuries in the Workplace.
Download the Infographic
To download the NSC’s infographic with the above information, visit their website!
