Working in a manufacturing facility is a dangerous profession. Despite the potential for injury, many people seek out factory jobs specifically because they receive a premium wage partially due to the possible risk involved in their profession.
Ideally, manufacturing employees will identify and avoid the most significant safety risks in their workplaces. If they do get hurt, they will typically be able to file a workers’ compensation claim to cover healthcare costs and replace some of the wages they cannot earn while recovering from their injuries. Those who know and avoid the most common sources of injury in manufacturing settings may not ever need to worry about filing a claim. These are the top reasons that people get hurt in factories and similar work environments.
Accidental contact
Struck-by incidents are a major concern whenever there is heavy equipment or machinery present in a workspace. The huge devices used to cut metal, combine components or fabricate pipes can sometimes injure nearby workers. Accidental contact with equipment and machinery, as well as with dangerous or chemicals, is a leading cause of worker injury in manufacturing settings. Forklifts are another source of struck by incidents, and workers often need to watch carefully to know about the moving safety hazards in their environment.
Trips and falls
One job risk that is consistent in every employment environment is the possibility of someone slipping and falling. Many manufacturing companies require that staff members all wear boots that provide non-slip protection in addition to supplemental toe protection from crushing incidents. Workers that slip and fall could break a bone, suffer a soft tissue injury or hurt their brains. Such injuries can lead to a lengthy leave of absence from work in some cases.
Overexertion and bodily reaction
People have to use their bodies like machinery, often performing the same tasks over and over, day after day. The human body isn’t meant for such job performance, and years of work in a factory might lead to repetitive stress injuries in someone’s back, shoulders, hips or knees. Workers can also suffer overexertion injuries in a single incident where they try to lift too much or twist too quickly.
Even if a worker makes a mistake that leads to them getting hurt on the job, they can typically depend on the no-fault coverage provided by workers’ compensation. Seeking legal guidance to learn more about the reasons people get hurt on the job – and what their rights are when they do – may benefit those who operate in high-risk manufacturing settings.