A personal injury which occurs at the workplace is covered under workers compensation insurance. This insurance program is designed to provide workers with a way to cover their medical costs and lost income while they are recovering from an injury. What most people do not realize, however, is that this type of insurance covers all injuries that occur in the workplace, not just catastrophic events.
The five most common types of personal injury that occur in the workplace may be very surprising to the average person. According to the three leading workers compensation insurance companies the top injuries include:
Repetitive Motion Injuries
This type of personal injury occurs when a person performs the same task over and over again without sufficient breaks, proper ergonomic equipment, or because of the job requirement. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most common forms of repetitive motion injuries. Repetitive motion injuries may also occur when a person has to continually use a machine that vibrates, such as a grinder in a manufacturing setting.
Overexerting Injuries
This type of personal injury can occur when a person lifts heavy objects, over extends to reach something, pushing or pulling objects, frequently bending over. Overexertion injuries can affect muscles, joints, nerves, and sometimes bones. One of the most common causes for a person to suffer from an overexertion injury is from holding a phone handset with the head on the shoulder. This bending motion for a long period of time can lead to serious injuries to the neck and nerves in the neck and head.
Collision Injuries
This type of personal injury accounts for 20 percent of all accidents in a work place. These injuries are a result of someone walking into something, being knocked into by someone else, or colliding with machinery or merchandise while walking, reaching, or bending over.
Flying Objects Injuries
Injuries caused when an object is thrown in a office or manufacturing setting is very common. The injury can occur to the person throwing the object or to the person on the receiving end.
Falling Injuries
Falling injuries include any personal injury which happens when a person falls on the same level, such as a slip and fall, or falls down a level, such as tripping down a flight of stairs. Falling injuries often also include slipping injuries. A slipping event does not require a person to fall on the ground, only to lose their balance and be forced to grasp something to prevent falling or bang into something when they slip.
Of course there are many other injuries which can occur in a business setting. Offices and manufacturing settings suffer from about the same amount of workers compensation claims each year with very similar injuries.
It is very important for employees to understand that a work place injury does not have to be catastrophic in nature to be serious. When you have suffered a physical injury of any type while in the work setting, it is an actual work place related injury.
Christopher is a blogger from Tulsa, Oklahoma who is passionate about encouraging safety for all communities while working with the Gorospe & Smith Tulsa Personal Injury Attorney Law Firm in his own community to educate and promote safety and accident prevention.
