Occupational accidents are physical or psychological injuries that the worker may suffer as a result of performing the activities of his work. Although more and more emphasis is placed on prevention, the latest figures indicate that, in the last year, injuries caused by work activity have increased by 6.9%. In absolute figures, the total number rises to 4 lacks occupational accidents.so you may need the best workplace injury lawyer for you.
Construction, industry and agriculture: the most serious occupational accidents
Although the sector with the highest percentage of accidents is that of services, since it is also the one with the highest occupancy, it is the construction, industry and agriculture sectors that have the highest number of serious occupational accidents and, even, fatal, derived from the use of heavy and dangerous machinery that increase the risk of accident.
In these sectors, the most common, and most serious, accidents have to do with entrapments that cause crushing and amputations caused by the use of machinery, followed by falls from a high height, especially in the case of construction, and others injuries, in general, milder such as bumps, cuts and wounds caused by the material and tools. Therefore, in these sectors, a good prevention plan that minimizes accidents at work and creates a safe working environment becomes even more important.
Offices: they are not without risk
When talking about occupational accidents, we usually think immediately of sectors like the previous ones. But offices, although they have a low risk of serious accidents, are also a place to maintain caution.
Among the most frequent occupational accidents in the offices are the following:
Falls, slips and trips: 25% of accidents in the offices are caused by falls caused by the materials of the workplace. Therefore, order and cleanliness are very important to prevent this type of accident at work.
Falls from a height: the stairs are the cause of some 5,000 work accidents per year and some of those falls cause very serious injuries.
Cuts and wounds: in offices, it is common to work with sharp and sharp objects that can lead to considerable accidents at work. It is necessary to use them with caution and maintain order in the workspace to avoid injuries.
Bumps: high intensity knocks with doors and other furniture elements, such as shelves, filing drawers or cabinets, are very common occupational accidents that occur much more frequently than it may seem.
Contact with the electrical installation: the offices are places surrounded by cables and plugs, with provisional connections that are perpetuated over time and such facilities deserve special caution. Misuse of electrical elements causes almost 2,000 accidents at work per year.
Strengths and muscle injuries: no sector is saved
Injuries caused by muscle overexertion and physical fatigue are accidents that are very present in all labor sectors. In the case of jobs that require constant physical activity, such as construction, industry, or agriculture, the most frequent occupational accidents are back injuries and tendonitis.
In offices, and other similar places where you work sitting most of the time, in addition to those in your back, neck and arm injuries, caused by poor postures, are frequent. Correct postural habits and ergonomic furniture and according to the activity can avoid this type of occupational accident.
Stress and anxiety: in the spotlight, they are also considered occupational accidents
In the definition of occupational accidents, there is talk of both physical and psychological injury. Mental fatigue, stress, anxiety and depression are in the spotlight of accidents in the work environment, since in recent years it has been the second cause of work leave.
These states can often trigger physical illnesses derived from work, such as cardiovascular, digestive, skin problems or alter the concentration and intellectual capacity.
It is important to pay as much attention to this type of occupational accidents as to physical injuries. Therefore, the prevention of occupational hazards must include the psychosociological dimension of work, which deals with the health and complete well-being of workers.
Accidents are avoidable, are causal and not casual
Occupational Risk Prevention is essential. Many occupational accidents can be avoided with a good prevention plan with which the risks are evaluated, and with which the workers receive the information and training necessary for a safe performance of their work activity and are also valued normatively, by monitoring the specific health other factors such as personal sensitivity (basic pathology, disability, treatments, etc).
