Statistics from private industries indicate 2.7 million nonfatal occurred on the job in 2020. While injuries decreased from 2019, workers still get injured on the job every seven seconds. There are some common work injuries an employee in Pasadena, California, may experience.
Slips, trips, and falls
Current data from 2019 show slips, trips, and falls, caused 37% of nonfatal work injuries that caused missed workdays. In 2019, construction accidents from slips, trips, and falls caused 32% of nonfatal injuries with an average of 28 missed workdays.
Some causes of slips, trips, and falls include wet or slippery surfaces, loose carpets or flooring, broken steps, and poor lighting. Falls also put the worker at risk for Traumatic brain injury, which results from hitting the head on a hard surface.
Fractures and broken bones
Fractures and broken bones may get caused by falls, moving or falling objects, collisions with equipment, and vehicles. Leg, arm, and rib fractures occur often from work vehicles from either riding in them or falling out of them.
The weight of falling objects or getting caught in between equipment may result in crushed bones or skull fractures. While any occupation is at risk of broken bones, mining, agricultural, manufacturing, and construction industries have the highest broken bone risk.
Repetitive stress injury
Repetitive stress injury, or overuse injury, often occurs from long work periods without breaks, such as tool vibration. A common RSI is carpal tunnel syndrome, which affects the carpal tunnel, or the narrow space, of the wrist.
RSI symptoms may include tinging, pain, swelling, throbbing, numbness, and trouble doing small tasks, such as holding books. Occupations at most risk for RSI are factory workers, hair stylists, cashiers, carpenters, plumbers, butchers, electricians, and typists.
Workplace injuries often require long periods of healing and loss of income. Injured workers may be eligible for workers’ compensation or a settlement.
