We all experience an element of risk each day. Whether we’re driving the car, crossing the road, or boiling a pan of water on the stove. There are risks everywhere, but when those risks are carefully managed, we can usually avoid catastrophe. So, we drive defensively, We look both ways when we cross the street, and we place the boiling pan at the back of the stove rather than near the front.
It’s these little habits that keep us safe. And while we can take steps to keep ourselves safe at home, what about keeping ourselves safe at work? Of course, we use common sense to keep ourselves out of danger, however, the responsibility for our safety at work is always in the hands of our employer.
However, it’s not unheard of for our safety to be compromised, whether it’s a lack of safety gear, a lack of training, or even an industrial disease – click here for how you test for asbestos in your lungs.
There are many different ways that employees can find themselves caught up in a workplace accident, here we’ll look at the most common scenarios.
Car crashes
It may not be the first incident that comes to mind. However, driving plays a huge part in the daily working lives of many employees. They could be a salesperson driving from place to place, a trucker, or a delivery driver. Getting behind the wheel of a car and becoming involved in a car crash is sadly, very common, with some instances proving to be fatal.
Getting caught between objects
Employees who work in warehouses or factories and those who work with heavy machinery daily including builders are at risk of getting caught between two large objects and becoming trapped or crushed. A reversing forklift truck, crushing someone between the machine and a structure or an excavator failing to spot a fellow workman as it maneuvers around a building site.
Being pulled into an object
Loose clothing, jewelry, a lack of training, or the removal of safety guards can lead to potential accidents involving employees, tools, and heavy machinery. With the results varying from cuts and lacerations to death.
Struck by objects
Falling objects, swinging objects, flying objects, and even those at ground level are all potential hazards that can cause an injury. Whether you’re struck by a moving machine at ground level, or an insecure structure makes objects fall onto the people below. Being stuck by objects in any capacity can result in breaks and even brain trauma.
What can be done
The best way to prevent workplace accidents from happening is to have stringent health and safety in place, as well as ongoing training and access to protective equipment, as well as regular risk assessments.
