Considering the alarming rate of accidents in the workplace, it is no surprise that workplace safety is a critical topic in the corporate world.
Workers’ compensation lawyers are always working tirelessly to educate workers around the world about their rights and the benefits they are entitled to as victims of these accidents.
In every workspace, there are safety precautions in place to remind workers about the need to be on the safe side. Regardless of these blaring signs, most workers still incur injuries.
This article focuses on seven of the most common hazards in the workplace that lead to accidents. Here’s a list of them:
- Chemical Outbreaks
Chemical outbreaks involve the uncontrolled release of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, these chemical outbreaks sometimes occur in the workplace. Workers may be exposed to toxic substances that can cause harm to both them and the atmosphere.
Improper handling, storage, or disposal of chemicals can result in leaks, spills, or even explosions. The result of a chemical outbreak is often injuries, respiratory issues, burns, or even fatalities.
- Climbing Heights
Ladders and scaffolds account for the majority of workplace accidents, especially on construction sites. Accidents sometimes occur as a result of the worker’s carelessness or a defect in the material they climb.
Falling from heights can have lethal effects, which is why employers must ensure they provide the necessary protective equipment. They are also mandated to offer training to ensure that employees who need to work at heights do so safely.
- Electric Shocks
It is not uncommon for electric shocks to occur in the workplace. The risks of these occurrences are higher if the installations were done by amateurs.
Lack of routine inspections, inadequate maintenance, and ignoring safety guidelines can also lead to these outbreaks.
In addition to physical injury to their workers, an employer might also suffer property damage, depending on the extent of the electric shock.
- Fire Outbreaks
When a fire erupts in a workplace, it is usually due to faulty wiring, flammable materials, electrical malfunctions, or even human error.
Employers should organize safety talks to give employees tips on how to handle a fire outbreak. Employers must also make sure that the workplace meets the necessary fire safety standards. This includes easily accessible fire exits, fire extinguishers in all rooms, and other similar precautions.
- Suspended Loads
The practice of lifting and moving heavy objects through overhead cranes or hoists seems like a workplace routine. However, risks are lurking in the shadows.
When suspended loads aren’t handled with precision and care, the consequences can be grave.
A miscalculation, an overlooked safety latch, or even a momentary lapse in attention results in catastrophic accidents. And unfortunately, cases like this are not rare.
- Slippery Surfaces
A spill, a leak, or even the vagaries of weather can turn an ordinary walkway into a danger zone.
Employers try to imbibe the culture of vigilance into their employees, however, a few of them do not learn easily.
Slip and fall accidents are bound to happen even if there’s a bold “Caution: Wet Floor” sign at the entrance.
- Lack of Ventilation
There are ventilation rules for workplaces in every state. Unfortunately, most business owners have a habit of neglecting these laws.
Without proper ventilation, employees stand a higher risk of contracting airborne diseases, suffocating, or even choking on dangerous chemicals.
Final Thoughts
The importance of safety and vigilance in the office cannot be overemphasized. It’s not just machinery or infrastructure that’s at stake; it’s lives, careers, and the shared pursuit of a secure and thriving work environment.
Employees need to exert care and caution, and employers need to have safety precautions and damage control in place.
