Many people in Alaska and throughout the country spend decades of their lives working in the manufacturing industry. If you’re a factory worker, your job might include long hours that put a strain on your body. There are several types of injuries, in fact, that often occur in this industry, and if you’re well-informed about the risks, you may be able to take steps to reduce the chances of suffering injury on the job.
Millions of manufacturing workers suffer nonfatal workplace injuries every year. If you think back to when you were hired, you no doubt recall your new employer discussing safety issues with you. In fact, you likely had to go through a training period to learn about the injury risks associated with the work you’d be doing. If an employer fails in the duty to provide proper training to workers, it increases the risk for injuries.
Do you have repetitive strain injury symptoms?
If you’ve been working in the manufacturing industry for a long time, you may be at risk for one of the most common types of injuries associated with factory work: repetitive strain injury (RSI). Symptoms of RSI include swelling or inflammation, pain, numbness or tingling sensations and decreased mobility.
If you have an RSI, the affected part of your body is likely to be your hand, wrist or thumb area, or your forearm, elbow, neck or shoulder area. You can experience RSI symptoms in other parts of the body, as well, but these areas are the most commonly affected.
Slips and falls in the workplace often lead to workers’ comp claims
Slip-and-fall accidents also occur often in the manufacturing industry. Your employer is responsible for maintaining a safe work environment. There are industry regulations to which manufacturers must adhere to help keep workers safe. Basic safety measures typically include keeping walkways and work areas dry and free of debris.
If a floor is wet, signs or safety cones and tape should be put in place to warn workers of the hazard. If you slip and fall in the workplace, you might suffer a pulled back muscle, sprained ankle, concussion or worse. Many workers wind up filing a workers’ compensation claim after slip-and-fall accidents. Such benefits could help you make ends meet if you lose wages from time off work during recovery.
Equipment and heavy object injuries occur often
If you work in a manufacturing warehouse or factory, you might use mechanized equipment or have to lift or transport heavy objects during the normal course of duty in the workplace. Tens of thousands of manufacturing workers suffer injuries each year involving heavy objects and machinery.
If your hand gets stuck in a machine, it can quickly become a life-threatening situation. Being hit on the head or crushed by a falling, heavy object may also cause severe, if not fatal, injuries. Obtaining medical attention in a timely manner is always a priority in such circumstances. However, it’s also good to know where to seek support later on, if you run into complications after filing a workers’ compensation claim.
