Workplace safety is paramount for every business in the UK, no matter how much owners and directors might roll their eyes during health and safety training. That’s because every year, there are still thousands of employees who are unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of injuries while they are at work on a seemingly ordinary day, simply doing the same old job that they always do.
These incidents can, of course, affect productivity, morale, and the way in which a company operates, let alone the health and well-being of the workforce. This is why understanding the most common workplace injuries can help employers to create safer environments that also keep productivity and morale high.
The vast majority of workplace injuries may happen by accident, but the root cause is usually related to something a bit deeper, like poor training, unsafe equipment, or a workplace that simply isn’t fit for the work that happens there. This might vary a bit here or there, depending on the setting and nature of the business. Some injuries are much more common in offices, for example, while others may be very commonplace in factories or construction sites.
Anyway, without any further ado, here are the most common workplace injuries in the UK.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls take the gold medal for the number of workplace injuries per year in the UK. That’s because they don’t discriminate; they can happen in pretty much every industry, and often result in fractures, sprains, and bruises.
While they happen across different sectors and workplace environments, they are more common in environments like factories and construction sites, since employees spend more time on their feet. Some firms in these industries even find themselves facing multiple injury claims in a single year.
Manual Handling Injuries
Similar to slips, trips and falls, manual handling injuries affect workers in a variety of different sectors, but especially in logistics, retail, and manufacturing. These injuries almost always involve the back, along with the shoulders, neck or arms, and come about because of poor lifting techniques and repetitive movements which place a lot of strain on muscles and joints.
If left untreated for a long period of time, employees impacted by these injuries can develop chronic pain and mobility issues that might inhibit their ability to work. The best way around this is to train staff in the correct lifting procedures and to give them appropriate equipment, like trolleys.
Repetitive Strain Injuries
Repetitive strain injuries, aka RSIs, are injuries that develop over the course of a longer period of time, rather than during a sudden incident. These are commonplace in all sorts of different industries – people who spend a lot of time typing or operating specific machinery, or doing other repetitive tasks, are most vulnerable.
The most common symptoms include stiffness, cramping, discomfort, and a tingling sensation, as well as lower mobility in joints – typically in wrists, elbows, and shoulders.
Conclusion
It’s an unfortunate reality, but workplace injuries are much more common than we think. If you’re ever unfortunate enough to have one happen to you, then the best thing to have is legal support that you can rely on. You can find it all over the country; there are personal injury solicitors in Liverpool, John O’Groat’s and in Dover, like Bond Turner and others. So chances are, you’ll have access to the support you need.