Prevent Injuries on the Jobsite- What Your Employer isn’t Telling You
Workplace injuries are on the rise, despite our best intentions. These injuries are both fatal and non-fatal in nature. There are preventative measures that we can take to make sure that we don’t get hurt on the jobsite. It is our employer’s duty to train us on safety precautions that we should take on the jobsite, however when important precautions are missed, we pay the price. Know the facts and keep your best interests in mind when it comes to your safety on the job site.
Know the hazards in your workplace
Staying educated on injury prevention and workplace safety should extend past the initial safety training. Equipment on a job site is both high-risk and can be quite complex. You need to make sure that you know 100% of the safety measures to protect yourself. If you don’t know-ask. Injury prevention can happen if you ask the right questions.
Watch out for safety short cuts that people do on the jobs to save time. It may seem like a good idea at first to cut corners on the job; however, the time saved on safety short cuts is minimal in relation to the , lengthy amount of time spent at physiotherapy and general recovery related to a work place injury.
Refuse Unsafe Work
After all injury prevention training has been taken, it is still possible that there will be many safety risks on the job site that could be overlooked by your employer. Use your common sense here. Use your judgment and refuse unsafe work. It’s not worth pretending you’re a hero, to come out of the job injured.
Lack of Sleep and Overexertion
In addition to being informed about injury prevention, one of the best methods of to protect yourself is to make sure that you are well rested before working in an environment where there might be safety risks. Lack of sleep makes us groggy, and we are much more likely to misjudge our step, and our hand eye coordination can be compromised. This co-ordination is all that stands between our power tools and a serious injury.
Repetitive Motion and Strain.
Physical labor taxes the body. Many injuries are preventable by making certain that we are not engaging in too much repetitive motion and strain. When we strain certain muscles, the weakening of these muscles makes us much more susceptible to injuring the surrounding ligaments, tendons and joints. This particular problem is a work place injury in itself however it could result in injuries that are much worse.
Have Proper Safety Equipment and Gear
Certain safety equipment should be put in place by your employer to prevent workplace injuries. Proper ventilation, lighting, safety signs and labels help to prevent many workplace injuries.
There are added precautions that you can take as an employee to ensure your safety at the job site. Wearing safety gloves, boots, glasses and helmet at all times will protect your from most immediate job hazards. Never take these items off when you’re working in environments that require them. Save yourself from slips and falls on the job site by wearing a neoprene safety boot cover over you safety boot. This will allow you to maintain the integrity of your boots, while keeping a non-slip grip on the bottom of your shoe.
Getting hurt on the job isn’t worth the time you save from not taking the right safety precautions. If you do get injured on the job, report any work related job accidents to your supervisor and employer. Fill out the correct paper work immediately so that you can claim the proper insurance benefits should you need to take them.
