Safety in the Workplace

Most people go to work each day in order to work hard and earn a paycheck. When employees cannot focus on their work due to safety hazards in the workplace, they should report the hazards to their employers.

Safety hazards include any situations that can potentially cause harm to someone’s safety or health. If an employer decides that the situation is not a hazard to employees, then he or she may be making a hazardous decision for everyone in the workplace.

Common Workplace Accidents

Among the most common workplace accidents are:

• Spraining or straining during physical tasks of the job: Lifting, bending, twisting, pulling, or pushing can injure an employee over time or may cause a serious and sudden injury.
• Slips and falls: This is usually a consequence of under-managed areas that result in the accumulation of liquids and small objects on the floor.
• Biological accidents: It is not uncommon for someone to contract a virus or disease in the workplace. Biological accidents are most prevalent in the food service industry and in waste disposal management systems.
• Physical accidents: Fractures, concussions, burns, electrocutions, and other physical accidents are common occurrences in the workplace. Sometimes physical accidents are result of equipment used.
• Chemical accidents: Most industrial chemicals are harmful to the human body if inhaled, consumed, or exposed to the surface of the skin or other body parts.