7 reasons why back injury is common in the workplace and ways to get compensated By: Kim Hemphry
About the Author:
Kim Hemphry is a passionate expert in the areas of Legal Matters, learning and education. She has been featured on over 50 leading Legal and education sites and is a modern thought leader in the field. More about her interests and articles on her site – https://kimhemphry.com/
Back injuries are a major concern for many companies and individuals around the world. This is because even minor back injuries have the ability to distort a person’s quality of life as well as affect morale and productivity.
Unfortunately, some companies never give back injuries the seriousness that they deserve oblivious of the overall impact on the organization as well as its employees. Some workers also tend to ignore the pain thinking that it will disappear after some time.
The truth is that some back injuries can lead to permanent disability. It is therefore important for both employers and employees to take necessary precaution to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Let us take a look at 7 reasons as to why back injury is common in workplaces and ways to seek compensation.
1. Lack of proper training
Ergonomic issues are often more complex than they tend to appear. Sometimes employers assume that employees can lift and carry objects without requiring any form of training. However, that’s not always the case.
There are certain items or objects that need specialized handling. If the employee doesn’t have the necessary training when it comes to handling those type of objects, then the risk of getting back injuries is high. Employers should never assume that just because their employees have hands, they can lift and carry any kind of object.
2. Skewed risk perception
When employees get used to lifting and carrying objects regularly, there’s always a tendency to ignore the impact or risk posed by such activities on their health – particularly their backs. Even seating for long hours has the potential of causing serious back injuries.
The best way to prevent this is by constantly reminding employees of the risks and dangers associated with lifting jobs or seating for long hours. Besides that, employers should also give workers time to listen to their bodies by incorporating breaks in between their schedules.
3. Improper lifting methods
Appropriate back safety training is important for every employee. Nonetheless, it is not enough to do it just once – something practised by most companies. There’s always a need for regular reinforcement of back safety techniques.
Offering refresher training courses to workers will help reduce back injuries in many people. This is simply because they will be equipped with relevant knowledge and skills to handle different types of equipment in their workplaces.
4. Rushing & frustrations
This is one of the major reasons why back injury is common in workplaces. Sometimes strict deadlines and long working hours bring about frustrations and rushing of things to meet the deadlines.
When workers are exhausted and frustrated, they tend to think irrationally hence unable to apply appropriate skills when performing their duties.
5. Inadequate personal protective equipment
Most back injury cases result from accidents caused by a lack of adequate personal protective gear. Some employers fail to protect their workers when they are unable to provide them with personal protective equipment. Every employee has a right to be protected by his or her employer no matter what it costs.
6. Lack of awareness
One of the reasons why back injury cases are common in workplaces is the lack of awareness. Some employees are often unaware of the dangers they are exposed to when lifting and carrying certain objects around at work. The worst part is some employees will develop back injury and fail to understand the real cause of the back injury.
7. Poor posture
There are certain seating or standing positions that increase the chances of developing back pain injuries. Unfortunately, there are some jobs where workers have no option but to sit for long hours in order to accomplish their duties.
How to get back injury compensation
Every employee has a right to be compensated when they experience back pain injuries. It is always the duty of an employer to ensure the safety of all employees while at work. When they fail to do so and employees end up with Perth back injurys, then they have to compensate for that.
The first and most important step towards getting justice towards your back injury is choosing the right back injury compensation lawyer. Some people often make the mistake of hiring lawyers who do not specialize in personal injury law.
Ensure that you hire a good and experienced personal injury lawyer to increase your chances of being compensated. Besides that, the compensation amount you will receive will also depend on the personal injury lawyer representing you.