Being a parent and working a full-time job is a challenge many families have to face every day. Dropping the kids off at school, packing their lunches, commuting to your job, working from 9 to 5, picking the kids up from school, cooking dinner, doing the dishes, and finishing up other chores — all of this repeating every day for the foreseeable future. Now imagine getting injured at your job. You slip on a wet floorboard and hit your head but your employer says the floor wasn’t slippery and that you are lying. Not only missing work but also having to stay at a hospital overnight for brain scans, you can’t pick the kids up from school and are now in debt from medical bills.
Situations like this do happen, making it of utmost importance to stay as safe as you can in the workplace. If you do end up with an injury at work, the Phoenix workers compensation attorneys at Crossman Law Offices will get you the compensation you deserve.
Most Common Workplace Accidents
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 nonfatal workplace injuries totaled 2,804,200 and fatal injuries 5,486. The most common injuries are:
- Trips and falls
- Slip and fall
- Traffic collision
- Overexertion
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Struck by moving objects
- Exposure
- Burns
- Electrical injury
And although perhaps an office/computer job may appear to be less injury-prone, a 2022 study on the “Work‐relatedness of carpal tunnel syndrome” found that there was a significant association between CTS and repetitive hand movements such as clicking or using a mouse.
Preventative Safety Tips for Parents in the Workplace
As demonstrated earlier, parents often have to multitask their job and take care of their children, leading to stress, fatigue, and injuries at the workplace. This is why it is so important to know how to mitigate any problems/bad habits that may lead to an injury at the workplace. One way to prevent future accidents is to become familiar with safety regulations and to know their rights under OSHA — the best way to do this is by requesting your manager to provide you an updated OSHA handbook.
Some other practical tips for ensuring your safety are having proper posture (whether operating heavy machinery or sitting in a chair), utilizing proper safety equipment (such as a protective hard-hat), or taking regular breaks (taking a quick walk just to refresh the brain).
In addition to this, you should always engage in open communication to coworkers and your superiors on any unsafe condition in the work environment. If you create a space where it feels safe to talk about important safety issues without any potential harassment or consequences, then more people will be take action on any potential hazards.
What Do You Do in Case of an Injury at Work?
There is only so much you can do to prevent an accident at work. That is why it’s important to know what to do if an accident occurs. If you or someone else are injured, the first thing you should do is to seek medical care and call emergency services immediately (best if one person uses a first aid kit and another person calls 911). Then, when general safety/good health has been established, report the incident and take note of anything that could have caused the injury (slippery floors, exposed wiring, etc…). Certain injuries taken place on the job qualify for worker’s compensation so do not be afraid to call a lawyer if you are unsure of your rights.
Work-life Balance
Again, there is only so much you can do to avoid an accident at work, especially if the injury is caused by a hazard at work itself. But it is still wise to balance your work and personal life so as to reduce stress, anxiety, and allow you to be much more aware of your surroundings (keep you safe from workplace dangers).
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