Friday, January 23, 2009

When it is Considered an Injury at the Workplace?

By Amy Nutt

Injuries in the workplace happen all of the time. It is quite unfortunate, but certain obstacles get in the way, there are slip and fall injury accidents, and sometimes people may lift something and take out their back. There are so many things that can occur and many individuals are not quite certain when and if they should file a claim against their employer. If the injury causes them to not be able to function, then they lose wages and their quality of life is reduced significantly.

But when is it really considered a workplace injury?

Here is a list of workplace injuries:

- Carpal tunnel " This is from typing in an improper position. The wrist should be positioned in a certain way. This can be due to the employee not using proper techniques, but this can also be due to the proper supports not being provided by the company.

- Falls " If the floor is wet where it shouldn't be or there is an obstacle in the way, this can be claimed as a workplace injury.

- Breaks and fractures " If something occurs that causes you to break your arm or fracture any bone in your body, you can claim this as a workplace injury.

- Back, neck, and head injuries " If you are lifting something and you hurt your back, you can claim the injury if you were not provided with the right kind of back support to prevent the injury. Neck injuries can happen in this way as well. As far as head injuries go, you can get them from falling, from something falling on you, or from something hitting you.

- Tendonitis " This is the result of overuse of that particular part of your body. When it is work-related, there is a possible claim.

- Burns and lacerations " If you are cut or burned on the job, then you may be able to claim the injury.

There are many other injuries that can occur on the job. The best way to know whether or not it is considered an injury in the workplace is when it has occurred because of something that someone else caused or was caused by the company themselves.

There are many instances in which the right safety gear is not offered. There are also cases in which a person may be severely overworked and it leads to overuse injuries. The best way to be able to file a workplace injury claim is to be able to prove that the company is at fault in some way. If you tripped over your own feet, that is hardly grounds for an injury claim although it happened at work. So you have to be mindful of what constitutes an injury at work and what doesn't. Just know that if you cause the injury that you won't be able to file a claim against the company since it wasn't due to their negligence.

So if you find that your company is not employing the right safety measures, do something about it. Tell them what it is that you and the employees need. They should know this considering there are severe consequences for companies that don't ensure their employees are safe.

In the meantime, exercise your own safety measures so that you don't become injured. You never know when an injury may cause you to be out of work indefinitely and that can cause severe financial consequences for you in the form of medical expenses and lost wages. Workplace injuries are the most common injuries, so make sure you are careful when on the job. In the long run you'll be glad that you were.

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