Work Injuries

When it comes to work-related injuries, it’s important to always report your injuries, no matter how small they may seem.

When you hear about work injury claims, you may imagine life-altering injuries or conditions that render a person unable to sustain themselves. While these claims are not an easy thing to go through, they aren’t reserved only for extreme cases.

When it comes to work-related injuries, it’s important to always report your injuries, no matter how small they may seem. If you worry that your report will not be seen well by your employer or if you question its utility yourself, here are the pro arguments.

Your Employer Should Pay the Medical Expenses

Whether it’s a small or a serious injury, your medical expenses should generally be covered by your employer’s insurance company if the accident happens while you were performing work duties. Worker’s compensation exists to protect you from financial struggles due to work injuries. It also makes your employer responsible when it comes to workplace safety and protecting their staff, so knowing and demanding your rights is the best thing to do.

You May Get Complication in the Future

You might not think your injury is worth filing a report for if you get a puncture or a backache, let’s say. However, if your minor injury aggravates (gets infected or turns out to be something more serious), not filing a report can affect your workers’ comp claim.

Covering Time off Work

Whether it’s at the time of the injury or later (due to complications), taking time off work for treating your minor injury should generally be covered by worker’s compensation. If you don’t report your injury, your employer might ask you to still go to work, which can aggravate your medical problem.

File a Report Immediately

Filing a report right after (or as soon as possible) the incident occurred makes your employer acknowledge the injury and thus you can prove that they are aware of it. If you don’t file an official report (preferably a written one), your employer can deny ever knowing about it or even it happening at your workplace.

You Will Make Your Workplace Safer for Everybody

If you think that a minor injury is not worth pursuing, imagine that you just got fortunate. Many times, small work-related injuries are a symptom of poor risk management from your employer. If you don’t file a report on your small injury, the risks are still going to be there and the next time someone might not be as fortunate. Filing a report is the responsible thing to do and it should not get you in trouble.

If you believe that filing a work injury report makes your employer treats you differently, get in contact with a St. Louis work injury lawyer 24/7 at (314) 361-4300.

The following are some excellent guidelines for avoiding work injuries this fall season.

It may surprise you that work injuries fluctuate depending on the season. Each time of year comes with its own set of safety tips. The following are some excellent guidelines for avoiding work injuries this fall season.

Brush Up on Your Training

A change in season is an excellent time to break out of any bad habits you’ve developed. If you’ve been at your job for a long time, there may be a couple of unsafe actions that you regularly take. You can eliminate them by brushing up on your training and making an effort to change the way you work. Not only will doing so make you safer, but you’ll set a standard around your workplace.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

One of the most dangerous things you can do at work is not paying attention. The reason is that hazards are everywhere, and you need to see them if you want to avoid them. Doing things like listening to loud music and looking at your phone takes your focus off of your surroundings. The result could be a fall, walking too close to a machine, or any other work-related accident. Instead, keep your eyes and ears open until you’re in a safe environment.

Following Driving Safety Guidelines

One change that always comes with the fall season is an increase in rainfall. The result is slicker roads that are harder to navigate on. If you are in the driving industry, you can avoid this danger by following the most important driving safety guidelines. They include not driving intoxicated, resisting distractions, driving under the speed limit, checking your brake functionality, and making sure your tires are up to date. These tips go for any person that drives to work too, though an injury sustained on a commute will not be eligible for workers’ compensation.

Beware of Weather

As we mentioned above, rain can make driving significantly less safe. The same is true for all types of weather and employees that work outside. The conditions to watch out for are rain, snow, lightning, and extreme heat, all of which are present during Fall. You can adjust your habits according to which weather hazard is present.

Inform Supervisors of Safety Issues

The end of the year is coming, and companies often take this time to review what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong. One error that your supervisors might not know about is unsafe conditions in the workplace. If these hazards are present at your job, now is the time to alert somebody. If you do, you might find that the mistake has been fixed by the start of next year.

With temperatures cooling down and the holidays coming up, Fall is one of the best times of the year. Still, this season brings a few unique hazards that you should watch out for when at work. We hope this list has inspired you to make some crucial changes to your habits and keep yourself safe. That being said, if you sustain an injury, it is best to discuss your options with a St. Louis work injury attorney. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4300 for a FREE case evaluation.

Extreme temperatures pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of workers.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), those who work in extremely cold or hot environments are at high risk of cold or heat stress. While most people think that only outdoor workers are prone to suffering from effects of cold or hot temperatures, even indoor workers who are exposed to extreme temperatures can suffer injuries. In this post, our work injury lawyer will discuss how extreme temperatures increase the risk of worker injury.

Worker injuries caused by extreme cold

Worker who are exposed to extremely cold working conditions are at high risk of suffering cold weather related illnesses and injuries. The factors that increase the injury risk are:

Dampness: When workers are exposed to dampness in the air, rain or submersion in water, their body temperature can come down rapidly. While hypothermia is common at colder temperatures, damp or wet conditions can cause hypothermia even at temperatures above 40 degree.

Wind: The combination of air movement and temperature is referred to as wind chill. The higher the speed of the wind, and the lower the temperature, the greater the risk.

Fatigue and other medical conditions: When a worker who is fatigued or in poor health is made to work in colder conditions, the risk of injury increases. Cold temperatures force the body to work harder in order to maintain body heat, and this extra exhaustion can cause health problems such as poor circulation and heart problems.

Ways to prevent injuries resulting from colder temperatures

OSHA recommends the following safeguards:

• wearing multiple layers of weather appropriate clothing
• drinking warm liquids
• consuming a nutritional diet
• avoiding alcoholic beverages
• taking frequent breaks to warm up

Worker injuries caused by extreme heat

Extremely hot temperatures are as dangerous as cold temperatures for workers. Working in hot temperatures can cause injuries such as:

• Heat stroke
• Heat exhaustion
• Breakdown of muscle tissue
• Death

Each year, more than three dozen workers get killed while working in high temperatures, and 4,000 become ill. According to the CDC, exposure to extreme heat increases the risk for traumatic injuries. Workers who are older, overweight, in poor physical condition or those who take certain medications are at a higher risk of suffering heat-related injuries.

Common conditions associated with working in extreme heat

Heat exhaustion: When the body losses too much salt and water, it can cause heat exhaustion. The worker can become weak, dizzy and ill.

Heat stroke: This is a serious heat related illness, and occurs when the worker’s body is no longer able to regulate its temperature. When the sweating mechanism fails, the worker’s body is no longer able to cool down, and the temperature can increase rapidly. If the condition is not treated promptly, it can cause permanent disability and even death.

Rhabdomyolysis: When a worker works in high temperatures for a long time, it can result in rupture, breakdown, or death of muscle tissue. This can release electrolytes and large proteins into the bloodstream, and cause irregular heartbeat, seizures and kidney damage.

Ways to prevent injuries resulting from colder temperatures

• Proper Hydration is Key
• Frequent Breaks
• Acclimation