worker safety

Machinery accidents cause some of the most gruesome work-related injuries.

The reason is machinery accidents are so dangerous is that they have the potential to do a massive amount of damage. Whether that is severe lacerations, broken bones, or an amputation, you’ll want to do your best to avoid these accidents. Here are seven practical tips for doing so.

Don’t Touch it When it is Moving

One thing that often happens to workers is that they need to adjust a piece of machinery, but don’t want to shut the whole system down. Unfortunately, this approach frequently leads to injuries. What you can do instead is never touch machinery unless it is turned off and motionless.

Have a Plan

Employees frequently get hurt because they do not know what to do next. Rather than keeping a cool head, they let the stress get to them and act in an unsafe way. This behavior is often not their fault, though. Instead, it is up to the employer to have a plan in place for malfunctions. Doing so will give workers a firm idea of what to do in problematic situations.

Get Proper Training

You should never operate a machine that you haven’t received adequate training for. Additionally, you should brush up on safety guidelines if you’ve forgotten the safety education you once received. Either way, learning about the machinery you’re supposed to watch over is essential.

Wear Safety Gear

Most workplaces have a variety of safety gear that employees can utilize. If yours does, then wear every piece of equipment that is useful to you. If not, consider requesting it from your employer or buying those items yourself.

Use Machine Guards

The most dangerous pieces of machinery should always have guard rails or other equipment around them to reduce danger. Be sure to stay outside of those boundaries so you can be safe from debris and other hazards.

Pay Attention

One of the most common causes of accidents is employees not paying attention. Whatever you have going on in your life, try to leave it at the door and give your full attention to your work. The most common sources of distraction are phones, so watch your usage when on the clock.

Stay Sober

Lastly, you should stay sober while working. Doing so will keep your judgment and motor skills intact, which can be crucial in injury avoidance. Additionally, being intoxicated could disqualify you from a future workers’ compensation case, making it especially dangerous.

Part of being the best possible employee is putting your health first. What that means in practice is doing everything you can to protect yourself when working. An excellent way to do so is following our tips on working with machinery. Of course, you could still end up being injured despite your best efforts. In that case, it is in your best interest to discuss what benefits you qualify for with an experienced work injury lawyer. Give us call 24/7 for a FREE Case Evaluation :: (314) 361-4300

There are many advantages to being a construction worker, as long as you work safely and wear proper protective gear.

If you’re a construction worker, you probably don’t need us to tell you that your job is one of the more dangerous ones out there. That being said, there are also many advantages to being in the line of work, as long as you stay safe. The following are some of the most important pieces of protective gear that are at your disposal.

Helmet

One of the most common hazards that injure construction workers is objects falling from above. Whether that be a roof tile, general debris, a tool, or anything else, these accidents can cause severe damages. This effect is further exacerbated if the item is especially heavy or the fall is more than just a few feet. While these events are hard to stop, you can mitigate their danger by wearing a helmet.

Goggles

Next, we have eye protection. Construction sites frequently have harmful projectiles flying around them. Some activities that create them include bulldozing and welding, but there are many more than could be present in your workplace. Luckily, wearing goggles can protect your vision by putting a barrier between you and those objects.

Boots

Just as debris can fall from above and hit your head, it can also do the same thing to your feet. This scenario is even more likely because you or someone next to you might cause the accident, rather than someone high up in the air. Having sturdy boots with steel toes can save you from painful fractures and many other types of damage.

Gloves

The hands are two more areas that are constantly in dang. The reason is that we use them to interact with the world. As a result, they take on the most risk when you carry out tasks. This is especially true in a construction setting, as workers’ hands get cut, broken, or amputated all the time. While gloves won’t protect you from the most severe forms of injury, they will do a lot to keep you unscathed during day to day activities.

Earplugs

One of the issues that people rarely think of is hearing loss. Unfortunately, this condition develops frequently and decreases workers’ quality of life as a result. As you might imagine, construction employees are especially at risk, given their constant contact with loud noises. Earplugs provide protection from this outcome.

Fall Protection

Our last piece of gear is a bit different than the previous five. It is fall protection equipment like harnesses and nets, which save lives on construction sites every day. While you likely cannot purchase them yourself, you can ask your superiors to consider installing them at your site.

Construction definitely has its risks. Therefore, if you are working in the construction industry, make sure you work safely every day on the job and wear all of the protective equipment you need. If you do, you’ll have an excellent shot at making it through a full career without sustaining serious injuries. However, if you are ever injured on the job, it is important to get in touch with a workers compensation attorney ASAP to ensure your legal rights are protected. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4300 for a FREE Case Evaluation.

Learn what employee burnout is, what causes it, how it puts you at risk, and how to avoid it.

While you may not have heard of employee burnout before, unfortunately thousands of workers around the country suffer from it, and one of them could even be you. What you can do to protect yourself is learn about what it is, what causes it, how it can put you at risk, and the best ways to avoid it.

What is Employee Burnout?

Experts describe employee burnout as the state workers fall into after an extended period of demanding work conditions. Some common symptoms include:

• Low motivation
• Dissatisfaction
• Fatigue
• Gaining weight
• Anxiety and depression
• Generally having negative emotions

You may have come to this state at some point yourself, or you might know somebody who has. One typical example is a person working well above a forty hour work week for many months straight. At some point, that individual is bound to break.

The Difference Between Burnout and Stress

While these terms are quite similar, we can make a distinction. In the simplest terms, burnout is a condition that is the result of continual stress. A bit of stress here and there might not be a bad thing, but it is definitely negative when it never stops. If that condition continues, a person might reach burnout.

What Causes Burnout

While anyone can reach this state, the following factors are usually present.

Long Hours – Working incredibly long days leads to physical and mental exhaustion. If this schedule persists, it can be dangerous.

Lack of Boundaries – If your work is coming home with you and demanding your attention on the weekends, you could be at risk.

Constantly Helping Others – While this work condition is usually a positive, it can turn negative, as those in healthcare and similar professions are prone to burnout.

The Safety Hazards Of It

Burned out employees move slowly and have less awareness of their surroundings. A few accidents that can arise from this state are the misuse of heavy machinery, delayed emergency response, poor driving, employee fighting, and issues caused by getting behind on work-related tasks.

How You Can Stay Safe

Ultimately, the best way to avoid burnout is to take breaks from the stress of your job. Some of the best ways to do so are exercising, spending time with loved ones, getting enough sleep, being organized, knowing your limits, taking frequent breaks, and utilizing vacation days. One thing to note is that some employers are so unreasonable that they will not allow you to use these methods. If this is the case, you may need to find a new job.

If you’re feeling burned out at work, it is time to make a change. Suppressing your feelings and going on without any adjustments is an accident waiting to happen. Instead, follow some of our tips on how to stay safe. If you fail to do this, you may end up being involved in a work-related accident.