The Most Common Workplace Injuries for First-Year Employees

If you’re new to your job and have suffered a workplace injury, contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann to discuss your case.

Did you know that employees working their first-year account for 35% of all workplace injuries? This is an unsurprising statistic, considering their lack of experience, anxiety, and general recklessness of new employees. However, with intricate processes and safety mechanisms, first-year employees can make it through their first and subsequent years at work unscathed.

If you’ve been injured on the job, contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann. With over 30 years of Missouri workers’ compensation experience, we can help you receive the compensation you need and deserve.

Common First-Year Injuries

First-year employees, especially those new to the workforce, may face a variety of workplace injuries due to lack of experience, unfamiliarity with safety protocols, and potential hazards in their respective industries. Some of the most common workplace injuries for first-year employees include:

Overexertion

Overexertion injuries are the most common injuries among first-year workers in the country. These injuries occur when workers overexert their muscles or sprain their ligaments. This mostly happens when new workers overwork to impress their bosses or to finish their allotted tasks faster.

While overexertion injuries aren’t fatal, they can lead to debilitating pain. They can also lead to missed time at work, which beats the point of working harder to impress your superiors. Fortunately, workers’ comp insurance covers overexertion injuries, including muscle sprains and strains.

Slip-and-Fall Injuries

Slip-and-fall injuries, as the name implies, are accidents that occur when workers slip on an object and fall to the surface. Slip-and-fall accidents are a lot more severe than simple stumbles. Some workers slip and hit their heads on hard surfaces resulting in traumatic brain injuries. Others slip on ladders or stair steps and come tumbling from high above the ground, resulting in sprains and fractures.

Struck-Against or Struck-By Objects Injuries

Unfamiliarity with the work environment puts inexperienced workers at a greater risk of being struck by or striking objects than experienced ones. First-year workers will likely work very close to moving machines, including vehicles. They’re also likely to strike an object while operating machinery accidentally.

These accidents can lead to broken bones, concussions, injuries to the spine, and sometimes death. Employers are advised against allowing new workers to operate heavy machinery without supervision until they receive appropriate technical and safety training.

Cuts and Lacerations

Cuts and lacerations are commonplace with first-year workers handling sharp tools and equipment. Improper handling of such equipment could lead to cuts and lacerations that cause profuse bleeding.

Rarely do these injuries turn fatal, but prompt medical attention is necessary. Leaving cuts and wounds open makes them vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infections. This could exacerbate the injury and prolong healing.

Motor Vehicle Accident Injuries

Working for most industries involves driving vehicles for deliveries, pick-ups, or moving heavy objects. Inexperienced workers will likely get into car accidents while driving trucks, forklifts, grades, and other vehicles.

Fortunately, vehicle accidents on-site are usually less severe than those on the open road. However, workers require immediate medical attention, or their injuries could worsen, or they could succumb to them.