The Root Causes of Most Workplace Injuries

Whether a worker suffers heat stress, a broken bone, a concussion, or any other injury, the root cause usually comes down to one of these four factors.

For every workplace injury, the conditions that lead up to it are unique. Still, you can examine each accident at a higher level of analysis. Doing so gives you better data and deepens your understanding. One useful method is getting down to the root cause of an accident, rather than focusing on the specifics. As any competent St. Louis work injury lawyer will tell you, when you complete this analysis, you often come up with the same root causes over and over again.

work boots and hard hat

The Work Environment

The top factor that causes workplace injuries is the work environment itself. First, this includes where employees are and what they are expected to do. In the case of a logger, they are working outside, with heavy tools, and often at a significant height. As you can assume, this is one of the most dangerous jobs. The second aspect of the work environment is how each company lays out the workplace. For some, management takes great care and responsibility in making the work environment as safe as possible. At other businesses, they are sloppy and put their employees at risk.

Improper Training

Almost every job out there will have you take a training seminar soon after you are hired. In professions that are especially susceptible to accidents, a large part of training will be injury avoidance. This is why companies that prioritize training have fewer workplace injuries and ones that do not end up with a high rate of employee damage. The other side of this issue is the employee. The seminar might be useful, but if workers choose not to pay attention, they put themselves at risk.

Poor Supervision

Though getting through the workday without injury is a team effort, greater responsibility must be placed on management. The reason is that they have a legal obligation to keep their employees safe. If they fail to do so, they shoulder a portion of the blame. In well-run companies, supervisors are both personable and responsible. This allows them to be respected by their employees.

Company Culture

When a workplace injury occurs, you should always look to management for answers. That being said, supervisors can only do so much to keep their employees safe. The workers themselves must take responsibility and act in a safe manner. When company culture is negative, workers may tend to be lazy about safety procedures. When the culture is positive, they tend to adhere to guidelines and stay safe.

Whether a worker suffers heat stress, a broken bone, a concussion, or any other injury, the reason behind their accident usually comes down to four critical factors: Work environment, improper training, supervision, and company culture. If you notice that your company is not acting responsibly in one of these areas, don’t be afraid to speak up.

Updated: September 21, 2018