If you work in manufacturing, you know how strenuous and dangerous your work can be. Your job requires you to work with hazardous materials, heavy equipment and loud noises all the time. Staying safe in a factory or warehouse job may prove to be difficult, especially if your employer does not take the necessary precautions to protect you.
Over 100,000 manufacturing employees get hurt on the job every year. But what exactly is causing so many injuries? Here are some of the top reasons you may suffer an injury while manufacturing.
1. Noise pollution
Manufacturing equipment and heavy machinery cause high levels of noise pollution. Even if your employer provides you with noise-canceling headsets or your workplace was constructed with noise-reducing materials, your workplace may still impair your hearing. A single loud incident may cause sudden hearing damage, or you may suffer hearing impairment over a long period of time. You may experience ringing in your ears and/or a loss of hearing.
2. Equipment and tools
According to Travelers Insurance, coming into contact with an object results in 40 percent of manufacturing injuries. Machinery and dangerous materials may cause cuts, puncture wounds, amputations, fractures and dislocations. Appropriate training and wearing protective gear can help reduce the chances of these injuries, but the risk is inherent in the type of work.
3. Overexertion
As a manufacturing employee, you perform a lot of hard tasks. Doing strenuous tasks for long periods of time may result in musculoskeletal disorders, sprains and strains. If your workload is too much, you may get hurt. Repetitive motions may also result in a variety of musculoskeletal complications.
Getting hurt at work is the last thing you want to be on your mind, but you should be ready if it happens. The risk of getting an on-the-job injury in manufacturing is high. If you suffer an injury at work, you should file a workers’ compensation claim.