Day in and day out, you perform your job to the best of your abilities at the plant. In your manufacturing-related job, you take great care in the precision work to ensure that your employer swiftly gets its products to consumers.
But, sometimes, breakdowns occur. And this includes breakdowns leading to defective equipment and, more importantly, breakdowns in the safety standards of your employer. These actions or inactions can lead to serious injuries to your and your fellow workers or even prove fatal. When an employer is negligent, it not only harms itself, the company harms its most important asset: its employees.
Employers must abide by safety standards
For manufacturing workers, injuries commonly occur in the following situations:
- Being struck by or having contact with an object: Supplies can fall from heights, striking workers. Also, objects on wheels can roll into unsuspecting workers causing serious injuries.
- Overexertion: Continuously lifting, pulling, pushing and carrying objects can lead to injuries such as strains and sprains to your muscles, tendons and ligaments. Other injuries can surface as well, and the list includes damage to the lower back and spinal cord, neck, joints, shoulders and knees. A hernia also is possible.
- Slips, trips and falls: Slippery and clutter-filled floors can lead to falls causing bone fractures to the arms, legs, back and skull, sometimes leading to concussions and traumatic brain injury. Falls from heights also can lead to serious injury.
- Repetitive motion: These injuries to your ligaments and tendons can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and bursitis making it difficult to perform everyday tasks.
- Having contact with harmful substances: This list may include chemicals and fumes that can cause serious burns to the skin and eyes as well as respiratory ailments due to inhalation.
Employers must take safety seriously. They rely on their employees, so they must invest in them in every way possible. This includes proper training in performing the job and implementing stringent safety guidelines. And if an injury occurs on site, an employer must take responsibility and somehow make amends.