The Most Common On-the-Job Work Injuries

You don’t need to work on a construction site to be in danger of an on-the-job injury that can keep you out of work for a sustained period of time. Yes, even your cozy office cubicle has hazards in it that can potentially have you seeking treatment for a worker’s compensation injury.

Here are some of the most common injuries that can occur in the workplace.

Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruises

They’re the most common injury in general, so it’s only fitting that they’d be the most common injury in the workplace. Whether it’s from a falling object, a slip or fall, or an intentional act by a violent co-worker, superficial wounds such as cuts, scrapes, and bruises happen in the workplace every day.

Neck and Back Damage

A slip or fall on ground level is enough to cause considerable damage to your neck or back, but there are other, more high-risk, workplace situations where these types of injuries are even more prevalent.

For example, automotive accidents are among the most common causes for workplace-related injuries. People with driving-related jobs spend more time on the road than almost anyone else, so their chances of an accident are exponentially increased. The list of potential injuries from an automotive accident is a long one, and among the most frequent is damage to the neck and back.

Soft Tissue Injury

Injury to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments can come from all over the workplace. An awkward twist during a slip or fall, a collision with a heavy object, or whiplash from an automotive accident can all be the culprit. If the injury is a sprain or strain, then the healing process can be simple and relatively short, but in the case of a tear, surgery and physical therapy may be required.

You don’t need to have a traumatic accident to incur soft tissue injury, either. Overexertion is one of the leading causes of workplace injury. Lifting, pulling, carrying, throwing, and holding heavy objects can be enough to cause a torn or sprained ligament, muscle, or tendon.

Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Workplace injuries can even occur from the safety of a comfortable desk chair. Using a mouse or typing on a keyboard over long periods of time can result in damage to your nerves or swelling of your joints, leading to pain and stiffness in your hands, fingers, wrists, elbows, and more. This is known as a repetitive motion injury.