What Occupations Have the Highest Risk of Injury?
In 2015, 34,500 New Jersey workers filed new claims for workers’ compensation benefits. While no workplace in the Garden State is entirely free of hazards that have the potential to cause injuries, certain workplaces pose a higher risk of injury than others. If you or a loved one has been injured on the job, a workers compensation lawyer in New Jersey may be able to help you attain benefits that will help you focus on your recovery more effectively.
What Occupations Present the Highest Risk of Injury?
Workplace injuries are on the rise according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some of these injuries even lead to a loss of life. Certain occupations are also associated with higher numbers of workers’ compensation claims. Those occupations include:
- Construction work
- Health care
- Driving
Common Injuries Associated with Construction Work
Construction sites can be hectic environments where safety rules are often bent in the interests of expedience. Some of the most common injuries on construction sites are:
- Falls: Construction workers are often called upon to climb ladders or scaffolding. Should workers fall from such perches, they can incur broken bones as well as serious back and neck injuries. Back and neck injuries can be tricky because often their initial presentation makes them seem less serious than they are. If you suffer a fall at a building site where you are working, it’s important to see a health care provider as soon as possible. If your health care provider places any restrictions on your ability to work, it’s important to get these instructions in writing.
- Lifting and turning injuries: Back injuries are also associated with lifting, turning, pushing and pulling, which are all very common activities on a construction site. If you pivot the wrong way while you are hoisting a heavy load, you can rupture a disc. This is another situation where at first, the injury may not seem to be as serious as it actually is.
- Electricity-related injuries: Many construction site injuries are related to the temporary wiring that’s often put into place so that power tools can be operated. Workers may shock themselves or trip over unsecured wires and injure themselves by falling.
Common Injuries Associated with Health Care
Working in the health care industry can be physically demanding. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20 percent of all nonfatal occupational injuries affect nurses, nursing aides and other ancillary medical personnel. Some of the riskiest activities are:
- Needle sticks: Nurses and nursing aides are often required to draw blood and to administer intravenous medications. Occasionally, this results in a situation where a health care worker sticks himself or herself with a contaminated needle. This situation is particularly risky if the worker has been caring for a patient with a bloodborne infection such as Hepatitis C or HIV.
- Maneuvering patients: Hospital patients often have limited mobility and rely upon aides to help them out of bed and assist them when they perambulate around the halls. If a patient begins to fall, and a nurse breaks that fall, that nurse can sustain a serious back injury.
- Lifting: Lifting heavy loads can be a routine part of a health care worker’s job. If you underestimate the weight you’re lifting, though, you can also injure your back.
Common Driving Injuries
According to occupational data collected by the U.S. Census in 2010, nearly 3 percent of all Americans drive for a living. They work as truck drivers, bus drivers, cabbies and part-time Uber chauffeurs. Drivers may suffer broken bones, whiplash, and other back and skeletal injuries if they become involved in traffic accidents. If lifting heavy freight is also a part of their job descriptions, they can injure their backs or sprain their muscles while loading or unloading heavy boxes.
The Vorhees Law Office in Somerville, New Jersey, has a proven track record when it comes to helping clients get the workers’ compensation they deserve. Let an experienced workers compensation lawyer advocate on your behalf. Contact us today at (609) 771-8611 to schedule a no-cost initial consultation.
