Especially as online shopping becomes more common, many workers find employment in warehouses. Unfortunately, work in the warehouse industry is dangerous, and some examinations of the data around workplace injuries indicates that warehouses have a higher than average rate of fatal injuries. What injuries commonly impact warehouse workers?
1. Motor vehicle accidents
Whether moving products from the warehouse to a waiting shipping vehicle or lifting heavy items with forklifts, motor vehicles are a key part of many warehouses’ operations. This means that workers often come into contact with these vehicles, and that contact can put them at risk of crashes, rollover accidents or being trapped between a vehicle and another object.
2. Slips, trips and falls
Warehouses can involve mats, uneven surfaces, door frames, wet areas and other hazards that could lead to a fall. This can be especially true if a worker has to carry a large object that blocks their view of hazards as they move through the warehouse.
3. Overexertion
Overexertion is one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, accounting for over 30 percent of nonfatal injuries. Because warehouse work often involves lifting heavy objects, workers in this industry can be particularly susceptible to the sprains and strains that result.
4. Repetitive strain injuries
Even if a warehouse worker does not experience an accident, the tasks they perform every day can still cause damage to their bodies. Repeated actions — including bending down to pick up boxes, twisting or repeating a specific motion to operate a machine — can slowly cause damage to the parts of the body used. This can lead to pain, stiffness, weakness or tingling, and symptoms can grow worse if left untreated.
While warehouse workers can experience a wide variety of injuries at work, injured workers do have legal options available to them. Workers’ compensation could help injured warehouse workers get the support they need to heal.