Employee safety is one of the most important things employers should focus on, as healthy employees drive business success; however, workplace accidents remain an inevitable part of day-to-day life. Injuries on the job occur across virtually every industry, from construction to retail.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency responsible for ensuring workplace safety and health. Each state has its own OSHA subdivision responsible for ensuring OSHA’s guidelines are being met in workplaces across the state.

Causes of Workplace Accidents

There are so many scenarios in which workers can be injured. Thousands of workers in Texas are hurt on the job every year. Workplace injuries can be devastating, and often have serious and extensive consequences for not only the injured person but their entire family. Some of the most common causes of workplace accidents include:

  • Car Accidents: If you drive as a part of your job or work around industrial vehicles on a regular basis, chances are high that you will one day be involved in a work vehicle accident. With 50,650 injuries, transportation incidents only make up about 5.6% of all nonfatal workplace injuries.
  • Slips, Trips, and Falls: Considering how many factors can cause slips, trips, and falls, they are often considered inevitable at work.
  • Falls from Heights: A worker can fall from a significant height when working on scaffolding, ladders, roofs, beams, and other such locations. These accidents are especially common on construction sites.
  • Equipment and Machinery Accidents: Even when operated correctly, heavy machinery can be very dangerous due to manufacturing defects and improper employee training, among other causes.
  • Being Struck by an Object: One of OSHA’s “Fatal Four” construction accidents is being struck by an object at work. This type of workplace accident accounts for the highest number of construction-related deaths per year.
  • Repetitive Stress: Also known as cumulative trauma, these injuries are caused by repeated use of one or more parts of your body. These injuries can affect anyone, but factory employees, healthcare providers, and construction workers are most at risk.
  • Toxic Exposure: While many of these incidents involve exposure to chemicals, it also includes exposure to extreme temperatures, radiation, noise, and more.

Common On-The-Job Injuries

The most common workplace injuries in Texas include:

  • Fractures / broken bones
  • Brain injury or head injury
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Burns
  • Amputations
  • Overexertion
  • Sprains, strains, and tears
  • Cuts, lacerations, and punctures
  • Bruises and contusions
  • Electrocution or electric shock
  • Eye injuries
  • Paralysis

Houston, Texas Work Injury Lawyers

Regardless of industry, all Texas workers deserve a safe work environment free of danger. When companies choose to cut corners with regard to workplace safety, they are placing profits over the wellbeing of their workforce. If you or a loved one was seriously injured or killed in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation – and not just via the Texas Workers’ Compensation system. There is limited time to act following an on-the-job injury, so contact us today for more information on how we can help.