The manufacturing industry in Georgia is strong and thriving. Thousands of employees work in facilities that make everything from clothes to cars. Unfortunately, workplace accidents and injuries happen a lot in this type of work.
Who gets hurt most often in manufacturing
Manufacturing injury numbers show surprising facts about which workers face the highest risk. Reports show that around 30% of injuries happened to first-year manufacturing employees. Surprisingly, though, data from Travelers Insurance also shows that workers ages 35 to 49 are more likely to get injured than those ages 50 and up.
Top three manufacturing injuries
Manufacturing workers suffer a variety of injuries that can end careers and cause lasting health problems. These include:
- Overexertion injuries: Heavy lifting, pushing and pulling motions hurt muscles and joints. These can cause back injuries, strains and sprains that require long recovery times.
- Slip-and-fall incidents: Wet floors, uneven surfaces and messy walkways create dangerous conditions that can cause fractures or critical injuries in an instant.
- Repetitive strain injuries: Doing the same motions over and over each day damages tendons, nerves and muscles. Examples of repetitive strain injuries are carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
Injuries like these three affect thousands of manufacturing workers each year, not just in Georgia.
Steps to take after an injury
Tell your supervisor about any injury right away. Make sure to report this even if symptoms seem small. It also helps with workers’ compensation claims to document how the injury happened.
More importantly, get medical care as soon as possible. Putting off seeing a doctor can backfire not only in treating the injury but also with your workers’ compensation claims.
Remember, filing workers’ compensation claims is only valid up to 30 days from the date of injury or accident. Working with a qualified attorney may help ensure you don’t miss the deadline and submit all the requirements.
Posted on behalf of