Do you know that in 2021, employers reported approximately 2.6 million workplace injury and illness cases faced by private industry workers in the US alone?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the above stats represent an increase of 6.3% in injury cases than reported in 2020.
Being a factory worker is a challenging yet rewarding profession. The establishment of factories supports the state economy along with the local community. However, while factory workers perform various tasks, they also face serious health hazards. These hazards put them at risk of injury daily, even when safety regulations are correctly followed.
The hazardous work environment faced by workers in the production and manufacturing industries often leads to severe injuries, let alone permanent disabilities. That’s because these workplaces majorly contain several risks like falling objects, heavy machinery that often malfunctions, hazardous chemicals, exposure to high temperatures, and more.
While these injuries may not always be fatal, every factory worker must understand these prevailing risks. Understanding these hazards is essential to keep yourself and your co-workers safe and avoid unfortunate events.
So, without further ado, let’s discuss the five most common risk factors workers face and ways to avoid them.
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Slip and Fall Injuries
Having slippery, wet, and uneven surfaces in a factory is a common issue. Workers often spill lubricants and oil on the floor, which causes other workers to lose traction and leads to slips and falls.
Employers usually hire an industrial hygienist technician to safeguard workers’ health and safety and uphold environmental standards. They assist organizations in identifying potential hazards and devising strategies to mitigate them.
Some of the most traumatic injuries resulting from slip and fall include spine and head injuries, broken bones, strains, sprains, etc. A factory rarely has any soft surface to land on during slip and fall. Thus, every worker must take utmost care and brace their fall against the hard ground or a wall. Moreover, as much as employers are liable for associated worker injuries, workers should also demonstrate discipline and follow safety standards to avoid such unfortunate incidents.
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Explosions and Fires
Most factories work with various combustible materials necessary to create different products. However, these materials can easily catch fire from minor sparks or lightning strikes, including other fire sources. Such incidents lead to an explosion or a major fire breakout that puts the life of every factory worker in grave danger.
When factory workers get exposed to such serious accidents, they suffer severe nerve damage, burns, skin damage, or even death. Moreover, these incidents also expose factory workers to lung damage, especially when they inhale fumes or hot smoke from the explosion or fire.
Therefore, factory workers need to follow proper fire safety guidelines. Also, it is the responsibility of employers to keep track of all such safety protocols and ensure they are in place.
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Being Struck by Heavy Machinery
From machines on the production line to forklifts, workers in the manufacturing industries often depend on heavy equipment to perform their work efficiently. Unfortunately, this heavy machinery creates the most significant hazards for factory workers.
It includes workers being struck by a forklift or caught between machinery parts. Equipment that rolls, falls, slides, swings, and slips can seriously damage the person operating it. Similarly, most factory workers are often hit by vehicles slipping off jacks, building materials, loggers struck by trees, and more.
All these injuries pose a high risk of fatality but are preventable. Workers operating these machines and those working around them must pay close attention. Also, it is important to ensure that the machinery is in safe operating condition.
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Exposure to Toxic Substances
In most industries, workers deal with potentially harmful substances while performing the manufacturing process. Common toxic substances in a manufacturing factory include chromium, lead, arsenic, zinc, mercury, etc. Exposure to such chemicals often poses various health hazards like irritation and carcinogenicity.
Moreover, you may also get exposed to various physical hazards such as corrosion, flammability, or even explosibility. Therefore, it is the responsibility of employers to ensure chemical safety in the workplace. Similarly, factory workers need to have sufficient information about the hazards and categorization of the chemicals. Controlling exposure to severe toxic substances and chemical hazards is the only way to avoid workplace injuries.
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Repetitive Motion Injuries
In most factories, workers perform repetitive tasks using the same movements repeatedly. These workers often find themselves sustaining repetitive motion injuries. Workers performing repetitive movements can wear down their soft tissue and suffer chronic pain, back injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck injuries, and other issues.
The repetitive nature of factory work is enough to damage the soft tissues over time.
Moreover, you may also lose strength in the affected body area, making it more challenging to perform your job efficiently. However, you can avoid such injuries by understanding the nature of your job and by taking regular breaks while performing your duty following the fundamental safety standards.
Conclusion
Working in a factory is a hectic job that may lead to various workplace injuries you may not be fully aware of. The risk of being killed or permanently disabled as a factory worker is incredibly high. Yet you have the right to a safe workplace.
While federal and state law mandates employers to provide a safe work environment without posing an unreasonable danger to a worker’s wellbeing, employees should also follow standard safety protocols. As a factory worker, it is crucial to keep yourself abreast of all the potential risks involving your job role and ways to avoid them.
Similarly, you should be aware of all the legal options available if you face a workplace injury, such as workers’ compensation.
