Safety in the workplace is one of the hallmarks of personal injury prevention. Not only does a safe work environment contribute to increased productivity but it lends itself to lower overall business costs as employers and corporations avoid the costly expenses associated with worker’s compensation claims and personal injury litigation.
A California-based organization recently released its findings with regard to workplace safety in seven of the nation’s largest corporations: ExxonMobil, PotashCorp, Shell, BHP Billiton, Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland Company, and Maersk. Workplace safety consulting firm Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST) partnered with ORC Mercer Worldwide to conduct a year-long study on workplace injuries, fatalities and the effect of such tragedies on business and economy.
According to their findings, minor injury rates have increased steadily over the past few years while rates of serious injuries and fatalities managed to maintain a steady rate and have not significantly risen or fallen. BST is troubled by these findings as decades of research have revealed a strong correlation between the number of serious injuries and the number of minor injuries. Usually, when one figure rises or falls, so does the other.
Key findings in the study regard the causation of injuries both severe and minor. BST has found that causation varies widely between minor and severe injuries and the sooner companies recognize the common causes of injury, the sooner they can implement preventative measures to combat the occurrence of all types of injuries.
Workplace injuries can reap devastating effects for those so severely injured that they are left unable to work. Workers are often required to take drastic pay cuts in accepting disability benefits over a regular paycheck. Some families have been required to downsize their homes, take second and third jobs or even declare bankruptcy.
Pursing workman’s compensation claims can be a complex and lengthy process. Often, workers are denied benefits after the first try and are forced to navigate the administrative appeals process to try and obtain the payouts they deserve. Other employees may attempt to receive benefits from social security, which can be an even bigger headache than pursuing worker’s compensation claims.
If you have recently been injured in the workplace, we’d love to meet with you to discuss your options.
