Tag Archive for: workplace injuries

Musculoskeletal Disorders

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Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of workplace injury and can lead to pain, injury, and further complications. While musculoskeletal disorders can occur due to activities outside of work, workplace activities can also cause or contribute to musculoskeletal disorders. Here’s a brief overview of workplace musculoskeletal disorders and how you can learn more information:

Understanding Musculoskeletal Disorders

Healthline describes musculoskeletal disorders as conditions that affect the bones, joints, and muscles. Examples of common musculoskeletal disorders include:

  • Tendinitis
  • Bone fractures
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Osteoarthritis 

These disorders, and related pain, can impact any area of the musculoskeletal system, including the feet, hands, knees, wrists, back, legs, shoulders, and neck. There is a higher risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders depending on your age, occupation, lifestyle, family history, and activity level. 

In addition to musculoskeletal disorders, there’s also musculoskeletal pain. This is pain that impacts the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This type of pain can be acute, which means that it can set on suddenly and be severe. The pain can also be chronic, which means that it’s long-lasting, and can be severe or dull. 

Musculoskeletal pain can be caused by a musculoskeletal disorder, such as a bone fracture. It may also be caused by things like poor posture or overuse of a part of the body. 

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of injury and lead to billions of dollars in costs each year in the form of workers’ compensation claims and lost productivity. This is confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which reports that musculoskeletal disorders are associated with higher employer costs due to lost employee productivity, increased healthcare costs, employee disability, absenteeism, and higher workers’ compensation costs. It is estimated that the economic burden of work-related musculoskeletal disorders is up to $54 billion annually. 

The CDC defines work-related musculoskeletal disorders as conditions in which:

  • The work environment or the performance of the work being performed contributes significantly to the musculoskeletal condition; or/and
  • The musculoskeletal disorder gets worse or extends longer due to the work condition. 

Other Names for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

It’s important to know that there are other names for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. These include:

  • Cumulative trauma disorders
  • Soft tissues disorders
  • Repetitive strain injuries
  • Overuse syndrome
  • Repetitive motion injuries

Symptoms of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of a musculoskeletal disorder, it is important that you talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms can occur in stages and might start with aching and tiredness. Usually, these symptoms disappear when the worker stops performing the activity in question. 

When the condition is more advanced, feelings of fatigue or pain may persist after the work ceases; for example, the worker may experience pain or fatigue when they are home after work and resting during the evening. In the later stages of a work-related musculoskeletal disorder, the feelings of pain and weakness will persist when the worker is at rest, prohibiting their ability to perform even light duties. 

What to Do if You Have a Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder

If you are experiencing pain or weakness in the tendons, bones, joints, or muscles, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible. If the musculoskeletal disorder is work-related, you may qualify for workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation insurance pays for 100 percent of your medical costs and a portion of your lost wages if you are unable to work due to a work-related injury.

In order to qualify for workers’ compensation, it’s important that you report the injury to your employer as soon as possible and follow all instructions related to reporting and care, including seeing a doctor who’s covered through your workers’ compensation insurance provider. 

How to Learn More About Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

In addition to your doctor, there are a variety of online resources that can help you to learn more about work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including:

If you suspect that your musculoskeletal disorder is work-related, it can also be helpful to talk to a lawyer about your rights under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA), as well as your rights to workers’ compensation insurance. 

Remember, musculoskeletal disorders are progressive, which means that they can get worse with time and continued use of the affected area. Seeing a doctor at the first signs of weakness or pain is recommended. 

Common Hazards at Construction Worksites

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While modern-day construction sites may be places of incredible innovation and industry, construction sites can also be very dangerous. The rate of injury within the construction industry is higher than it is for most other industries, and, unfortunately, private construction industry fatalities appear to be increasing. For construction workers, contractors, property managers, and site managers, understanding the common hazards at a construction site is the first step in mitigating injuries. Consider these common construction worksite hazards, and call OSHA Injury Attorney if you or a loved one has been harmed on the job.

Moving Objects, Equipment, Machinery, and Vehicles 

On a construction site, anything that moves can be a hazard. This includes vehicles, machinery, equipment, tools, cement mixers, and even unstable foundations. Transportation-related accidents are a leading cause of death in the private construction industry, and caught-in/between accidents are also one of the construction industry’s fatal four–one of the top four causes of fatal injury. Remaining vigilant of surroundings and keeping a safe distance from moving objects is critical. Additionally, it is important that equipment and machinery are regularly inspected and maintained to ensure that it is performing as expected. Of course, operating any moving equipment, machinery, or motor vehicles with proper training is also key.

Heights

 Falls are another one of the “fatal four”; working at height can be incredibly dangerous for workers. Fortunately, there are regulatory safeguards in place that are designed to reduce fall risk, including scaffolding, training, and harness requirements. When these regulations are breached, workers are at risk.

Slip and Fall Hazards

It’s not just falls from heights that can be dangerous (and deadly), but also falls that occur at ground level, too. If a construction worker slips and falls on the job, they could suffer a traumatic brain injury, back or neck injury, spinal cord injury, bone fracture injury, internal injury, soft tissue injury, and more. Slip and fall hazards on construction sites are numerous and include uneven walking surfaces, objects in walking areas, poor lighting, wet or contaminated surfaces, and varying terrain.

Electricity

Like falls from heights and caught-in/between accidents involving machinery, electrocution is another one of the top killers of construction industry workers. Of course, being around exposed electrical wiring is inherent to being a construction worker, where most buildings and homes are unfinished. With that in mind, no one other than trained electricians should be actually working with electricity and, even then, adherence to safety guidelines is critical. Most electricity accidents and injuries that happen on construction sites could be prevented with better training, ensuring that wires are not unnecessarily exposed, avoiding using electricity-conducting tools in high-voltage areas, and always following OSHA regulations.

Excessive Noise

While many of the above hazards will result in physical injuries that are visible, such as broken bones, lacerations, amputation injuries, etc., the loss of hearing is not visible but is equally as severe. With the use of high-powered tools and machinery, demolition, and more, loud noises are built-in to a construction site. Sadly, about 51 percent of workers in the construction industry have been exposed to hazardous noise, 31 percent of noise-exposed construction-industry workers report not using adequate hearing protection, and about 14 percent of all construction workers have a hearing difficulty. Using proper hearing protection can greatly reduce the risk of a hearing injury.

Trenches

Trenches are narrow excavations in the ground that are typically deeper than they are wide. Trenching is a very important construction activity, usually relevant to new construction and repair projects. While often very necessary, trenches can be deadly, and trench collapses are a cause of injury and death. In order to avoid trench collapses, proper measures need to be taken in advance of trench construction, including site inspection. During trench construction, the process should be overseen by managers who regularly inspect the work and the safety of the trench. All those who are working around trenches should be properly trained and properly equipped with safety gear.

Contact OSHA Injury Attorney Today

At OSHA Injury Attorney, we seek to provide workers with the information that they need about their rights, OSHA regulations, and how to stay safe on a construction site. If you want to learn more about common construction site hazards or your rights if you’re injured on a construction site, we can help. To connect with OSHA Injury Attorney directly for a free consultation, send us a message through our online contact form at your convenience. We are here to support you.