Health and safety training: The top 10 injuries you will learn about

• 28 April 2021

When you begin health and safety training at Emcare you will learn copious things, but you will also learn about occupational health and safety (and the Act) and the many workplace injuries that could occur. These injuries that could occur are not only harmful for the individual involved but are also considered to be violated standards of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and in certain circumstances injured workers will be able to claim financial compensation. Read this short guide to find out more information about the top 10 most common workplace injuries, and tips on how to prevent them through health and safety training at Emcare.

The professionals at Emcare will guide you through these workplace injuries in your health and safety training, and you can rest assured that you are in competent hands. Emcare course facilitators are experts in their fields and the courses are presented by fully qualified level 6 Intermediate Life Support Paramedics or someone with a minimum of 1000 hours work experience in the field. You can also rest assured that your training won't be in vain, and that you get the appropriate accreditation for your efforts, with Emcare courses being accredited by the Department of Mineral Resources, the Department of Labour LGSETA and HWSETA.

1. Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMI's)

Repetitive motion injuries are sometimes called repetitive strain injuries and are an overlooked category of injury, because they develop over time, and often go unnoticed or unreported. These injuries occur when the individual has been doing the same motion or task repetitively for a lengthy period, which causes strain on specific parts of the body. These repetitive motion injuries are common in a range of different jobs, from heavy labour to desk jobs.

For example, those individuals who work behind a computer screen all day typing, for hours on end, are likely to have symptoms such as vision problems, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or tendinitis. The reason why these types of injuries are important to look out for, is because if left unchecked, can have severe consequences for both employer and employee and can cause irreparable damage. That is why it is necessary for employers to enforce precautionary measures that ensure the occupational health and safety of the company and all employees, this includes ensuring that workers take appropriate breaks and that their workplace amenities are designed to prevent repetitive motion injuries. 

2. Falls, slips and trips

This category is quite broad and inclusive because these injuries are so incredibly common and occur in many different ways, including slipping on and off surfaces, tripping and falling, and somewhere along the line you are bound to encounter a slippery surface or two. These instances can result in serious injuries for the involved party and can even lead to concussions, fractures, broken bones and wounds, which in turn can also lead to a hefty lawsuit filed, especially if the injury involves high surfaces such as ladders and scaffolding. This is why it is incredibly important to prevent and account for these common injuries and to have appropriate measures in place, which you will learn about in health and safety training at Emcare.

If slippery surfaces are your concern, then invest in CAUTION: Wet Surfaces' signs or any notices that indicate to those around that the area is slippery, and to proceed with caution. If the surfaces are wet because of cleaning, it would be a good idea to clean when the premises is fairly empty, such as in the early mornings or late afternoons, which will decrease the chance of any slip ups. It would also be worth adding mention of this somewhere in the company health and safety training policy, and what the appropriate next steps are if someone does indeed slip.

If you are more concerned about heights and accidental falls from scaffolding or ladders, then you should also include this in your company policy as a clause, but there are a few preventative measures to take. The first being appropriate gear, workers working at heights should always be equipped with appropriate safety gear such as a harness, a hard hat and sturdy boots with strong grip, as well as gloves. You should ensure that there are always 2 or more workers present in a height's situation, so that one individual can stable ladders and scaffolding and so that they can monitor each other's safety.

3. Violence in the workplace

Although one would like to hope that violence in the workplace isn't a common affair, the unfortunate reality is that personalities clash sometimes and not all individuals know how to effectively resolve conflict. Sometimes simple disagreements over workplace duties or office antics can escalate into a full-blown heated argument which can even escalate into a physical altercation. Physical fights should not be tolerated by any employer and can lead to serious legal action, and if taken to the necessary lengths, could lead to imprisonment.

In order to prevent fights from breaking out in the workplace you should first emphasise your company's no-tolerance policy on violence and ensure that employees are aware of the heavy consequences involved, hopefully preventing them from losing their tempers. You should also have a clear process or protocol for managing disagreements and grievances, whereby dissatisfied employees can speak with someone from human resources (HR) and express their concerns, as well as discuss a path going forward so that the situation doesn't have to result in an altercation. In health and safety training, you will also learn about the relevance of a cohesive work unit, whereby team bonding actually plays a vital role in a healthy work environment, and even increases workplace productivity.

4. Vehicle accidents

In health and safety training you will come across a section that entails vehicle safety, and while this doesn't necessarily refer to cars only, it includes forklift and any moving machinery. These crashes and vehicle related injuries are actually quite common and can result in some serious injuries. Thankfully, in health and safety training, you will learn about how to prevent these vehicle related injuries and the steps that your workplace can put in place.

Firstly, and this should go without saying, ensure that all employees operating these vehicles have the correct qualification, training and experience relevant to the specific vehicle they should be operating. It would also be worth taking these employees on refresher courses, such as forklift safety, to ensure that they are continuously equipped and prepared to handle the vehicle. You should also ensure that relevant employees are equipped with mandatory safety measures, such as a seatbelt, a hardhat, protective goggles and steel toe boots.

 

5. Injuries due to falling objects

As you will learn in health and safety training, injuries thanks to being hit by falling objects are actually incredibly common in the workplace and these injuries have the potential to be severe. Depending on the work environment, the objects that hit you could range anywhere from cardboard boxes, to products to full on appliances or machines, and the risk of a severe injury from falling objects is greater in warehouse workplaces where products are usually stacked quite high. Thankfully, there are a few ways to prevent injuries from falling objects but the main thing to keep in mind is to always be cautious.

Firstly, you should set specific stacking standards whereby workers can only stack shelves to a specified capacity that prioritises safety. It would also be worth investing in securing mechanisms for shelves, that fasten the product to the shelf, such as a mesh netting or bungie cords. Aside from shelves, workers walking past and through areas with tall shelves containing potential falling hazards, should always be equipped with a hard hat as well as sturdy boots.

6. Machine entanglements

Machine entanglements sound like a scene out of Final Destination, and are a huge fear for those workers whose jobs involve heavy machinery. Machine entanglements refers to when an individual gets body parts, hair, shoes or clothing caught in the machine, which could cause serious injuries, and these will be discussed during health and safety training. You can prevent these by ensuring that employees are correctly trained on how to safely use the machines, and that they follow strict safety protocols such as keeping a safe distance, wearing gloves and wearing boots.

7. Walking into objects

This includes walking into walls, doors, glass, chairs, tables and other potential hazards. You can avoid this by ensuring that all walking pathways are clear of items that could be walked into, as well as ensuring that all doors are clearly and brightly marked to ensure that people can see it is a door, this is especially relevant for glass sliding doors or office walls. When you embark on health and safety training at Emcare, you will also learn about the various signage and notices that you need to have in place at your workplace.

8. Overexertion injuries

An overexertion injury can occur when an individual has pushed and strained themselves too much doing a specific task, and has either strained a body part or their respiratory system. The most common overexertion injuries are related to pushing, lifting, pulling, carrying, throwing or holding movements, which can cause back and muscle issues. This can be avoided by ensuring that workers get regular breaks in between strenuous tasks or that they change shifts/duties on a cyclical basis to ensure that no one specific worker has to spend too much time on the same strenuous task.

9. Cuts and lacerations

Cuts and lacerations are also common workplace injuries and can range anywhere from simple paper cuts needing a band aid to guillotine lacerations needing stitches. These injuries can occur anywhere but are common in the workplace because of the office stationary, but they usually occur because the individual is not trained to use the equipment, or they weren't wearing the correct safety gear. In the event of a cut or laceration at the workplace, the first thing one should do is locate the first aid kit, which should be easily accessible for all employees. It may also be having a policy that delegates the process for this type of injury. A first aid kit containing gauze, bandages, wound disinfectant, small scissors and bandage fasteners should do the trick for cuts and lacerations, depending on the severity.

10. Electrical injuries

When you embark on your health and safety training journey you will also learn about electrical related injuries, which have the potential to be extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. These types of injuries normally occur in relation to electric fences, fuse boxes and power outlets. One can avoid these injuries by having policies in place that when there is a suspected electrical fault, a qualified technician is called and the employees are not to intervene. You should also ensure that all power outlets and mains are switches off when doing any electrical work or repairing an electric fence.