Employees deserve to feel safe while working, regardless of the type of job they’re doing. Unfortunately, every job comes with a certain level of risk, no matter what it is.
Understanding and being aware of common potential risks can help you protect yourself at work.
The Four Main Workplace Hazards
Most work hazards can be categorized in to one of four groups. They are:
- Physical – like slips and falls
- Ergonomic – like repetitive movement injuries or manual handling
- Chemical – has to do with hazardous substances
- Biological – like viruses and bacteria that cause health effects or sickness
While some places of work may be more susceptible to one type of hazard, most contain some combination of all four. It’s important to be aware of potential risks that fall into these categories to protect yourself from harm at work, such as knowing a few more common causes of injury.
Common Workplace Dangers
There are several factors workplaces often have that can cause injury to employees, such as:
- Poor housekeeping (i.e. clutter in walkways, wet floors or cracks in floors)
- Working at heights or on ladders
- Electrical work or exposed electrical hazards
- Forklifts
- Working in confined spaces
These conditions cause many workplace injuries per year, if their risks aren’t mitigated. Your employer should be obligated to protect you and they may want to run a workplace hazard check and risk assessment in order to manage and prevent harm.
If you are injured while at work, you could be entitled to benefits from workers’ compensation during your recovery.