Machine shop workers in New Jersey understand that their work environment is more dangerous than what many people contend with on other jobs. It is essential for these workers to stay aware and alert each day to avoid injury.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 18,000 serious injuries happen to machine shop workers each year. Many times, these injuries result in months or even years of workers’ comp benefits. About 800 machine shop workers die on the job each year.
One of the most common injuries for machine shop workers comes from poor technique when lifting heavy objects. A similar type of strain can happen for workers who complete repetitive motions as part of their job duties.
Hand tools are another leading cause of many of the accidents that take place in machine shops. Workers can mitigate the threat of accidents involving hand tools by using tools only for the job they were designed to perform, providing regular maintenance to the tools they use, and adhering to all safety protocol regarding a particular hand tool. Most injuries caused by hand tools are due to repetitive strain. However, there are cases where hand tools are responsible for more serious injuries to a worker.
Chemicals and dangerous gases are sometimes part of the machine shop work environments. Workers must use the protective equipment provided to them and ensure proper ventilation is available when handling these substances. The effects of chemicals and gases often reveal themselves over the long term, so workers should avoid any tendencies to view these threats less seriously than they should.
Many machine workers make the mistake of not taking the proper action when they experience an injury on the job. This lack of action often takes place because workers do not want to miss time at work or do not feel their injuries are bad enough to warrant a report. Workers need to take immediate action when injured despite what they perceive the seriousness of the injury to be.
A workplace injury can affect the health of the injured worker and the ability of the worker to provide for their families. A personal injury attorney may be able to help employees who suffer injuries while on the job.