Some workplace hazards are industry-specific. Certain professionals are particularly vulnerable to a fall from an elevation. Construction professionals and window washers often do their jobs multiple stories above ground level and could suffer devastating injuries if they fall.
Falls from a significant elevation are an important safety issue for employers to address. However, any fall could cause major injuries. When looking at overall workplace injury reports, same-level falls are a major risk factor for professionals in just about any career.
Slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall incidents in the workplace can leave people seriously hurt and in need of time off to recover.
Same-level falls cause serious injuries
Contrary to what people frequently assume, a same-level fall is not automatically minor. Anytime people lose their balance and fall, they are vulnerable to serious injuries.
People trying to catch themselves as they fall might break bones. Adults over the age of 50 are at particularly high risk of fractures in a same-level fall. Attempts to slow or stop a fall can also lead to soft-tissue injuries. Workers may need weeks away from their jobs to recover if they break bones or sustain soft-tissue injuries.
If they cannot stop themselves from falling, the potential injuries generated by a same-level fall could be even more serious. Professionals who hit their heads on floors, walls, fixtures or furniture could develop traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). TBIs have the potential to affect cognition, motor function and even the personality of the injured professional.
Workers’ compensation can help
Regardless of whether an office worker hit their head or a restaurant employee broke an arm, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits after a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall. They do not need to prove that their employer put them in a dangerous position. They also don’t have to worry about losing benefits if they tripped over their own shoelaces or otherwise caused their own injury.
So long as there is a clear connection between a workplace incident and the injury, they may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation can pay for emergency care immediately after the fall. Medical benefits can cover the costs of medication, surgery or physical therapy as necessary for the worker to recover.
If the injured employee needs time off to heal, workers’ compensation can also provide disability benefits. Disability pay can cover a portion of an employee’s lost wages until they can safely return to work.
Reporting the incident, seeing a doctor and following medical instructions can help employees protect their right to file a workers’ compensation claim for job injuries. Same-level falls are a risk for professionals in almost any career, but many workers who fall can rely on workers’ compensation benefits to limit their losses.