If you work in a warehouse setting, you may be familiarized with the many dangers involved in the job. There are many potential hazards due to the complex nature of the job. Different activities are performed, from lifting heavy goods to managing vehicles.
Injuries are quite common among warehouse workers. However, even the most minor injuries can result in expensive medical care and lost productivity. If you were hurt on your job, hire an attorney for workers’ comp in Cedar Rapids today.
Common dangers of working in a warehouse
- Moving vehicles.
Warehouse jobs in Cedar Rapids involve handling vehicles. These vehicles are different from your regular car, and employers are required to provide adequate training to the employees to operate them. It is important that all the employees are properly trained, maintain speed limits, and follow safety practices.
- Physical strains.
Warehouse workers are often required to handle and carry heavy goods for several hours of the day. When people are not trained to do this job, it can result in physical strains due to improper lifting techniques. However, remember that every worker’s body is different. Therefore, everyone’s bodies react differently. Just because your co-worker does not have injuries does not mean that you cannot have them either.
- Fire hazards.
Warehouses are full of flammable materials and substances. Grease is present in all mechanisms that help move packages around. Machines like forklifts use gasoline. Both of these liquids are highly combustible and can result in a catastrophic fire. Smokers should not be smoking inside the warehouse, and there should be an adequate supply of fire extinguishers in every corner of the warehouse.
- Slips, trips, and falls.
Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common injuries among warehouse workers. In warehouses, workers often work at high altitudes, which increases the risk of a fall. To prevent this, the employer must use anti-slip paint, floor coverings, tape, and provide other equipment to ensure all the workers work in a safe environment.
- Loading and unloading.
Warehouse workers are constantly required to load and unload goods. This activity increases the chances of the following hazards.
- Getting hit by a truck or trailer.
- Getting hit by a falling dock plate.
- Pinned between forklifts.
- Pinned between vehicles.
- Hit by falling, unsecured items.
- Falling objects.
Warehouse activities involve stacking goods on high-altitude shelves. It is not uncommon for these objects to fall on a worker’s head and injure them. If the object is too heavy, it could result in a permanent brain injury or even death. Objects falling on the head is one of the most dangerous hazards of working in a warehouse.
