Apr 12, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Being a welder is dangerous work. You’re dealing with high heat, heavy light exposure, radiation, fumes, and melted metal. In short, being a welder comes with quite a few different risks. However, injury prevention begins with acknowledging what those injuries are. that way, you can attempt to beat them before they happen. So, what are a few common welding injuries?
Common Welding Injuries: Acknowledging Risks
Burns
As we mentioned above, you’re dealing with some pretty high-heat materials. From the torch you’re using to weld the metal, to the metal itself, flare-ups, torch lighting, and flammable materials. Every aspect of welding is dangerous, and that’s why it’s so important to use the proper gear.
Eye Injuries
Using goggles and a welding hood is extremely important to protect your eyes from debris, and also from light. A welder’s hood dims the light and filters it to make sure your eyes are not exposed to the bright light that surrounds whatever you’re welding. Furthermore, using these pieces of equipment will help you avoid damage caused by flying items and debris that come off of what you’re welding.
Welder’s flash is an injury caused by the UV and Infrared light that comes from the welding arc. Think of UV light as a sunburn for your eyes. It’s not something you notice right away. However, with time, that light exposure will lead to scorched retinas and even cataracts.
Hearing problems
Excessive noise in the workshop has the potential to cause hearing loss and damages. The rule of thumb is if you can’t hear the person next to you, you’re at risk for hearing-related issues. So, consider purchasing some noise filtering earplugs, or headphones. Furthermore, consider wearing earplugs, using sound barriers, and having a hearing test every now and then. While you might not think about it too often— welding injuries come in all shapes and sizes.
Acknowledging dangers
The first step to preventing injury is knowing what a common injury looks like in your work field. As for welding injuries, we now know that the effects can be quite serious. From burns to hearing loss— the important thing to remember is that there are ways to minimize danger and risk.
Mar 27, 2019 | Personal Injury, Work Injuries
Accidents come out of nowhere. One minute you’re working, or having fun with friends, and the next— you’re in pain. When recovering from an injury, healing is your number one priority. Therefore, a post-accident pain journal can be a consideration for documenting your injury, recovery, and any details surrounding your injury that might benefit your claim in the future.
Post-Accident Pain Journal: You Should Use One
What is it?
A post-accident pain journal is an informal record of your pain levels after an accident. It can be on the notes app on your phone or in a small notebook. Anything that’s easy for you to access when you have an onset of pain. There are also mobile apps and printable templates for you to use to journal.
What should I journal?
Anything regarding your health after an accident should ideally be journaled. Doctors visits, prescriptions and medications, and other symptoms should be logged in your post-accident pain journal. Anytime you have an ache or a strain from an injury you got during the accident, put it in there!
Who’s going to read it?
Keep in mind, a lot of people may be reviewing this. Your insurance company, doctors, and lawyers may all ask to see it. Also, your post-accident pain journal might also appear in court if necessary. Keep a neat, but detailed, log of your pain.
Why is it important?
You might have had a severe accident that you swear you’ll never forget. Or, it might’ve been on the smaller side with “not many details”. Either way, you need a post-accident pain journal. All the small details, even the ones you think might not matter, need to be included. Plus, it’s always better to have too much information than not enough!
Anything else?
Additionally, you should include conversations you have with anyone involved in the accident. After the accident, make a note of the officers you had contact with and the other involved parties, if applicable. Keep this handy, along with any other conversations you have regarding the accident. This could be with potential law representation or insurance companies. Keeping track of names, dates, and times will also be helpful in your post-accident pain journal. While these might not be pain related, they are details that are relevant to your case.
Mar 22, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
There are risks in every field of work. From construction worker injuries, to office injuries, and kitchen injuries— there are dangers to watch for, no matter how safe your job seems. When it comes to a restaurant in particular, there are quite a few different injuries you can sustain on a daily basis. Furthermore, from front to back of house— there are certain rules we can all follow to make sure we clock in, and out, without a hitch…
Kitchen Injuries: Clocking in and Out Safely
Cuts
Peeling, Mincing, Chopping, Dicing…. Prep work in the kitchen is a combination of all three, and it happens every single day. Most kitchen employees will take a turn behind the prep table, and spend a few hours getting the kitchen ready for a high volume shift. While it is protocol to be alert, wear gloves, and perform the job with accuracy— after cutting your 150th tomato, it can be easy to fall into a glazed over, robotic mode. While this is absolutely understandable, it is also the exact time when kitchen injuries can occur. Kitchen injuries can occur at any time, but when you’re feeling careless— the risk is much higher.
Burns
You’re working with a hot cooktop, burners, a fryer, and hot pans. All in all, you have every opportunity in the world to face injury. Especially when the kitchen gets a rush, you might have two fryer baskets, three pans, and the oven going on full blast. You’re scrambling; preparing four orders at once, and you grab the sheet pan out of the oven without a glove. In short, burns are some of the most common kitchen injuries for every chef. In fact, if you ask every chef you know— they’ll happily show off their kitchen burns with pride. Or, if they’re a baker— their caramel burn. Every chef has a burn scar, and most of them could have been easily prevented.
Slips and Falls
A kitchen is a dangerous place to be for any number of reasons— that’s why there is a uniform that is meant to be adhered to. From gloves, to hats, to chef’s coats, and non-slip shoes… Every piece of the uniform serves a purpose behind the line, even if it’s just keeping your clothes clean. Most importantly of all, besides gloves, is that set of non-slip shoes. A kitchen floor is covered in food, grime, grease, and spills of all kinds. Therefore, it can be way too easy to fall victim to kitchen injuries, such as a fall. But, that’s where those non-slip shoes come in…
Mar 10, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Dangerous jobs come in all forms and fashions. From a soldier to a bank teller, and those who serve our communities— there are all kinds of risks involved in nearly every profession. However, we want to take a moment and focus on those who risk their lives daily to keep us safe and save the things that we hold dear to us. We see firefighters on the scenes of car accidents, home fires, and just about any accident that happens in our communities. These first responders put their lives on the line every day to keep us out of harm’s way. But, what about their safety? Firefighter safety is something that often falls to the wayside because they’re so busy focusing on our safety. However, they are at high risk for a number of injuries…
Firefighter Safety and Injuries
Sprains, Strains, and Pains
Oddly enough, the most common injuries for firefighters to face, are sprains, strains, and muscle pains as a result of non-fire-related issues. If you consider what a firefighter has to do on a daily basis— much of it is waiting to hear that call. Therefore, they might be sitting down having a meal, taking a nap, or in the shower. The next thing they know, that alarm goes off and they jump up to hit the road. These quick, jarring movements can easily lead to an injury. Therefore, when you consider firefighter safety, you have to consider the benefits of a good stretch…
Burns and Respiratory Damage
We all remember being in elementary school and having the fire department pay a visit. They told us what to do in the event of a fire, as well as what to do if we ourselves happen to catch on fire. While this is an extremely serious issue to face— it’s not quite as common for us as it is for them. When it comes to firefighter safety, and injuries, burns are one of the most obvious injuries that people might guess. However, due to the current technology— they aren’t as common as you might think. From their suits to their respirators— there are a lot of different pieces in play to prevent issues. However, they will still inevitably happen.
Unexpected Falling Items
As we’ve mentioned, burns are not massively common amongst firefighters because they have the gear to beat them. However, most burns that do happen, happen as a result of a firefighter getting trapped inside of a building. They’re pulling someone out, checking for a missing animal, and next thing you know— a beam, or a wall falls down, leaving them trapped. While these incidents are largely unexpected, finding a way to keep them to a minimum is a priority in terms of firefighter safety. That’s where training comes into play…
Training and Preparation
The majority of firefighter safety, and common injuries, come into play in the form of proper training. A firefighter’s duty is not something to take lightly. While most firefighters know, accept, and honor that— accidents do happen. Therefore, when you face an unexpected injury, it’s important that you treat it with care. After all, not everyone can do what you do.
Mar 3, 2019 | Personal Injury, Work Injuries
Work burnout is something that can hit everyone at any job. Sometimes, the burnout can get so bad, it leaves employees wondering if they should look for another job. However, there are some methods for preventing burnout that can help make work enjoyable again…
Preventing Burnout: Get Re-Energized
Start the day right
It’s possible to start working on preventing burnout before your workday even begins. Many people will wake up and head straight to work in the mornings. However, it’s a good idea to give yourself some personal time before heading out.
It helps to take 10-15 minutes in the morning for yourself. You can use this time to relax and prepare yourself for the day ahead. You’ll be able to handle whatever it is work throws at you with the right mindset.
Manage your workload
Having an overwhelming workload can also cause feelings of burnout. That’s why a large part of preventing burnout means balancing out your workload. You should figure out what you needto do vs. what you canalso do at the workplace.
Teamwork is an important part of many jobs. However, there’s a difference between teamwork and someone shirking their responsibilities. If someone keeps asking for help and isn’t putting in the effort they should, let them know you have to focus on your own work first. After all, your own work quality shouldn’t suffer because of someone else.
Balance work and personal demands
For some, it’s difficult to find a balance between their work and social lives. Many times, their work will follow them home and so will the stress. That’s why it’s important to find that balance for preventing burnout.
If you can, try to leave your work at the workplace. Instead, spend that time off from work with friends and family. Or, you can pursue new or old hobbies, or just relax. Whatever it may be, taking that time for yourself is useful in avoiding burnout.
Preventing burnout is important for keeping an optimistic outlook on your work, and also keeping potentially careless incidents at bay. Taking steps to avoid those feelings, and injuries, you will improve your work quality, as well as enjoy your time away from the workplace.
Feb 21, 2019 | Personal Injury, Work Injuries
When you work from a desk, neck ad back pain seems pretty inevitable. You’re sitting in one spot, sometimes in an uncomfortable chair, and you’re looking down to stare into a computer. Each of these things, and the combination of them, put you at increased risk for neck and back pain. So, what can you do to reduce office-related back pain and neck pain? There are few no-brainers, as well as a few adjustments that might be a hassle— but will absolutely be worth saving yourself from these pains.
Office-Related Back Pain & Neck Pain: Avoid Unnecessary Pain
Posture
We mentioned that a few of these office-related back pain helpers would be no-brainers like this. However, good posture is at the height of the problem for many office workers. Most all of us are aware of what good posture looks like, and what it feels like. While good posture is something everyone should practice— that’s not to say it’s easy.
Good posture requires being mindful of your body. Furthermore, it requires that you right those wrongs when you notice that you’ve gotten lazy. As we’ve mentioned, having good posture isn’t as easy as wanting to do so. Many of us will notice ourselves slumped during the workday. Consider setting yourself hourly reminders, or even looking into ergonomic office chairs and lumbar support. Posture is one of the most important factors in reducing office-related back pain.
Work standing up from time to time
Many offices nowadays offer standing desks, or some sort of converted work space for those who prefer to work from a standing position. While you obviously won’t want to spend every hour of every day working from a standing position— consider spending an hour or two a day from this position. Office-related back pain, while posture has a lot to do with it, also has a little something to do with staying in one position all day, and also the compression of your vertebrae from sitting in one spot all day. Choose to stand from time to time to promote good posture and a happy spine.
Adjust the height of your computer and keyboard
Adjust the height of the thing you’re staring at all day— and put it at eye level. By making this small step, you’ll take a lot of stress off of your neck. You’ll want to put your screen at nose level, and your keyboard at an angle that allows foe your elbows to bend at 90 degrees. The key to avoiding office-related back pain, and neck pain, is to find ways to reduce stress on your neck and back. This can be done in a number of different ways, but these few have proven to be beneficial to us…
