Even if you don't have one at your company, you have certainly seen signs proclaiming that a business has been accident-free for a certain number of days. This is done to show that they are dedicated to safety, and they make it a priority. Accident rates are different for different industries, but it might be a very big deal for some to get to 365 days without an accident, injury, or fatality.
However, these signs do make you wonder just how common accidents are. How often do American workers get injured? How serious are the risks that they face?
The truth may surprise you. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), a worker gets injured while doing their job every seven seconds. In the time it took you to read this paragraph, another worker suffered an injury.
These injuries happen in many different ways. Some workers fall from ladders, scaffolds, or rooftops. Others get caught in machines or injured by moving parts. Still, others get hurt in car accidents or incidents with heavy machinery. This just touches on the very surface of some major injury causes, and by no means does it get close to mentioning everything. Workers face hundreds and even thousands of different risks on a daily basis, and the injury rate is far higher than many people realize.
Have you gotten injured on the job? If so, it can have a massive impact on your income, your overall health, your career options, and much more. Make sure that you are well aware of all of the legal steps you can take.