MOST WORKERS FACE THE SAME RISKS FOR ON-THE-JOB INJURIES

What do people who work here in Alaska have in common with people who work anywhere else in the country? They all share the risk of suffering from certain on-the-job injuries. Even when employers and employees take precautions to prevent these common injuries, they can still occur and require time off work and medical care to properly recover.

Construction workers are already aware that falling is one of the most common injuries they can suffer while working, but this threat is not limited to those who work in this industry. Anyone who works at a height, or slips or trips, runs this risk. People suffer injuries from falls that range from bumps and bruises to spinal cord or head injuries to death.

Anyone who sits for long periods of time, lifts objects throughout the workday, works outside in extreme temperatures or performs any repetitive tasks knows that overexertion is a possibility. This may result in an acute or chronic injury. Working with heavy equipment also results in injuries. Falling objects and collapsing materials could also be a danger faced by many people. An individual does not have to work in a high-risk occupation to deal with these types of risks.

Most people recover from these common on-the-job injuries, but it may take some time. While recovering, Alaska workers will incur medical and medical-related expenses and could lose income because they are unable to work. Worries about how to support them and their families cause stress that probably does not help in the recovery process. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits could alleviate that stress.