In the United States, there are around 12 million manufacturing workers and heavy machinery operators. These employees work with potentially hazardous machines and equipment daily. However, regardless of their training and the safety precautions set in place, injuries still occur.
Machine Related Work Injury Statistics
From 1992 through 2010, there were a reported 14,625 machinery related fatalities. From a study released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the year 2019, there were a total of 5,333 work associated fatalities, one of the highest numbers since 2007.
Common Machine Related Injuries
Working with machinery and equipment comes with inherent dangers. These dangers have the potential to cause severe personal injury, permanent disability, or even death. Below is a list of the various types of injuries sustained by these operators while on the job.
Standard List of Machine and Equipment Related Injuries:
- Lacerations
- Fractured or broken bones
- Crushed hands or extremities
- Amputations
- Head injuries
- Brain trauma
- Chemical and electrical burns
- Internal bleeding
- Nerve damage
Dangerous Components of Equipment and Associated Risk of Injury.
There are thousands of different machines and equipment that these workers use daily. However, most types of serious work-related injuries result from machines that have dangerous components.
The following machine components pose a risk for damage to operators and other workers:
- Points of operation – the point or area in which a machine makes contact with materials
- Energy transmission apparatuses – gears, pulleys, belts, chains, electrical wires, transmission rods, and other components transferring energy
- Other moving parts – moving platforms, rotating parts, auxiliary parts
Types of Machines that Commonly Cause Injuries
The most common machines to cause injuries to employees or workers, include but are not
limited to:
- Loaders
- Backhoes
- Farming equipment
- Industrial equipment
- Bulldozers
- Cranes
- Dump Trucks
- Excavators
- Warehouse equipment
Typical Factors for Heavy Equipment Involved Injuries and Accidents on the Job:
- Backing up vehicles
- Dropped loads
- Unsecured payloads
- Vehicle collisions
- Machinery entanglements
- Workers trapped between equipment and other objects
There are around 12 million manufacturing workers and heavy machinery operators in the United States alone. These employees work every day with potentially hazardous machines and equipment. However, regardless of their training and OSHA safety precautions set in place, injuries still occur. If you have been injured while working with heavy equipment or machinery. You are not alone. If your workers’ compensation claim has been swept under the rug by your employer, or if your employer’s insurance coverage has denied your claim. You might be missing out on the compensation benefits that you rightfully deserve.
Call our qualified workers’ compensation attorneys at Stockton’s Workers’ Compensation P.C. to schedule your free consultation today.
