The Priceless Value of Implementing Safety Tech
Investing in the right technology can make for a more productive and safer workplace.
- By Sean Petterson
- Oct 03, 2022
With warehouse injuries rising every year, the standard safety and health measures such as PPE, training programs and daily stretching routines are no longer enough to keep workers safe. Prioritizing the safety and health of your workers means focusing on where and when injuries are occurring and fixing the issue at the source. With musculoskeletal injuries accounting for the largest category of workplace injuries, it is vital for companies to look at their industrial athletes as humans and protect them from injury or even death.
There are hundreds of ways that warehouse workers can be injured on the job, from poor ergonomic practices and slips and falls to heat risk and insufficient training. Unfortunately, the typical corporate safety programs do not address all these challenges warehouse workers face on a daily basis. It’s time for companies to begin implementing increased safety measures and correct dangerous employee behavior and movements to ensure workers’ safety and avoid hazardous mistakes moving forward.
When companies invest in the right technology, the return will be a more productive and happier workforce as well as money saved on healthcare and workers’ compensation costs. With the economy resting (literally) on the back of industrial athletes, the time is now to make safety a top priority and begin a downward trend in workplace injuries and deaths—something that has increased in recent years.
The Enormous Cost of Worker Injuries
The total cost of workplace injuries in 2020 amounted to $163.9B in the U.S., and there were 2.7B nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported.
The four most common workplace injuries include overexertion, slips, trips and falls, repetitive motion injuries and colliding with a stationary object or equipment. Many of these accidents result in ergonomic injuries, which impact the body’s movement or musculoskeletal system, often resulting in strains, sprains and pulls. These injuries can happen gradually or in an instant, and often result in workers being sent home early or missing work. Musculoskeletal injuries are responsible for almost 30 percent of all workers’ compensation costs, proving to be a major pain point to companies.
This article originally appeared in the October 1, 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.