Warehouses are some of the largest employers in South Jersey. Major retailers like Amazon and Target have warehouse facilities here and employ thousands of people. These jobs are important to the local economy, but working in a warehouse can put you at risk of serious, even permanent injury and disability.
As OSHA explains, there are many ways a worker can get badly hurt in a warehouse, no matter how careful they are. Here are four examples.
Forklift accidents
OSHA estimates that an average of 100 American workers are killed in forklift accidents every year, with another 95,000 injured. Forklifts can fall off the dock or flip over, injuring the driver or a co-worker unlucky enough to be in the way.
Conveyor injuries
Someone working at a conveyor can get caught in a pinch point or nip point or hit by a heavy object falling off the belt.
Chemical burns
A spill of industrial solvent or other dangerous chemical can burn the skin or damage the lungs if inhaled.
Repetitive stress injuries
Lifting, carrying and setting down heavy boxes for years on end can take a toll on your body. Back, shoulder and hip injuries are common in the warehouse industry.
Most work injuries are relatively mild, meaning you can fully recover with enough time off. Then there are the injuries that never fully heal. Either way, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation to help you pay your medical bills and make up for your lost wages. If you are home rehabbing an injury from your warehouse job, you owe it to yourself and your family to look into workers’ comp.