Lifting Injuries for Temporary Workers
When they fill a role in an industry like transportation or manufacturing, temporary workers might be assigned to strenuous jobs, like loading heavy boxes or performing labor-intensive tasks. If they don’t take the necessary safety steps, this greatly increases their risk of lifting injuries.
The Most Common Lifting Injuries for Temporary Workers
Lifting injuries are injuries that occur from lifting objects. They can occur suddenly or overtime, and tend to affect the back, neck, knees, and shoulder. In the workplace, lifting injury causes and types can depend on the industry. However, some of the most common lifting injuries for temporary workers include:
- Strains: Strains are injuries to the muscles or tendons. They commonly occur in the lower back, and can result from frequent or improper lifting.
- Sprains: Sprains are very similar to strains, but affect the ligaments. Like strains, sprains commonly cause pain in the lower back.
- Herniated discs: Herniated discs are a type of painful back injury that occurs when the cushioning materials in-between spinal discs ruptures or bulges. Herniated discs can lead to intense pain, as well as increase the risk of complications like compressed nerves.
- Shoulder injuries: Lifting injuries can also impact the shoulder, leading to injuries like rotator cuff tears and tendonitis. Along with heavy lifting, shoulder injuries are also commonly caused by awkward or uncomfortable lifting techniques.
- Repetitive motion injuries: Over time, frequent lifting puts temporary workers at an increased risk of repetitive motion injuries, or injuries that occur from repeating the same movements or processes. Some common repetitive motion injuries include carpal tunnel and tendonitis.
- Fractures: If improper lifting techniques cause a temporary worker to drop a heavy object, it can lead to painful fractures. In the workplace, fractures are most likely to affect hands, fingers, and toes.
How to Prevent Workplace Lifting Injuries for Your Temporary Workers
While workplace lifting injuries have many causes, they can also be easily prevented! If you’re a business owner, you can protect your temporary workers from lifting injuries through steps like:
- Providing temporary workers with training and education on proper lifting techniques
- Designing workplaces to minimize the risk of awkward posture, uncomfortable positions, and other common causes of lifting injuries
- Offering any necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) like back belts or wrist braces
- Providing any necessary mechanical aids, such as forklifts and conveyor belts, to reduce the need for physical lifting
- Encouraging job rotation and regular breaks, particularly for temporary workers in labor-intensive roles
- Creating an efficient injury reporting process
Another way to protect your employees is to offer robust Workers’ Compensation coverage to protect your temporary employees from lifting injuries and other common workplace risks. However, it can be difficult to find the comprehensive coverage you need, especially if you’re a temporary staffing business owner with employees filling roles in high-risk industries like warehouses or construction.
At Work Comp Business Insurance Solutions, we help temporary staffing business owners find the best Workers’ Compensation and payroll solutions. To learn more about our services and how we can help your temporary staffing business, visit us online at https://www.wcbis.com.
