Statistics show that roughly four percent of an estimated 13.4 million workers in Australia sustained injuries and illnesses in the workplace due to work-related conditions. Of these workers, approximately 84 percent of them continued to work their same job (2017-2018).
Some industries—such as agriculture and forestry, construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and mining—enforce safety regulations specific to the work they do and the conditions of the work environment. People can sustain bodily injuries and illnesses in any and every workplace, which is why all business owners, no matter the sector they work in, should implement general safety rules into their workplaces in addition to any industry-specific procedures.
No matter how careful business owners or their employees are, accidents happen. Still, entrepreneurs can prevent and lessen the likelihood of accidents occurring in their small businesses by enforcing safety regulations, following procedures, and keeping workplaces clean.
Common Accidents and Injuries Related to Work
Some employees are at risk of experiencing workplace incidents that may depend on their work environment conditions. People with occupations that require them to operate large machines or special equipment, for instance, might be at risk of ruining their clothes, colliding with such machinery, and injuring themselves. A potential risk for individuals who work in warehouses is being hit by objects that fall from cabinets, shelves, and other surfaces. For employees who work with chemicals, exposure to certain substances can cause harm.
People experience common accidents, such as falls, slips, issues with machinery and equipment, falling objects, and overexertion.
Trips, slips, and falls are common workplace incidents that affect almost all industries. These accidents can result in injuries and pain intense enough to keep people from showing up to work. Overexertion is an accident that can also impact multiple industries. Back pains, muscle strains, or injuries resulting from lifting and moving objects may cause or contribute to overexertion.
People should keep in mind that in addition to protecting their employees, they must safeguard their business premises to keep customers and members of the public safe as well.
Keep Your Business Safe for Employees and Customers
While customers don’t work with chemicals or large pieces of equipment and machinery like employees, they are at risk for sustaining injuries or colliding with such objects if a worker isn’t operating them properly.
Other hazards in the workplace that can be harmful to employees and customers include improperly stored flammable liquids, gas leaks, and electrical issues. Such hazardous conditions can cause fires in the workplace, which can be fatal.
Effects of Workplace Accidents
Some injuries sustained by employees or customers result in short hospital stays or a break from work to heal. For more intense injuries, people may require an extended leave of absence, a surgical procedure, or occupational, physical, and psychological therapy. In cases of severe injuries, people may lose their capacity to move around and perform their job duties, which forces them out of work.
Should a customer sustain injuries in your public place of business, they would have the right to consult a lawyer for help initiating a claim against your business. An injury in your place of business would entitle them to receive fair compensation for any bodily harm, emotional and mental distress, medical bills, lost wages, or other consequences they incurred.
To cover your employees, customers, and members of the public, and protect your business itself and assets against a customer lawsuit, you should consider finding an insurance company that suits your needs and putting in an application for public liability insurance. A practical type of insurance, public liability insurance covers your company, up to any policy limits, if property damage occurs or someone experiences bodily injury resulting from negligence on your part. It doesn’t cover breaches of professional duty. The liability coverage you have determines if you’re eligible to receive cover for defense and legal costs in a customer lawsuit.
Business owners in need of more information about the various products offered by insurance companies should consult a reputable web resource like iSelect. Comparing public liability insurance with iSelect enables business insurance applicants to learn about public liability insurance, general liability insurance, and more, and choose the coverage that best suits their company’s structure and needs.
Interesting related article: “What is Compensation?“