Since the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was passed, the number of workplace hazards as well as employee exposure to them has been significantly reduced.  The result has been fewer accidents across all sectors of industry, affecting workers in all disciplines.  Advances in safety equipment and the use of technological resources to reduce accident rates have made the American workplace much safer for workers today than it was generations ago.

Even so, more efforts need to be made to counter the hundreds of thousands of electrocutions, slip and fall accidents, chemical burns, scaffolding accidents, and injuries from falling objects, flying debris and defective machinery that still occur every year. Many of these hazards result in serious injuries, and an unacceptable number of fatalities still occur in the American workplace as a result.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents can easily be prevented if employers take care to mark and guard open holes, post warning signs outside work areas with slippery surfaces, and arrange for the disposal or storing of slick materials and liquids after work has been completed for the day. 

Electrocution

From the tower crane operator working hundreds of feet above the ground, to workers operating powered hand tools below, many employees face the risk of severe electrical accidents that include electrical shocks that can cause physical maiming and organ damage, electrical burns, and even fatal electrocutions.

Scaffolding Accidents

The construction industry has among the highest number of hazards that can be found in any workplace.  Some of the most devastating of these occur when defective or unstable scaffolding is constructed, leading to disastrous collapses, falls, and tripping accidents.

Exposure to Toxic Agents

Although OSHA regulations define permissible limits for the exposure of chemicals in the workplace, and recommend protective personal gear that can prevent inhalation or ingestion in any form, too many workers are burned, or suffer eye, face and skin injuries because of toxic chemical exposure.  The most significant impact of such exposure can appear over the long-term as cancer, mesothelioma, and other deadly diseases develop.

Forklift Accidents

Forklifts have made the life of American workers easier, but they also pose a significant risk in the form of tipping and rollover accidents and collapses, entrapment between powered doors, or injuries from unsecured loads that fall on workers nearby.

Truck Accidents

Poorly maintained trucks or those with unsafe defective components, improperly secured loads, and inadequate readiness to handle hazardous spills from trucks and trailers are some of the leading hazards that cause truck related workplace injuries.

Falling Objects

Anytime there is work activity overhead, workers below are at risk for injuries from falling objects.  These are actually easy to prevent, but the statistics of workers who are injured, maimed or killed because of falling objects in the workplace are still too high for comfort.

Flying Debris

Blamed for the inordinate number of eye injuries caused in the workplace each year, flying debris in the form of cement dust, wood chips and shaving, metal slivers, mineral dust, and other kinds of debris may not be completely avoidable in the workplace, but the accidents that result from them definitely are.  High quality and work-appropriate personal protection gear, including face shields, safety glasses, and goggles can reduce the risks from these workplace hazards.

Defective Equipment

Reluctance to invest in new and high quality machinery may cause employers to continue to provide defective, unsafe and flawed equipment and machinery in the workplace. The industrial accidents that result from these hazards often involve amputations, crushing injuries and other severe injuries.

Unsafe Machinery

Many pieces of machinery in an industrial environment may be dangerous or unsafe by their very nature, especially logging equipment, food slicers, meat grinders and other machinery. But that doesn't mean that accidents involving them can't be prevented through adequate workplace safety training, proper use of protective safety gear, guarding of equipment and proper supervision.