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It is necessary to understand how to file an accident report accordingly in order to protect yourself towards your legal rights and from physical and financial loss that may come in the future as a result of a work-related injury or illness.

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a sub branch of the U.S. Department of Labor that ensures safety and working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards. Some of the safety laws that OSHA enforces include: Means of sanitation, standards for electrical requirements, standards for fire equipment, evacuation plans, and regulations on walking/working surfaces are among some of the common safety laws that OSHA oversees.
Department of Labor logo UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs

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In a working environment, tripping hazards are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries. Some of the common trip or slipping hazards found at the workplace include: Uneven flooring, slippy surfaces, loose flooring, obstructed views, and cluttered walkways among others. Due to the potential hazards of these combined factors, employers and HR managers have implemented strategies to prevent injuries and accidents at the workplace by placing signs and advising others of possible dangers.

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Earning Pressure Can Cause More Work Related Injuries

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Earning Pressure Can Cause More Work Related Injuries

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Companies that are facing sever earning expectations are more common to have higher workforce injuries.

Judson Caskey and Bugra Ozel found that "Pressure to meet earnings forecasts can relate to workplace safety in at least two ways: high workload and cuts to safety-related expenditures."

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Executive Summary

Do workplace injuries occur more commonly in companies that are facing increased pressure to meet earnings expectations? According to research, injury/illness rates at U.S. companies are five to 15% higher in periods where a firm meets or just beats analyst forecasts than in other periods. The injury/illness rate for such firms is also significantly higher compared to firms that miss or comfortably beat analyst forecasts. Managers may be increasing employees' workloads by pressuring them to work faster or for longer hours. Employees may also be compromising their own safety by overexerting themselves or ignoring safety protocols that slow work flow.

At a steel mill in Seguin, Texas, an employee suffered burns to more than 60% of his body after hot liquid steel spilled onto him. He died in a hospital three days later.

A 21-year-old plastics worker was treated for severe burns to his hand and had to have four fingers amputated after he was injured on his first day on the job at a factory in Elyria, Ohio.

A flawed network of pipes and valves at a manufacturing plant in La Porte, Texas, led to the release of a poisonous pesticide that killed four workers.

These are just three examples of recent workplace injuries and fatalities. U.S. companies are facing pressure to meet earnings expectations, and research indicates that meeting analyst forecasts is a more important benchmark than meeting the prior year's earnings or avoiding losses. While these issues may seem unrelated, we wondered whether there is a connection or correlation. Do workplace injuries occur more commonly in companies that are facing increased pressure to meet earnings expectations?

In our study recently published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics, we test whether there is any relationship between workplace safety and managers' attempts to meet earnings expectations. To do so, we used establishment-level injury data (e.g., individual store or factory) compiled by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from 2002 to 2011 and matched it to earnings data. This yielded a sample of 35,350 establishment-year observations for 868 firms, excluding financial firms and firms in regulated industries. Our investigation focused on those companies that met or barely beat analysts' expectations, and we uncovered a previously undocumented phenomenon of higher workplace injuries at these firms in particular.

The numbers are telling. Controlling for other factors, injury/illness rates are 5%-15% higher in periods where a firm meets or just beats analyst forecasts. The injury/illness rates for such firms are also significantly higher than those for firms that miss or comfortably beat analyst forecasts.

We found that pressure to meet earnings forecasts can relate to workplace safety in at least two ways: high workload and cuts to safety-related expenditures. When managers believe their company may be close to missing earnings benchmarks, they may increase employees' workloads by pressuring them to work faster or for longer hours. In addition, employees may compromise their own safety by overexerting themselves or ignoring safety protocols that slow workflows. All of these behaviors can undermine worker safety.

Managers may also circumvent or overlook explicit and implicit safety-related measures, such as maintenance spending on equipment and employee training. When managers engage in such practices, workplace safety deteriorates and workplace injuries mount.

What does this mean in terms of real people? According to the injury data from OSHA, we find that about one in every 24 employees is injured in firms that meet or just beat analyst earnings forecasts, compared with about one in 27 workers in firms that miss or comfortably beat forecasts.

We identified three factors that characterized the companies that beat earnings benchmarks. First, we found that benchmark beaters in industries with high unionization report lower injury rates than those in industries with low unionization by about 6.4%. That's because unions typically serve as a proxy for employees' power to ensure safe work environments. They negotiate safety protocols and compliance into their contracts, and workers can report safety issues to their union representatives.

A second factor emerged when we compared the insurance premiums of workers' compensation programs. These state-mandated programs differ considerably in their policies and coverage requirements. The premium in North Dakota, for instance, is $0.88 per $100 of payroll, while California's is $3.48 per $100 of payroll.

It turns out that benchmark beaters in states with high workers' compensation premiums have a nearly 5% lower injury rate, compared with those in lower-premium states. In other words, in states where workplace injuries are more costly, managers appear to be more diligent about their workers' safety and less willing to increase workloads and demands on employees.

Finally, we found that companies doing considerable business with the government have better workplace safety records. Federal and state governments typically require that companies submitting bids for contracts maintain adequate workplace safety. Indeed, companies that do not meet certain workplace safety benchmarks may be barred from competing for such work. It's likely that contract requirements cause managers to remain cognizant of workplace safety as they race to meet or beat expectations.

The effects that we document may represent the tip of the iceberg about employee health, as OSHA only collects data on relatively serious and physical injuries and illnesses that require hospitalization or days away from work. Additionally, our results suggest that disclosures about workplace safety could serve as signals to investors that managers are engaged in short-sighted activities to meet earnings targets. In other words, unusually high injury rates may signal that the firm is engaged in practices that resulted in a transitory boost to earnings that investors should not expect to persist.

When managers and workers lose sight of workplace safety while focusing short-term financial targets, the consequences can be severe. At the company level, the costs include fines, litigation, increased insurance and workers' compensation premiums, and negative publicity. For workers, however, the price may be significantly worse: pain, lost wages, and, in the very worst scenarios, loss of life.

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Research: Workplace Injuries Are More Common When Companies Face Earnings Pressure

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Executive Summary Do workplace injuries occur more commonly in companies that are facing increased pressure to meet earnings expectations? According to research, injury/illness rates at U.S. companies are five to 15% higher in periods where a firm meets or just beats analyst forecasts than in other periods.

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I learned that there are work related injuries called CTDs, otherwise known as Cumulative Trauma Disorders, which are injuries created by repetitive motions. These injuries can vary in severity and can affect the fingers, arms, hands, or shoulders. An example would be CTS or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which causes pain to the wrist and fingers from repetitive hand work like typing. And unfortunately it can be prevented or minimized with the right procedures in place. If you are encountering common, repetitive injuries like these, there are certain measures you can take for a better workplace environment like investing in a good office chair.

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A cumulative trauma disorder, also known as CTD, is defined as the excessive wear and tear on tendons, muscles and sensitive nerve tissue caused by continuous use over an extended period of time. CTDs can develop from improper work positioning, repetition or force.

Millions of Americans work in front of computers every day. While this may not seem like a task that would expose employees to potential injury on the job, improperly designed workstations do pose ergonomic concerns. Ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population.

The three main risk factors found in computer workstation environments that can lead to CTDs are:

Awkward posture and position such as bent wrists, elbows held away from the body, outstretched arms or slumped shoulders

Repetitive action from typing, keying and sorting operations

Use of excessive force when typing

These risk factors can be controlled by adjusting the workstation, varying worker position, reducing continuous or repetitious actions, and periodically stretching throughout the day. Employers should design workstations to reduce or eliminate bad ergonomic exposures. A neutral work position can be obtained by adjusting the worker's desk and chair height, as well as keyboard position.

Key elements to consider for an ergonomic computer workstation include:

Invest in a good chair that can be adjusted several ways. The seat height should be set so that thighs are nearly parallel with the floor and feet rest flat on the floor. The chair back should adjust and provide lumbar support.

Make sure a monitor's casing is 2-3 inches above eye level, centered and approximately 18-30 inches from the face.

Take steps to reduce glare on the screen.

Use a document holder next to the computer screen. Place it at the same height and distance from the worker's face as the screen.

Keep wrists flat and straight in relation to the forearms and centered to the body when using a keyboard and mouse.

Relax the arms and elbows, keeping them close to the body.

Place adjustable keyboards so they form an approximate 90-degree angle at the elbow.

Take frequent and short breaks to stretch the hands and fingers and to rest the eyes. Try to focus on an object several feet away. Move eyes in all directions.

Position work equipment so the most-frequently used items are within comfortable reach.

Use a telephone headset to free up hands and prevent cradling of the phone.

The appropriate placement of the components and accessories for a computer workstation will allow workers to maintain neutral body positions, perform more efficiently and work more comfortably. Although no single "correct" posture or arrangement of components will fit everyone, basic ergonomic design initiatives can improve workers' ergonomic positioning to help eliminate or lessen the potential for CTDs.
Editor's Note: This article represents the independent views of the author and should not be construed as a National Safety Council endorsement.

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A cumulative trauma disorder, also known as CTD, is defined as the excessive wear and tear on tendons, muscles and sensitive nerve tissue caused by continuous use over an extended period of time. CTDs can develop from improper work positioning, repetition or force. Millions of Americans work in front of computers every day.

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There are many causes of workforce accidents and illnesses', but I have found that shortcuts in procedure have caused a multitude of them. When it comes to dangerous on the job work, like with machinery, shortcuts tend to increase the level of danger on the job. Especially, since they are typically taken to get work done faster. There is prep work and guidelines for a reason, in order to avoid mistakes such as: injury, poor work quality, etc.

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Employees should be confident about what they’re doing, but overconfidence may diminish carefulness or attention. Overconfident employees are likely to ignore safety precautions and forego double checking their work. It’s important for them to understand that accidents can occur any time to anyone, no matter how skilled or experienced.

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It’s easier said than done, but employees must try to leave personal matters at the door. Being distracted on the job is similar to being fatigued, stressed, or overconfident. Workers simply cannot perform their jobs to their full potential if their mind is elsewhere. Have you noticed any of these behaviors in your workplace? It may be time to set up some refresher training to reduce the risk of injuries and improve overall performance in your organization. Better safe than sorry, as they say.

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I learned about eustress, which is the opposite of distress. It is considered "good" stress.
With a little research, I learned the World Health Organization was talking about emotional wellbeing as early as 1986. Stress has been linked to physical illnesses. Some of the causes of work-related stress are things like busy-work (a.k.a. meaningless tasks), lack of growth possibilities and of course pay. Being recognized and respected are key factors in stress at work.

WHO. (n.d.). WHO | stress at the workplace. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/stressatwp/en/

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Training, lack of protections from employer,  not following procedures and sometimes the unanticipated.
On a side note, I witnessed guy pull up floor tiles in a server room, only to take a header a few minutes later in the hole he created because he was in a rush to finish the job. The feat earned the fellow the nickname "stitches" because that is what he received at the E.R. and that is a description of how hard we were laughing.

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Post about the causes of work-related accidents and illnesses at work:

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Can also post research about the causes of work-related accidents and illnesses:

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Post about the causes of work-related accidents and illnesses:

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"There are a number of ways that an employee can be injured in an office setting. From something as simple as a slip and fall at the office to the development of a repetitive stress injury such as thoracic outlet syndrome or carpal tunnel syndrome, any accidental injury, sickness or death that is a result of something that happens in the scope of your employment may qualify you for workers’ compensation."

VanasseLaw. (2016). White collar workers injuries: Common in-office injuries. Retrieved from https://vanasselaw.com/white-collar-workers-injuries-common-in-office-injuries-that-can-result-in-workers-compensation/