In Ohio, people are inundated with advertisements about frequent sales from retailers. While this can be exciting for consumers, it is easy to forget that there are people working in the warehouses that store the items they are purchasing. They are facing intense pressure to work quickly and efficiently while completing their tasks.
The companies and the stress they place on workers add to the inherent dangers of warehouse work. Among the potential hazards these workers face are back injuries, exposure to hazardous materials, slipping, tripping, falling, health challenges due to heat or cold, collisions, impact injuries and more. They can lose significant time on the job and be confronted with major medical costs, the need for rehabilitation, lost income and other challenges. After an injury, knowing how to get workers’ compensation benefits is critical.
Amazon Prime Day said to place workers in jeopardy of injuries
The U.S. Senate has completed a report on Amazon’s Prime Day sales event and how it places warehouse workers at risk. It also noted how the holiday season adds stress to an already harsh atmosphere. According to the report, the sales place so much additional pressure on workers to get their tasks done based on company needs and workplace demands that injuries are prone to increase. The conditions at the company’s warehouses are said to be unsafe.
The company’s in-house information about its workplace injuries was cited. It was required to report certain injuries to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. For 2019, those reported injuries went beyond 10 for every 100 employees. When adding the injuries that the company was not required to report to OSHA, it was substantially higher with 45 injuries for every 100 workers. The size of the Amazon warehouses and the demands placed on workers are said to lead to the high number of injuries.
While Amazon was the focal point to highlight how common it is for their workers to suffer injuries, any type of warehouse work can be problematic for employees. Warehouse work frequently involves arduous labor with people needing to lift, push, pull and carry items of various size and weight. Working with complex machinery and trusting colleagues to operate them correctly and safely can be worrisome. Employers are expected to ensure worker safety, but some are lax in this regard. Prevention is crucial, but when accidents and injuries do occur, workers need to be aware of their options for workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers must know what they are entitled to after an injury
There are a seemingly endless number of problems that people can face after they have suffered a work injury. Wage loss, medical costs, rehabilitative care and the need for disability payments are all part of the process.
There can also be obstacles that arise such as a disagreement between the worker and the insurer as the extent of the injuries. There might be an assertion that the worker can get back to work before they are physically able to do so. In some cases, the workers’ compensation claim is denied outright.
When seeking workers’ compensation benefits, it is vital to know how to move forward, present evidence and maximize the payments for the longest time possible. In these cases, whether the injury occurred in a warehouse job or some other form of employment, it is wise to know how to proceed and to have guidance immediately after the injury has happened.