Work-related injuries and illnesses are all too common in America. According to Hilda Solis, the Secretary of Labor, 3.3 million people suffer work-related injuries from which they might never recover. Part of the problem is that it’s easy to get hurt at work. Some of the most common ways people suffer work-related injuries include slipping and falling, overexerting themselves, or blows from falling objects.
Of course, there are other, less common ways you can get hurt at work, too. Here are a few, silly accidents some Reddit users have copped to.
Watch What You’re Working On.
If you’re a craftsperson, you’re going to be working with some powerful and potentially hazardous tools. If you’re not careful, you can easily get hurt at work. One unfortunate worker went on record saying, “I stapled my thumb with an industrial stapler… Twice.”
Don’t Jinx Yourself.
One Reddit user tried to remove a rusty screw from a wire clamp while working in Iraq. Apparently, he told his friend that, considering how he was holding the screwdriver, he was probably going to stab himself with it. Sure enough, not 10 seconds later, the screwdriver went through his hand. Even worse, the only thing the medical tent could give him was some band-aids and iodine.
Know How to Use Your Tools.
Just as you should pay attention when using power tools, lest your inattentiveness gets you hurt at work, you also need to know how to use them. One Reddit user related that he had to cut a 20mm hole in a steel box. Rather than using a pillar drill (like he was supposed to), he decided to try an electric drill with a starret cutter. Unfortunately, the hand doesn’t provide much of a grip on such jobs, so when the cutter bit into the steel box, it spun up and hit him in the groin.
The moral of these stories is that, yes, it’s easy to get hurt at work, but you should always be paying attention. If you do, you’re a whole lot less likely to get hurt at work!
If you ever do get hurt at work, you would be wise to schedule a consultation with workers compensation attorneys, whose knowledge and experience will help you sort things out.