Workplace Injuries & Claims
Physical hazards affect many people in the workplace. Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related injuries with workers exposed to hazardous noise levels at work. Falls are also a common cause of occupational injuries and fatalities, especially in construction, extraction, transportation, healthcare, and building cleaning and maintenance. Machines with moving parts, sharp edges, hot surfaces and other physical hazards can prove dangerous and even lethal if used unsafely.
Biological hazards include infectious microorganisms such as viruses and toxins produced by toxic chemicals. Biohazards affect workers in many industries. Outdoor workers, including farmers, landscapers, and construction workers, risk exposure to numerous biohazards, including animal bites and stings. Health care workers, including veterinary health workers, risk exposure to blood-borne pathogens and various infectious diseases.
Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace. These include neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitisers. There is some evidence that certain chemicals are harmful at lower levels when mixed with one or more other chemicals. This may be particularly important in causing cancer.
Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being of workers, such as feelings of job insecurity, long working hours, and poor work-life balance. In addition, the mental health of many people are impacted after having experienced an injury at work.
Workers compensation is a form of insurance payment to workers if they are injured at work or become sick due to their work. Workers compensation includes payments to employees to cover their wages while unfit for work and their medical expenses and rehabilitation.
Workers compensation legislation differs from one country to the next, and even from one state to the next within the same country. I.e., in Australia, each state and territory has their own regulator that administers and gives advice on workers compensation. The Western Australian workers compensation and injury management scheme is based on a 'no-fault' principle. This means that workers do not have to establish that their employer was at fault or negligent to make a claim. Every person is entitled to workers compensation if they are a worker, suffer an injury or develop a disease at work and require treatment or time off work as a result.
Biological hazards include infectious microorganisms such as viruses and toxins produced by toxic chemicals. Biohazards affect workers in many industries. Outdoor workers, including farmers, landscapers, and construction workers, risk exposure to numerous biohazards, including animal bites and stings. Health care workers, including veterinary health workers, risk exposure to blood-borne pathogens and various infectious diseases.
Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace. These include neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitisers. There is some evidence that certain chemicals are harmful at lower levels when mixed with one or more other chemicals. This may be particularly important in causing cancer.
Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being of workers, such as feelings of job insecurity, long working hours, and poor work-life balance. In addition, the mental health of many people are impacted after having experienced an injury at work.
Workers compensation is a form of insurance payment to workers if they are injured at work or become sick due to their work. Workers compensation includes payments to employees to cover their wages while unfit for work and their medical expenses and rehabilitation.
Workers compensation legislation differs from one country to the next, and even from one state to the next within the same country. I.e., in Australia, each state and territory has their own regulator that administers and gives advice on workers compensation. The Western Australian workers compensation and injury management scheme is based on a 'no-fault' principle. This means that workers do not have to establish that their employer was at fault or negligent to make a claim. Every person is entitled to workers compensation if they are a worker, suffer an injury or develop a disease at work and require treatment or time off work as a result.