Custodial Staff Injuries And Workers’ Compensation Claims

Custodial staff are integral to every business and organization in Pompano Beach, yet their work frequently is underappreciated by workers, clients, customers, and others who enter these spaces. In addition, custodians routinely are at risk of serious workplace injuries due to a variety of hazards in different workplaces. Indeed, according to EHS Insight, custodians currently sustain approximately 50,000 injuries per year resulting in missed workdays, and custodial staff members have the 16th-highest rate of work injuries among varying jobs and industries. What makes custodial work so dangerous? Custodians are regularly exposed to chemicals and to slip-and-fall risks, and they are required to perform tasks that put them at risk of various types of overexertion injuries. The following is more information about the three most common types of custodial injuries for which injured workers may be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.

Slips and Falls 

Custodial staff are at high risk of injuries caused by slips, trips, and falls. They routinely perform work on wet surfaces and deal with liquid spills. Indeed, custodians must regularly walk across floors they are mopping and rush to an area where a liquid spill has occurred in order to clean it up. Moreover, they may not always be wearing the safest footwear to perform these tasks. As a result, custodians frequently sustain broken bones, sprains and strains, and even mild traumatic brain injuries like concussions. According to EHS Insight, there are nearly 9 million nonfatal workplace injuries that occur on an annual basis, and more than one quarter of those (about 26 percent) are slip, trip, and fall injuries.

Custodians who sustain injuries in slips, trips, or falls should begin the process of seeking workers’ compensation benefits immediately. These types of injuries are likely compensable.

Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals 

Given that custodians are tasked with providing a clean and sanitary place of business, they are frequently exposed to hazardous chemicals that can cause serious injuries. Exposure can take multiple forms, from skin exposure to inhaling dangerous fumes. It is important for custodians to have protective equipment to prevent these kinds of exposures, including protective gloves, safety glasses, and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Similar to slips, trips, and falls, injuries resulting from chemical exposure should be compensable through the Florida workers’ compensation system.

Injuries Caused By Overexertion 

Overexertion injuries can occur in almost any workplace, including worksites for custodians. Any job, according to EHS Insight, that requires “long hours standing, heavy lifting, and bending in awkward positions” can lead to overexertion injuries. To be sure, any “sudden movement outside your normal range of motion” can put “a significant strain on the muscles and skeleton” and can cause injury. Custodians should be trained to ensure proper posture and lifting methods, but it is also important for custodians and their families to know that they can speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer about seeking benefits.

Contact Our Pompano Beach Workers’ Compensation Attorneys 

If you have questions about seeking workers’ compensation benefits after an on-the-job injury, one of our South Florida workers’ compensation lawyers can assist you. Contact the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. for more information.

Resource:

ehsinsight.com/blog/three-major-topics-in-workplace-safety-for-custodians