With an Amazon fulfillment center in Bondurant and a last mile delivery station in Grimes, the number of warehouse jobs available to central Iowa workers has grown over the past year. However, with new jobs, comes new risks associated with work in warehouse settings – the most common include slip and falls, repetitive stress injuries, and equipment related injuries.
Slips, Trips and FallS in the Workplace
Slips, trips and falls in a warehouse are not uncommon as smooth surfaces become covered in dust or powders, water or chemicals are spilled, clatter and electrical cords or hoses are left laying in walkways.
Falls off docks, elevated walkways or falls from the back of delivery trucks while loading or unloading are also quite hazardous to warehouse workers.
Worker musculoskeletal disorders repetitive stress injuries
Improper lifting, bending, or overexerting can lead to injuries including musculoskeletal disorders. The strain on muscles and joints from repeatedly engaging in strenuous or awkward motions can create a lot of wear and tear on the body. Back, neck and shoulder injuries and knee injuries are common among workers employed at a warehouse, some that can be quite debilitating.
Struck By or Caught in Between Injuries
Every year thousands of warehouse and industrial workers sustain injuries involving standard warehouse equipment, most notably forklift injuries which alone cause nearly 100,000 injuries annually. Struck by, caught in between, and debris falling from shelves overhead when raising or lowering shipments can all result in significant workplace injuries and fatalities.
Injured at an Iowa Warehouse Job |Contact a Work Injury Attorney
Just last month, a report underscored the fact that Amazon fulfillment centers across the country saw rising injury rates between 2016 and 2019, leading to calls for a special classification for fulfillment centers in general to carry a special classification requiring higher workers’ compensation premiums due to the increased risks of injury. When workers are injured on the job, Iowa workers’ compensation may be payable to cover medical bills and lost wages resulting from injuries commonplace in a warehouse setting. Call 515-244-1473 for a free consultation with an experienced Des Moines metro warehouse work injury and industrial accident attorney.
