People in California who work in the manufacturing industry are at risk for a lot of different types of workplace injuries. In particular, workers in machining or metalworking shops may be injured when their workplaces are not safe. According to data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, around 18,000 serious injuries and 800 fatalities occur every year among workers that operate machinery.

Amputations, lacerations, and crushing injuries may be the most dramatic types of injuries because they can cause a lot of suffering in an instant. However, the most common workplace injuries that occur in manufacturing are repetitive strain injuries that accumulate over a long period of time. Workers that lift materials or perform repetitive tasks can develop serious strains, especially when proper lifting techniques are not used.

Other common types of injuries in the manufacturing industry are hand tool-related injuries from repetitive motion or poor tool selection. Some powered hand tools could also send flying debris at workers or cause burns. Workers in manufacturing are also at risk for injuries from chemicals and toxic substances that they work with and around. One of the biggest risk factors in manufacturing is poor ventilation in the workplace.

People who were injured while working in a manufacturing job may not be able to go to work while their injuries are healing. Their lost wages and medical expenses may be covered by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. An attorney may be able to help a worker in this situation to file a workers’ compensation claim so that their workplace injuries do not cause a financial burden.