Hand and finger injuries are rather common in the workplace. Remember: If you run a business and one of your workers falls prey to such an injury, you may be liable for compensating them for the damages.
It is always better to be safe than sorry. Implementing safety measures (such as installing door hinge finger protectors) in your workplace can go a long way to making the place safer. Now, with that out of the way, let's look at some of the most common injuries which can make you liable to pay out compensation.
Fingernail Injuries: These injuries are pretty common, not just in a workplace, but everywhere. When the tissue beneath the fingernail is bruised, fluid can create pressure - this needs to be drained, and the nail will often fall off in time. Injuries in which the fingernail is ripped off are also pretty common. Fingernail injuries do not usually result in compensation unless they become infected.
Fractures: Fractures of the hand, thumb, and finger are other common workplace accidents. They can be extremely painful and limit the mobility of the employee's hand.
Dislocation: This is a common injury and can be very painful. A finger or thumb can be torn from its joint by excess pressure or force, often in an industrial or factory setting.
Nerve Damage: Deep wounds and crush injuries can result in nerve damage, which is very serious and potentially permanent. The effects of nerve damage include numbness, pain, loss of function, and paralysis. If one of your employees has suffered from nerve damage as a result of a door-related finger entrapment accident, you could be liable to pay finger injury compensation because there was no safety measure in place.
Amputations: Side effects of the loss of a finger include pain, lack of mobility, and numbness in other parts of the hand. The loss of a finger could seriously affect a person's ability to work and earn money. Again, if one of your employees loses a finger as a result of inadequate safety measures in place, you may be liable to pay finger injury compensation.
Degloving: These injuries are uncommon and mostly take place in industrial or factory workplaces. Degloving occurs when the skin is ripped completely away from the tissue beneath. This is an extremely serious injury that often requires hand and finger injury compensation.
Vibration White Finger (VWF): Also known as Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), vibration white finger is an industrial disease that affects the joints, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels of the hand, wrist, and arm. Symptoms include tingly whiteness, pain, numbness, and a reduction in manual dexterity. In very extreme cases, VWF sufferers can even lose fingers. Severe VWF can result in a need for you to pay out hand and finger injury compensation.
Don't let the burden of liability weigh you down. Implement safety measures in your workplace and start by installing door hinge protectors. In essence, this affordable little trick will cut the risks of finger injuries at your business to a great extent.