The Real Reason Workplace Injuries Increase During the Summer

The summer months often see more injuries than at other times during the year. The increase in workplace accident rates can be attributed to several factors, including the fact that more hazardous injuries like construction, forestry, and agriculture ramp up their work in the summer, more workers enter the workforce to take advantage of summer seasonal jobs, and younger workers in high school and college, who have less experience in keeping safe on the job, tend to take summer jobs for extra cash.

As a worker, you need to know what potential injuries you may face this summer season and what steps you and your employer can take to make your workplace safer. You also deserve to know what rights to workers’ compensation you have if you do end up being injured on the job. 

Most Common Summertime Work Injuries

Work accidents that tend to more frequently occur in the summertime include:

• Car accidents – The summer months mean more cars on the road as people travel for vacation or are out around town enjoying summer activities. Workers who need to drive as part of their job should be mindful during the summer of motorists who are distracted, intoxicated, or visiting from out of town and are unfamiliar with local roads.
• Heat-related illness – Industries where workers must work outside or in poorly ventilated spaces, including construction workers, landscapers, farm workers, and warehouse workers should be mindful of medical conditions caused by exposure to heat, such as dehydration, sunburn/sun poisoning, and heat stroke. 
• Falls – Certain industries that do a lot of their work during the summer also have a high risk of fall-related accidents such as slip/trip and falls, falls from heights, or impacts with falling objects. 

How to Prevent Workplace Injuries in the Summer

Workplaces can take steps to help keep employees safe from injuries and illnesses that are more common in the summertime, such as:

• Ensuring workers understand the risks of heat-related illness and know best practices for working in warm or hot conditions
• Providing frequent breaks to employees working in hot conditions
• Offering water stations and cool-down areas
• Ensuring proper ventilation or using air conditioning for enclosed working spaces
• Making sure that workers who must wear uniforms have thermally-appropriate clothing
• Educating workers about the type of clothing they should wear in outdoor workspaces, such as long shirts and pants and wide-brimmed hats
• Establishing a workplace injury prevention program to help create a safety culture among employees

Workers’ Compensation for Injuries

If you suffer an injury on the job during the summer, Washington State’s workers’ compensation system can provide you with various financial benefits, without regard to who may have been at fault for your injury. These benefits include:

• Payment of medical and rehabilitation expenses for your injury or illness
• Reimbursement of certain expenses incurred for medical-related travel
• Partial wage replacement
• Financial awards for partial disability
• Pension benefits in the event you are permanently and totally disabled from working

In Washington State, all paid employees, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers, are entitled to workers’ comp for an on-the-job injury. 

Contact a Rochester Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Workplace Injury Case in Washington State

Were you or a loved one injured due to a workplace accident in Washington State? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Smith Duran represent clients injured in Olympia, Lakewood, Auburn, and University Place. Call (360) 273-5941 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 10118 Highway 12 SW, Rochester, WA, 98579, as well as offices in Tacoma.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.