Height is not necessary for a serious fall in the workplace

If you were to talk about serious injuries suffered from workplace falls, most people would assume you are talking about falls from a significant height. They might think of a painter and decorator falling from the top of a ladder, or an arborist falling out of a tree. Yet you do not have to fall far to suffer a serious injury.

Here is how and why low-level falls can often do serious harm to workers.

The landing matters a great deal

Imagine that you work in a busy restaurant kitchen. You slip on a spillage and crack your head on the corner of a worktop on your way to the floor. Maybe you knock a pot of boiling stock off as you go, and that causes you serious scalding as it spills over you. Perhaps the knock to the head leaves you with brain damage, or you caught your eye and need surgery to save it. You did not fall a great distance, but the consequences of that fall are still serious. This is the sort of scenario that can happen to anybody, in many different situations. 

You can also fall into the path of something that does far more damage than the initial fall. For instance, you trip into the path of an oncoming vehicle while working in a warehouse or on a construction crew, or you can fall and get a limb caught in machinery at a factory.

It’s natural to try to break your fall

Most people stick an arm out when they realize they are falling. They hope to prevent themselves from hitting the ground, but in doing so, they risk injury to their extended hand, arm, wrist and shoulder. They might suffer a rotator cuff injury or a complicated fracture that keeps them off work for months. In some cases, the injured joint causes them pain and problems for years to come.

Injuries suffered in the course of work are usually covered by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. You may, however, need legal guidance to fight for the full amount you are due.