Whether you work in auto repair at a dealership or a repair business, you know the potential risks of your job and the importance of taking the proper safety precautions. Unfortunately, even if you do everything right, accidents can still happen. That’s especially true if your employer isn’t conscientious about following safety protocols and your co-workers are careless or poorly trained.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) like goggles, gloves, respiratory masks (when needed) and things as simple as solid footwear can make all the difference in some mishaps. So can proper labeling, closing and storing toxic or flammable substances. These things are everyone’s responsibility. Ultimately, however, it’s up to the employer to create and maintain a safe working environment.
The most common auto repair and maintenance injuries
The types of injuries workers can suffer on the job vary considerably. Among the most common are:
- Muscle strains, sprains and tears
- Chemical burns
- Eye injuries
- Slips, trips and falls
- Loss of limbs
While this last one isn’t as common as the others, it’s certainly a traumatic, life-changing injury. It typically happens when someone is working around cutting or spinning equipment. Sometimes it’s caused by a vehicle or other heavy object falling on someone.
Your right to workers’ compensation
Whether you’ve suffered an injury from a single event, such as burns from chemicals, or you’ve suffered a muscle strain or tear from repetitive stress, you need to know about your rights to workers’ compensation benefits. Nearly every business in Virginia is required to carry workers’ comp insurance for all of their employees – and they have to let them seek it without fear of retaliation.
Don’t let your employer or anyone else tell you that you don’t have a right to seek workers’ comp to cover medical costs and help replace some of your lost wages if you have to take time off to heal. If you’re having difficulty applying or getting approval, it may be wise to have legal guidance to protect your rights.
