You might not consider working in a grocery store to be a particularly dangerous occupation. Compared to some others, this is probably true. As with any job, however, it comes with its own risks.
Below are some of the common types of injuries grocery store workers may face at work.
Repetitive tasks can cause strains
It’s probably easy to understand why this is relatively common. The nature of the work in a grocery store requires staff to carry out generally repetitive tasks on a day-to-day basis. This can be a mixture of scanning items through the checkout, stacking shelves and bagging groceries. Continuous and repeated actions like this can cause sprains and muscle damage which can present itself as repetitive strain injuries.
The pain of repetitive strain injury is not to be underestimated. It can leave employees out of work for weeks, if not months, at a time while they recover.
Serious cuts and lacerations from sharp objects are common
Replenishing stock on shelves from large boxes can involve using items such as box cutters and other sharp objects. This can result in cuts and can vary greatly in seriousness. Failure to provide proper training or protective clothing can be an important contributing factor to this type of injury.
Slips, trips and falls happen quite often
Even as you’ve walked around the grocery store you’ve probably noticed hazards around. If the weather is bad the floor can quickly get very slippery. There may also be dropped items on the floor and empty boxes or misplaced items left around which can be tripped over.
Minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes are common but falls can also result in much more serious injuries such as broken bones and head trauma, especially when falling from height such as while using ladders.
Being injured at work can lead to serious complications for your life and financial distress. You may be entitled to claim workers’ compensation for the harm you’ve suffered and to provide financial relief while you recover.
