Warehouse workers risk injury on the job

Warehouse workers face higher injury risks as online shopping increases, pressuring employees to meet heavy quotas.

Common injuries include strains, sprains, falls, and accidents involving forklifts or other equipment. Employers must follow safety protocols, provide proper training, and maintain equipment to reduce risks. Workers injured on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation or legal support to recover medical expenses and lost wages. Awareness of workplace hazards and safety compliance is essential to protect warehouse employees.

Warehouse employment in New Jersey is rising as online shopping drives continuous expansion of warehouse space. Amazon manages over 150 million square feet of warehouses, as businesses increasingly rely on online sales. Goods must be stored and shipped, making warehouses increasingly essential for delivering retail products to customers. Consequently, warehouse workers are under significant pressure to process massive numbers of orders quickly and correctly.

All of this means that workplace injuries are also increasingly common in warehouses. Workers under pressure may rush tasks, risking safety to meet quotas, keep jobs, or earn bonuses. Managers balancing productivity and safety may prioritize output, allowing workplace safety to be overlooked or neglected. Companies are also developing more automated, robotic technologies. Fewer workers handling heavy workloads increase the risk of injury from difficult or malfunctioning equipment.

Warehouse workers may be prone to stress or strain injuries from standing, bending and lifting heavy items. In addition, they may need to use forklifts, ladders and other devices to handle merchandise, so falls from heights may pose an increasing danger. Boxes can block aisles and exits, leading to trip-and-fall accidents.

When workers are injured on the job, they might face a significant time away from work as well as growing medical bills. A workers’ compensation attorney may help employees injured in workplace accidents to protect their rights and seek the benefits they deserve.