An increasing number of people in New Jersey are working in the warehouse industry, especially as online shopping fuels ever more expansion of warehouse space. Amazon alone controls over 150 million square feet of warehouse area around the world, and a growing number of businesses are depending more on sales made online rather than those made in brick-and-mortar stores. Those goods are still stored somewhere and shipped, however, which means that warehouses are playing an increasing role in retail goods reaching customers. As a result, 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 are under pressure to meet heavy quotas and may rush through their tasks, especially if they are forced to make a choice between following workplace safety procedures and keeping their jobs or earning a bonus. Managers may be tasked with productivity goals as well as safety management, and safety can easily fall by the wayside in favor of increased output. Companies are also developing more automated, robotic technologies. This can lead to fewer workers on the job to handle a large amount of work as well as the potential for 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.