Those who work in Connecticut warehouses may know that aches and pains are a frequent part of the job. However, a new study shows that the pace of work in a warehouse has a substantial impact on employee injury rates. As the pace of warehouse work increases, so, too, do the demands on warehouse workers. Many warehouse employees are suffering serious, debilitating injuries as they attempt to keep up.
Business Insider reports that one of the nation’s largest warehouse employers, which employs more than 750,000 warehouse workers across the nation, has a very fast pace of work. The pace of work is so fast in those warehouses, in fact, that some workplace regulators have referred to the injury risks in these facilities as being “off the charts.”
What research shows
A series of inspections of warehouses owned by this particular employer revealed that there is a “direct connection” between the pace of work and worker injury rates. Research shows that employees who work for this employer are twice as likely as other warehouse workers to suffer warehouse injuries that are serious enough to prevent them from working.
What injuries are prevalent
Some types of injuries are more common among warehouse employees than others. Strains and sprains are especially common. Employees who work for the large warehouse employer suffer musculoskeletal injuries at four times the rate of employees who work for other warehouse companies. Many workers who suffer such injuries have to have physical therapy and chiropractic visits before they are able to work again.
Many warehouse employees who suffer on-the-job injuries say their employer encourages them to work through the discomfort to increase productivity.
