Common steelworker injuries

As a steelworker, your job is dangerous and puts you at serious risk for work injuries. Whether you work at construction sites or a metal fabrication plant, you encounter hazardous conditions on a daily basis. Fabricating, erecting, assembling and installing steel materials requires grit and exposure to hazards.

If you sustain an injury, you may deal with expensive medical bills and lost wages. Here are a few common steelworker injuries. 

Traumatic brain injury

You may suffer a TBI as a result of a falling, getting hit by a falling object or a collapsing scaffold. Brain injuries can impact your quality of life for years and potentially result in chronic problems. If moderate to severe TBIs do not receive treatment in a timely manner, they can even be deadly. 

Burns

Your job may require you to weld metal. Even if you do not weld, you are around others who do. This puts you at significant risk of suffering a burn while on the job. 

Cuts and amputations

Steelwork means working with various power tools to cut metal. If an accident happens with these tools, it may result in a cut or amputation of the fingers, hands, arms, feet or toes. These wounds can also result in infections, stitches and permanent damage. 

Spinal cord injuries

Falls and collapsing scaffolds can cause spinal cord injuries. In serious instances, damage to the spinal cord can result in paralysis. 

Repetitive strain and overexertion

You face a major risk of overworking. Your job may require heavy lifting, unloading and stacking. These duties can lead to pulled muscles, back pain, tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Hearing loss

Manufacturing plants and construction sites can be loud places to work. If you work in an environment that is too loud, you may suffer significant hearing damage. 

Disfigurement

If a heavy object falls on you or a machine malfunctions, it may cause severe damage to your body to the point of permanent scars and disfigurement.