Christmas is the busiest time of year in many workplaces. This could leave you and your colleagues exhausted and stressed, which is a recipe for disaster. Tired, stressed, and pressured workers are more likely to make mistakes or forget to take the safety precautions they would usually take. They might even come under pressure from their boss to skip some of those safety measures to save time.
A workplace injury can easily ruin not just your Christmas, but a large part of the new year, too. In some cases, you could feel the effects for the rest of your life. Pain, discomfort, inconvenience in everyday tasks and a reduced ability to earn an income could all result from a workplace injury.
Prioritize your safety even if your boss does not
Here are a few tips to try and stay safe over the busy season:
- Speak up if you are too tired to do the extra shift your employer wants. This is especially crucial if you work with machinery, be it a truck, a forklift or a fast-moving production line.
- Do not agree to take safety shortcuts. They are not worth it.
- Don’t take on tasks you are not trained for. Don’t for example climb the ladder to hang the decorations if you have not been trained in how to place and climb a ladder safely.
- Don’t take on tasks you feel uncomfortable with. Maybe you did ladder training but don’t like heights. In this case, leave it to someone else.
Workers’ compensation is usually available to those injured at work, but you may need legal help to fight for the full amount due to you.
