Archive for June, 2025

We all know that working with heavy machinery or performing tasks at great heights can be extremely dangerous. Industries like construction and manufacturing are particularly hazardous for workers for these reasons.

But workers in Pennsylvania suffer injuries and illnesses all the time that are caused by workplace conditions they may have never even considered to pose a risk. You don’t have to have a “dangerous” job to be in danger from workplace hazards. 

Unfortunately, Insurance companies can make it difficult for injured workers to recover workers’ compensation benefits when they suffer on-the-job injuries from an unexpected source. At Vanasse Law, we know how to effectively fight for injured workers to secure the benefits they deserve, even when the insurance company claims the workplace is safe or the injury is unlikely.

Here are just a few examples of workplace hazards that are more dangerous than you might expect.

Slipping and Tripping Hazards Can Be Lurking Anywhere

The stories about what workers have tripped over or slipped on during the workday might almost be funny if those stories didn’t have such painful endings. Someone in a poultry processing plant slipped on a turkey lung that fell on the floor and suffered permanent back damage. Another employee tripped over a co-worker’s dog during bring-your-pet-to-work day.

People trip on loose carpeting, slip on doormats, and lose their balance after stepping on substances their co-workers drop by accident, including food items that have fallen in the break room. Falls on stairs are pretty common, particularly when steps are slick, treads are loose, or railings aren’t adequately secured. But even when a stairway is safe and well-lit, falls can still occur. Stairs are simply hazardous by their very nature.

When a worker falls under any situation, the injuries can have surprisingly long-term consequences.

Storage is Not Given Enough Thought

The way that ordinary supplies are stored can pose a hazard in all types of environments. For instance, cartons of paper might be stacked so high in an office storage room that they become unstable and are likely to fall. Files and extra supplies are often stored in cabinets located high up, and workers must stand on a ladder or step stool to pull down heavy items over their heads. Even worse, many times workers are not given a safe way to access upper cabinets, so they stand on chairs, which are easy to tip over.

Storage of dangerous chemicals is also not given proper consideration in many workplaces. Workers can come into contact with harsh chemicals by accident.

Beware of Faulty Office Furniture

An act as simple as sitting down in a chair can become hazardous if the chair collapses and slams to the floor. Defects in office furniture can often lead to workplace injuries.

In a workers’ compensation claim, it is not necessary to prove that an employer was negligent; only that the employee was hurt in the course of employment is required. If an employee is engaging in an activity that is clearly unwise and unrelated to their job, such as stacking six chairs on top of one another to create a video to share on their personal online social media, then a workers’ compensation insurer might be justified in denying or reducing benefits. 

However, in most cases where office furniture malfunctions cause injuries, the worker is behaving normally and is caught by surprise. A table leg might collapse, spilling hot coffee onto the legs of an employee on break. Or the padded cover on a chair might come off, exposing sharp metal underneath that cuts deep into the employee’s arm. We all take furniture for granted, but it can be unexpectedly dangerous at times, especially when subjected to daily use in the workplace.

Loud Noises Can Lead to Hearing Loss

Sudden loud noises attract our attention, and when these noises occur close to an employee’s ear, it can lead to permanent damage, including hearing loss, headaches, and sensitivity. However, hearing damage is more common when employees are constantly exposed to loud noises that they get “used to.” The noise might be fans that run constantly or even loud music. Exposure to high-decibel noise for an extended period can cause permanent hearing loss.

Electricity is All Around Us

We use electric devices in virtually any job you can think of. Those devices can short out or workers can come in contact with exposed wires, even while doing something as simple as plugging in an adding machine.

Overloaded power strips and worn wiring can also lead to fires in the workplace, exposing workers to the risks of smoke inhalation and burns.

Other Workplace Hazards We Often Overlook

As noted above, the examples we’ve addressed are only a few of the potential hazards we work around on a daily basis. Other examples include:

• Chemicals such as solvents and cleaners used without proper ventilation that can burn the eyes or lungs
• Mold in HVAC systems that leads to respiratory illness
• Broken glass from windows, kitchenware, and other items that can cause deep cuts
• Exposure to illnesses when working with the public
• Poorly aligned work stations that lead to back injuries

Additionally, you expose yourself to various dangers if you need to drive your personal vehicle for work purposes, especially when loading heavy work equipment into the vehicle. If you have to stop suddenly, even something as light as a laptop computer can fly forward with deadly force.

When You’ve Been Injured in the Workplace, Vanasse Law Can Help You Receive the Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Need

Workers can suffer devastating injuries even while completing ordinary everyday tasks that appear to pose no risk to their health. The workers’ compensation scheme in Pennsylvania is designed to provide workers with the medical care and income benefits they need to recover and move forward with their lives after on-the-job injuries. However, workers’ compensation insurance companies frequently deny claims, particularly when the connection between the injury and the workplace is not immediately apparent.

At Vanasse Law, we recognize that this is unfair, and we fight to ensure that injured workers receive the benefits they need and the justice they deserve. If you’ve been injured at work and need to know what to do to apply for workers’ compensation or how to respond if your claim is ignored or denied, contact us for a free consultation to learn how we may be able to assist. You can call us at 717-397-1010, text us after hours at 717-471-2168, or reach us through our website.