Injuries are part of daily life, and unfortunately, anyone can be a victim of an accident. No matter how much you try to protect yourself and stay safe, there will always be a chance for an accident to happen at least once in your life. The bad thing is that even if the injury is minor, most incidents have a bad outcome related to physical recovery or mental trauma. Depending on how bad your accident was, you will have to postpone some important plans or change your entire lifestyle to recover effectively. And this is not something you want to happen. Therefore, it is essential to always protect yourself and take some safety precautions whenever you go. You need to do all you can to remove hazards from your life or become better prepared to handle them when coming.
But to protect yourself and stay safe, you need to know what dangers you can encounter. So, here are some of the most common types of accidents in the UK.
Accidents at work
A safe workspace environment is crucial for both employers and employees. For employers, it is not an optional criterion but a mandatory requirement to create a secure environment for their workers. Even if the safety and health regulations are very rigorous in the UK, accidents at work still happen. And in some cases, work injury consequences can be extreme and lead to life-threatening events. The good news is that risks at work can be reduced if a company puts safety first and creates a secure workspace. The outcome of this action will always be rewarding as the employees will be more productive and have an increased engagement with you and your business. The most common injuries related to the work environment are:
- Falls, trips and slips
- Crashes and collisions
- Muscle strains
- Exposure to loud noise and harmful substances
- Inhaling toxic vapours
Vehicle accidents
Vehicle accidents, especially car crashes, are among the most common incidents in the UK. Although the country has several vehicle safety programs, control speed regulations and general public awareness, disasters still happen on the roads. In many cases, the victims of a car accident have bad injuries, and sometimes they even lead to death. Besides the physical lesions, vehicle collisions can leave you with anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. You might also need therapy, and you have a great chance of being unable to drive for a long period. In cases of accidents that weren’t your fault or if you were hit by a car as a pedestrian when crossing regularly, you can seek legal help and be entitled to compensation for the harm made.
You need to be extra cautious whether you are a driver or a pedestrian and take some measures to increase your safety. Road impact accidents can be highly reduced if you drive carefully. By doing this, you will protect yourself and the others around you.
Slip or fall accidents
Slips and falls are also very common types of accidents. It is a present situation nowadays, mainly caused by lack of attention, doing many activities at once or because of slippery floors or surfaces. The outcome of a fall or a slip can lead from a simple bruise to a serious fracture. In any scenario, the injury should be monitored by a professional doctor. Even if you don’t have physical evidence of the incident, you can significantly deal with unconsciousness, drowsiness or vomiting if the brain or spine has been injured. You can even be asymptomatic for hours and days and then necessitate emergency support. This is why it is better to seek professional help from the beginning.
Electrical accidents
Electrical injuries are some of the most dangerous types of accidents, as they are associated with a high mortality rate. The severity of the damage depends on the type of current, the resistance and the voltage. Almost in every context, an electrical injury is accidental and preventable if you pay close attention. If it does not lead to death, the damage of an electrical shock can negatively impact skin tissues and organs. If you work in an environment where electrical accidents can happen, you need to be always responsible and follow safety procedures.
Burns
Burns are common accidents that lead to death in the UK. Fire is very dangerous, as can lead to severe burns that could put your life in peril. All burns need to be treated with care, as they can cause other life-threatening complications in your body, like heart attack, infection, organ failure or muscle damage. In your house, you need to be extra cautious with young children and toddlers as they are very susceptible to burns, so they shouldn’t handle hot foods or beverages. Also, they need to be monitored every time they are in the kitchen to prevent something bad from happening.
Cooking appliances, like ovens and stoves, are also a source of potential burns and open fires. You must always keep them clean and remove oils, as they can burst fire.
You should treat your burns with cold water immediately after occurring. In some cases, you may also need the help of a doctor because the zone affected can get infected with bacteria.
Cuts
One of the most common household injuries is cuts. They can be either very mild or quite serious. You need to apply sufficient pressure to the affected area to stop the bleeding. You can also use an antiseptic to reduce the possibility of infection. Cuts are also frequent in car accidents. In these circumstances, these types of injuries must be treated at a hospital because several tissues could be affected, and you may also need to receive blood.
You can’t always prevent all bad scenarios from happening, and in some cases, accidents are inevitable. You need to be aware of your environment and take all the measures to protect yourself and the others around you.