On Your Side After An Injury

Workplace injury suffered when worker’s hand is caught in baler

All company owners in Missouri and other states are responsible for the safety of their workers. However, the safety hazards in smaller retail facilities are often overlooked. Emergency workers were recently called to a retail outlet in another state where a worker suffered a workplace injury.

The emergency was reported on an early December morning. The call for help came from a supermarket where the hand of an employee got stuck in a baler machine that he was operating in the warehouse area of the store. Such a machine is used to compact empty cardboard boxes to form bales that are easy to stack and transport. The process involves hydraulic pressure and poses severe injury hazards.

The situation required emergency workers to dismantle the baler machine in order to free the worker’s hand. The injured worker was taken to a local hospital where he received medical treatment. The severity of the injury to the man’s hand is unknown. Employers are required to ensure that all workers are properly trained before allowing them to operate mechanical equipment. Regular maintenance should be carried out to identify and rectify mechanical malfunctions.

When a Missouri worker suffers a workplace injury, he or she may be concerned about the amount of time that will pass before he or she can return to work, and the wages he or she will lose during that time. It may be comforting to know that workers’ compensation insurance is designed to provide financial aid to injured workers. Workers are not required to prove fault on the part of another party and may claim benefits for any work-related injury. Compensation commonly covers medical expenses and a percentage of lost wages, with additional compensation available for workers whose injuries lead to disabilities.

Source: sheltonherald.com, “UPDATE: Parts of Stop & Shop baler dismantled to free worker’s hand“, Dec. 9, 2014