St. Paul Workers' Compensation Blog

Working as a roofer can be an enjoyable job, but you should never overlook the potential safety risks of this career. It only takes one misstep or mistake to result in an accident that causes serious injury or even death. This is why every roofing professional, regardless of experience, should follow a variety of safety tips:

• Always use a safety harness. Even if you think you don't need this, it's better to be safe than sorry. Get into the habit of setting up a safety harness the second you arrive at the job site.
• Ladder safety is a must. As a roofer, you'll use a ladder day in and day out. There are many safety tips to follow, such as: Always place your ladder on firm and level ground, keep three points of contact, and inform others when you're going up or down.
• Never work in inclement weather. As a roofer, you're used to working in both hot and cool conditions. While it may be impossible to avoid this, you don't want to get on a roof if the rain is falling or strong winds are in the area. It's best to wait for the weather system to pass.
• Choose the right shoes. Good traction is an absolute must when working on a roof, so make sure you choose shoes with plenty of tread.
• Watch out for debris. As the day goes on, there's a greater chance of debris piling up on the roof. From tools to old shingles, do your best to keep your work surface clean and clear.

Filing a workers' compensation claim can be a stressful time, as you're already dealing with an injury. The last thing you need is to learn that your claim has been denied for one reason or another.

Unfortunately, it's possible that this could happen. There are many reasons why workers' compensation claims are denied, including the following:

• You did not report the injury to your employer in a timely manner
• You did not receive medical attention after your accident
• You did not file a claim for workers' compensation benefits within the set time frame in your state
• Your employer disputes your claim, often by saying that you did not suffer the injury on the job
• You have suffered a noncompensable injury
• You are unable to prove that you were injured at work

Back injuries can be debilitating. They tend to linger, sometimes for years. Bad injuries can leave you with moderate pain and discomfort for the rest of your life. Medical treatment, even just to cope, can get very expensive.

Unfortunately, back injuries are fairly common on the job. To help you avoid them, take a look at these four main reasons why they happen:

• Lifting items improperly: You need to focus on bending down and using your legs, keeping your core tight and your back as straight as possible. A lot of people make the mistake of bending at the waist and using their back to lift, leading to injury.
• Not getting enough training: Employers need to understand that many workers do not know how to lift safely. They often provide little or no training, assuming that workers will know everything already, which causes injuries when employees make mistakes that could have easily been avoided with just a little safety training.
• Rushing: Employees who are working too fast often make mistakes. When an employer pushes them to value production over safety, they may feel forced to lift without proper gear or to lift items that are clearly too heavy for them.
• Not understanding the risk: This is often ironically an issue for workers who have to lift heavy items consistently. When you have been doing it without injury for years, you may be more prone to ignore your safety training or attempt a lift that is too heavy for your body.

Nursing is a difficult profession that requires a lot of physical effort. Thanks to long shifts and repetitive work with patients, it can put a huge strain on nurses' bodies. As a result, nurses are at risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI).

RSIs, or overuse injuries, are associated with repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression and sustained or awkward positions. It can affect any movable part of the human body and often comes with these general symptoms: