Getting hurt on the job is just plain horrible. There's no nice way of saying it. Nobody wants to get injured at their manufacturing job for instance, but workplace accidents do happen. A lot! In 2010, there were over 184,000 workplace injuries or illnesses in Canada. In the United Kingdom a total of 5.1 million days of work were lost due to workplace injuries. 2009-10 stats show that in the USA, the number of recordable cases of non-fatal injuries and illnesses was almost 3.3 million and the number of fatal workplace injuries was just over 4,500. As you can see by those numbers there are a high number of people that missed work because they got hurt or became ill.

Sometimes when you get injured on the job your employer might be able to help you out but there have also been many instances in the past when companies such as CP Rail have just discarded their employees once they were no longer physically able to work for them. That sentence might be hard to stomach but it's true. There are government programs you can turn to if you get injured on the job, such as workman's compensation but sometimes they just don't provide you with enough money you need to help you live the life you were accustomed to living before you got injured on the job or they don't pay for medical benefits.

You don't want to get hurt on the job. Nobody wants to prepare themselves for getting hurt on the job. It's just something that happens and that can happen to you. If you are inured at work you do have resources to turn to that can help you out. Like we mentioned earlier, workman's compensation is the first place you should turn to after notifying your employer of your injury suffered while at your workplace. Submitting a claim to the Worker's Compensation Board will get you started on the road to recovery and help you get financially settled. If for some reason you need more help than that or find yourself in a dispute then you can turn to an injured workers advocate group.

Advocates for injured workers take on any worker who has a complaint about their employer or the Worker's Compensation Board and sets up an environment in which the injured worker feels safe. This is the avenue you should go down before you start talking to any injury lawyers or the Department of Labor. You shouldn't be afraid to report an injury for fear of backlash. A company that bullies injured employees is not a place you want to work for and knowing there are organizations out there to help is a re-assuring feeling.

If you live in Ontario and need to contact the Workers' Compensation Board you can find more information at CCOHS.ca.