You look out for slippery floors and rickety ladders, but what about bell ropes, lightening and accidental shootings?
Most safety concerns revolve around hazards in the office or on the work site – but have you considered the risk of your worker getting hit by lightning?
It’s a rare occurrence, and one you might associate with people who work outdoors, but tell that to the PE teacher who got struck by lightning while sitting at his desk in his office inside the school building.
Then there was Helen Springthorpe, 58, whose job as a bell-ringer in England was going well until three months in when she was knocked unconscious after she became entangled in the bells' ropes and was jerked to-and-fro around the belfry, her head smashing against a wall. Fire and ambulance crews eventually lowered her about 20 feet to the ground.
Then there are risks that might seem understandable in hindsight, but are still unexpected at the time. Consider the man hired to help control the level of wildlife in the area by hunting. Out on the hunt the man was shot accidently by one of his colleagues from close range. He reportedly made a full recovery and still works in the same position but one wonders if his level of trust in his coworkers has been permanently affected.
Have you had to deal with any unusual workplace accidents?
