Staying Safe at Work During the Holidays: Tips from the Law Offices of Kurt M. Young

The holiday season often brings cheer, celebration, and a much-needed break from the daily grind. But for Ohio’s workforce, it can also bring an increase in workplace injuries. Between heavier workloads, shorter staffing, seasonal distractions, and winter weather, the holidays create conditions where accidents become far more common.

As a law firm that has spent over three decades protecting Ohio’s working families, The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young wants to help you stay safe, informed, and empowered both on and off the job.

Why do we say holiday season?  

Lets be clear, when we say Holiday season, from November 1st to January 6th there are dozens of major secular and religious holidays ( and this is NOT an exhaustive list - Veterans Day, Diwali (Hindu, Sikh, Jain) – Date varies; often falls in November, Birth of Guru Nanak (Sikh) – Usually in November, Thanksgiving (U.S.) – 4th Thursday of November, St. Andrew’s Day (Christian/Scotland) – Nov 30, the season of Advent (Christian), Yule / Winter Solstice (Pagan/Wiccan), Hanukkah (Judaism), Feast of St. Nicholas (Christian), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic) Las Posadas (Christian) Christmas (Christian ), Feast of St. Stephen (Christian), Kwanzaa (African-American cultural), Boxing Day (U.K., Canada, etc.) New Year’s Eve and Day, Japanese Ōmisoka (Shinto/Buddhist), Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian), Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic), Gantan-sai (Shinto),  Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Christian), Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh) – Early January (date varies yearly), Epiphany aka Three Kings Day aka Armenian Christmas (Orthodox tradition))

So no matter what your background you have multiple to celebrate, but this can also put you at a bit of an increased risk for injuries. 

Why Holiday-Season Work Injuries Increase?
Several factors combine to make November through January one of the highest-risk periods for Ohio workers:

1. Rushed and Fatigued Workers

Holiday overtime, longer hours, and pressure to “get things done before year-end” can lead to fatigue, missed steps, and avoidable mistakes.

2. Short-Staffing and High Turnover

Seasonal employees may be under-trained, and experienced workers may be stretched thin.

3. Weather-Related Hazards

Ohio winters mean ice, snow, and freezing rain—conditions that lead to slips, trips, falls, and transportation-related injuries.

4. Increased Material Handling 

Warehousing, retail, manufacturing, and delivery workers often see dramatic spikes in lifting, loading, stocking, and moving goods.

So here are a few common sense Holiday Safety Tips Every Ohio Worker Should Know

1. Take Your Time—Even When Things Get Busy

It’s better to do a task safely than to do it fast. Rushing dramatically increases the risk of injury.

2. Use Winter Footwear and Watch Your Step

Black ice in parking lots, loading docks, and sidewalks is responsible for thousands of injuries every winter. Use handrails, take shorter steps, and report unsafe areas immediately.

3. Lift Smart and Ask for Help

Whether you’re moving inventory or setting up holiday displays, remember proper lifting techniques:

* Bend at the knees
* Keep the load close
* Avoid twisting
* Team-lift when needed

4. Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

More activity on the floor—seasonal workers, holiday deliveries, equipment running overtime—means more chances for collisions or trips.

5. Don’t Skip Safety Procedures

Guards, gloves, PPE, lockout/tagout, forklift protocols, these aren’t optional. Even during “crunch time.”

6.  Be sensible and safe at the Holiday Party.  

Make sure you drink water and stay hydrated, remember when to say when with alcohol, don’t drink and drive.  

Despite following all of that, accidents can stil happen. 

If You’re Injured at Work During the Holidays: 
1. Report the injury immediately to your employer and if possible get a copy of the report and any video of it.

2. Seek medical care immediately make sure your doctor documents the injury accurately and is Ohio BWC Certified.  And remember you get to pick. 

3. File a claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. An Ohio Claim will be two digits, the last two of the year you file the claim a dash and then six digits (so a claim filed on January 1 would look like 26-123456.  Internal company claim numbers don’t work on disputes and mean they are hiding your injury.

4. Call an experienced Ohio Workers’ Compensation attorney like us, you need them and you can afford them. 

At The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC, we’ve represented injured workers for more than 30 years. We know how to protect your rights and secure the benefits you deserve—Temporary Total Disability (TTD), Wage Loss, Scheduled Loss awards, medical treatment approvals, and more.

Let us handle the legal side so you can focus on healing.

A Few Final Thoughts
The holidays should be a time of joy not injury. With a little extra awareness and a commitment to safety, Ohio workers can protect themselves, their coworkers, and their families. And if something goes wrong, know that you’re not alone.

The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC is here to help Ohio’s working families—during the holidays and every day.