Warehouse workers are responsible for making orders, receiving, storing, issuing and delivering supplies and equipment and assisting in the maintenance and disposal of records and property that are no longer needed in the warehouse environment. These professionals must also maintain inventory and accounting records, check for shortages and damaged items and report the inventories accordingly. Warehouse workers usually perform their duties in large storage buildings or warehouses. They are usually responsible for the operation of loading devices and winches, loading and unloading trucks that arrive at the warehouse. Truck, cart, tractor and forklift operations are also common responsibilities of warehouse workers. These individuals must be physically strong in order to move the goods that move in and out of the warehouse and must have good hand-eye and upper body coordination. The ability to follow directions and listen attentively is a must in order to perform the duties of their job safely and up to company standards.
Being a warehouse worker can be a high-risk job. These individuals are responsible for operating heavy machinery, which can be hazardous under certain conditions. Warehouse workers are also exposed to large items on the floor that can impede walkways, are exposed to dangers from nails that protrude from warehouse shelves, chemical spills, large falling objects and back injuries such as a herniated disc due to heavy lifting. When a warehouse worker suffers an on-the-job injury or a long-term illness or injury that is not work related, they should consider applying for Social Security Disability benefits.
Working with a Disability as a Warehouse Worker
When a warehouse worker suffers an injury or illness that prevents them from performing their day-to-day work activities, it can wreck havoc on the individual's financial well-being. For example, if a warehouse worker sustains a back injury, he or she would be unable to perform the duties necessary to maintain their job responsibilities. However, if the disabled warehouse worker files a Social Security Disability claim and the Social Security Administration determines that there are other types of work that the applicant could perform in the national economy, the claimant's disability application will not be approved.
When a warehouse worker is injured or suffers a long-term or permanent disability, Social Security Disability benefits should be there to alleviate the financial burden that has been caused by the disability. After all, these workers have paid into the Social Security system with each and every paycheck. Unfortunately, the system isn't always as simple and straightforward as it should be. Most applicants will need to undergo the complex and lengthy disability appeal process if they ever hope to obtain the benefits they may be rightfully entitled to.
Because many of the injuries faced by warehouse workers are back injuries, it can be hard to obtain disability benefits without the need for an appeal. Back pain is subjective, and proving the extent of your disability may be difficult in the eyes of the Social Security Administration. To make matters worse, the adjudicator reviewing your file may deny your Social Security Disability application based solely on the fact that they assume you should be able to do less strenuous work activity, not understanding that even sitting or standing for extended durations of time are impossible due to the limitations your disability places on you.
Applying for Social Security Disability as a Warehouse Worker
When a disabled warehouse worker applies for Social Security Disability benefits, the adjudicator reviewing the file will take a number of factors into consideration before approving or denying the applicant's Social Security Disability claim. This SSA employee will look at the individual's work history, age and residual functional capacity when reviewing a disability application. If the adjudicator feels that the applicant can perform another type of work in the national economy after reviewing these factors, the Social Security Disability applicant's benefits will be denied.
Proving that you have a disability is just the first step towards winning your Social Security Disability benefits. You must also be able to prove that you cannot possibly perform any other type of substantial gainful work activity due to the limitations your disability has placed on you. In order to do this, you may want to consider retaining the services of a qualified Social Security Disability attorney or advocate. These professionals can help you in the preparation of your disability claim and can ensure that the adjudicator reviewing your file understands the true extent of your disabling condition. If, for some reason, your initial claim is denied, these professionals can help appeal your case before an administrative law judge at a disability hearing. He or she may call in expert witnesses to testify regarding your functional work capacity and how retraining for another type of work activity is not feasible for your specific disability case.
