Hospitals should be a place where injuries and illnesses are cured. Unfortunately, for the staff, they are where injuries and illnesses begin.
Even compared to industries that are commonly deemed unsafe, such as construction or manufacturing, hospitals remain one of the most hazardous places to work. U.S. hospitals recorded 6.8 work-related injuries and illnesses for every 100 full-time employees, nearly twice the rate of all private industries.
How do injuries occur?
The nature of the job requires split-second decisions and unpredictable needs, which can cause many hospital workers to quickly move their body in such a way that they injure themselves. Many hospital workers are also more likely to put their patients' needs above their own.
There are five top causes of injury in hospitals, which make up 99 percent of all cases:
- Overexertion and bodily reaction
- Slips, trips and falls
- Contact with objects
- Violence
- Exposure to substances
Of those five causes, overexertion and bodily reaction is by far the greatest, causing nearly half of all hospital worker injuries. Overexertion and bodily reaction includes lifting, bending, reaching, repositioning, transferring or any other motion related to patient handling.
When it comes to injuries that cause hospital workers to miss days of work, 54 percent are due to sprains and strains. Other causes that often lead to missed days include:
- Bruises
- Soreness or pain
- Fractures
- Multiple trauma
- Cuts and punctures
However, none of these come close to the number of sprains and strains from which hospital workers suffer.
What can hospital workers do?
Working in a hospital rarely gives a worker time to take things slow or adjust their movements. Whenever possible they should, but injuries may still occur. If this happens, hospital workers can take the same advice they likely give their patients: seek medical care immediately. Even if workers miss days at work, it is better to let an injury heal than cause further damage.
Injured hospital workers can always seek compensation for those injuries and any lost wages, as any worker has the right to do. Hospital workers have treatment options and don't have to suffer in silence as they care for others.
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