Healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and so on, are crucial in the community. However, their jobs can be dangerous, from their work activities to the high-risk environment they are exposed to.
Employers in the healthcare sector should provide workers with convenient tools, personal protective equipment and a reasonable schedule to protect them from injuries. Failure to do so means a worker may suffer injuries, such as:
Repetitive stress injury
The repetitive use of a part of a body stresses and damages muscles, nerves, tissues and other soft tissues. This is known as repetitive stress injury (RSI), and can be common among healthcare workers as most of their work involves repetitive manual tasks.
Needlestick injuries
Healthcare workers use needles significantly, which can accidentally puncture their skin, resulting in wounds. Needlestick injuries can pose a health threat over time as they may introduce microorganisms like hepatitis B and hepatitis C into the body. It will help if healthcare centers can establish procedures that workers should follow and provide them with needles that have safety features.
Slips and falls
Water and other liquids are almost anywhere in a hospital. If they spill and are not cleaned immediately, a worker can slip and fall when moving around. Such a worker can get injuries like broken bones, neck injuries, cuts, spinal cord injuries and concussions.
Back injuries
Healthcare workers always lift and move patients, which can strain their backs over time. Back injuries are common in the industry, and can affect a worker’s ability to work.
Violence
Violence in the healthcare industry is an issue that’s becoming major as time goes by. A worker may be assaulted by a patient or their loved ones, either physically or verbally.
Employees in the healthcare industry face a lot of risks. If you suffered any of these work-related injuries or more, consider your options to protect your rights.
