When you think of the health care industry, you probably think of people who help those who are hurting. Doctors, nurses, and others who work in health care facilities take care of others every day that they are on the job. Unfortunately, there are some safety risks associated with working in a health care setting that could place health care workers in a position where they are the ones who need care. Workplace injuries and illnesses affect more than six hundred and fifty thousand health care workers each year.
The most common type of injury that health care workers experience on the job is the back injury. It is not surprising that health care workers hurt their backs fairly often, because their jobs are very physical. Nurses, aides, and others move or reposition patients regularly when they are at work. While it is possible to move and lift patients safely, there are a number of factors that keep the injury rate associated with this activity high. For example, some health care facilities are short-staffed, and there are not always extra staff members or mechanical devices available to assist with lifting patients, so staff members who are responsible for ensuring that the patients get moved do the lifting on their own. Injury is even possible when additional staff provide assistance, due to miscommunication between the lifters or unpredictable movement by the patient.
To complicate matters further, many health care facilities lack clear rules and procedures for lifting and moving patients. There are also not many externally imposed rules or policies from agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Without clear guidance on how to lift safely, health care employees often lift patients in ways that are likely to injure the worker, the patient, or both. Many injuries that are caused by lifting are back injuries, and the injured worker must often leave the workplace for at least a short period of time in order to heal. Workers with severe back injuries take a long time to recover, and they may need to be placed in a different type of position when they are able to return to work, so as to avoid the risk of a second back injury.
Of course, back injuries are not the only kinds of injuries that can occur in health care workplaces. Health care workers are exposed to all kinds of illnesses, including infectious diseases. Slip and fall injuries can occur in health care workplaces, as can injuries caused by patient-inflicted violence. Repetitive motion and chemicals in the work environment can also injure health care workers.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Injured Mississippi Health Care Workers with Workers’ Compensation Claims
The Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are dedicated to meeting the needs of injured health care workers throughout the state. If you have been injured at work, you deserve the assistance of a knowledgeable guide who can help you through the workers’ compensation claim process, towards a successful resolution of your workers’ compensation claim. Call the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.