Healthcare Worker Injuries
Workers in any profession have their own specific risks and commons kinds of injuries that may occur to them. Among the various fields, healthcare workers are at a particular risk for injury and illness due to the nature of the kind of work they do and the patients that they support. Although the below are not all of the injuries and illnesses that affect healthcare workers, they are some of the most common and therefore can be useful for identifying how to best prevent them in the first place.
One of the most prevalent injuries for healthcare workers, particularly nurses is overexertion, or pushing one’s own body past its physical limits. Due to the long shifts, often with minimal breaks, that these individuals face and the help that isn’t always around when large objects or patients of any size need to be lifted, fatigue, muscle strain, and dehydration are common afflictions that are a real risk to one’s health and safety.
For healthcare workers that deal with hazardous wastes and chemicals, skin and respiratory problems are common from prolonged exposure or the breathing in of said materials. Skin irritation, chemical burns, and various respiratory diseases can easily be contracted if the proper safe handling protocols are not followed. Finally, due to the fact that healthcare workers deal with the sick, it is highly possible to catch a patient’s disease, if it is contagious. This is why sanitation is of the utmost importance in this field.
Even if all health and safety guidelines are followed, injuries are sometimes inevitable. Any time that a worker in the healthcare or any field is injured while on the job, that person is eligible for workers’ compensation and a denial of this right is illegal. If you need to file a workers’ compensation lawsuit to see this won for you, please don’t hesitate to call us, the Franco Law Firm, at (813) 872-0929 and we will be happy to guide you through the process and see justice served for you.