By Dr Ashutosh Vashistha – Consultant, Narayana Health City, Bangalore
Gurugram, July 27, 2018: According to United Nations reports, around 6300 people die every day because of occupational accidents or work-related diseases. And these accident or diseases are not restricted to any age group; however, young workers are particularly vulnerable to workplace injuries. In fact, it can even happen to any occupational group including health care workers.
When it comes to healthcare workers especially hospital workers, they are prone to certain unique risks that are associated with lift, reposition and transferring of patients who have limited mobility. Other health risks include needle sticks and violence. Owing to the unique culture of “Caregivers feel” or an ethical duty to “do no harm” to patients, some will put their own safety and health at risk to help a patient. It is also expected that health employees must react to unpredictable events with split-second decisions.
Healthcare field encompasses a variety of different jobs and causes many injuries. Some of the common ones are:
- Overexertion/repetitive stress – which has seven times more likeliness to develop musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) compared with other workers.
- Patient handling activities – These include manual lifting as patients are transferred to different positions or are repositioned.
- Needle sticks – Healthcare workers routinely use needles and sharp medical instruments that could cut or puncture the skin.
- Violence –health care and social service workers are at high risk of being violently assaulted at work.
- Slips and falls – When water or liquids are spilled on the floor of the hospital, a healthcare worker can fall on the slick floor.
- Sprains and strains – are the most frequently reported injury among healthcare workers. Most strains and sprains affect the shoulders and the lower back.
- Slipped discs – Body mechanics- when transferring or lifting patients can damage the discs (the fleshy tissue that cushions your spinal bones).
- Bloodborne infectious diseases – needlesticks significantly increase the risk of spreading bloodborne diseases such as HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B or C.
- Infections – These infections can occur because of airborne pathogens or exposure to mucus and bodily waste.
- Understaffing- Lack of adequate number of doctors and paramedics at workplace especially during academic examination months of year. Such situations can increase the risks of many types of injuries because of the pressure to work faster with the reduced manpower at work to support and assist with tasks.
Who are more prone to such injuries? – We found that work-related injury is greater among maintenance and custodial staff than direct caregivers, and less among clerical staff. Work-related injury occurs less often among part-time staff than full-time staff and the incidence of Work-related injury increases with higher BMI. The increased risk for injury with aging has important implications for occupational healthcare providers.
How organisations can avert health hazards owing to work-
- Ensure there is sufficient rest provided to the staff- Working more than 8 hours per shift can cause fatigue, decreased alertness, and sleep deprivation. Developing standards guidelines, and policies for preplacement screening, preventive measures, training and pre-induction education, which helps to minimize WRI (Work Related Injury) and associated costs, will also be a good idea to reduce work- related injuries.
- As different employees are at different risk levels for work-related injury occupational role or service positions should be considered when restructuring hiring practices, evaluating fitness for duty, and developing ways to educate and train workers in workplace safety.
- Job satisfaction may decrease the incidence of overall work-related injury and illness. Although an employee’s BMI cannot easily be changed, the organisation can plan to implement programs to train high-risk employees to avoid injury. The initiatives should aid in lifestyle changes that affects BMI, such as weight loss, diet management, and physical fitness.
- Carefully tailored preplacement examinations, as well as safety surveillance and training programs, reduce injuries, particularly among the youngest workers with less than 5 years of job experience
- Provide physical examination, including a functional capacity evaluation
- Offer education on safe body mechanics. Physical fitness
- Provide female employees personal safety seminars
- Ergonomics training and musculoskeletal strengthening exercises to help female employees to reduce or prevent injuries involving cumulative musculoskeletal trauma
- Providing education on safe work practices and ergonomics training for high-risk hospital employees, such as direct caregivers and maintenance and custodial employees
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)