Workplace Injuries
Do you ever worry about getting hurt on the job? This thought hit me the other day as we were rushing about and one of us almost fell. Due to vacations, we were short staffed and while trying to attend to one patient in the gym, one of us came close to falling. This would have been a silly accident, but it could have caused a significant injury. Then I thought about how our job is often quite physical in nature anyway, and began thinking about the many different types of injuries that could happen.
Well, this blog has been sitting on the shelf since I wrote that first paragraph. Then just the other day, one of our staff members did take a fall. Thank goodness there were no injuries this time. But this did emphasize to me how easy it is to get hurt on the job.
From the most common injury, the sore back (24% of all injuries reported), to significant injuries such as broken bones, there are many ways we can become injured on the job. These injuries, on top of the exposure we have to multiple diseases, really make one think about precautions and safety. Hopefully it also makes you think about all the recommended procedures to minimize accidents and exposure.
Being hurt a few times on the job has really forced me to re-think about proper body mechanics. Lifting and moving a patient is one of the most physical tasks we do constantly. Leverage is our friend here, and since I've changed my habits with lifting last year I haven't had another problem (as yet, anyway).
For any on the job injuries, be sure to report them to your supervisor. Even minor injuries can become a big problem sometimes, so report those too. I always think of one therapist I worked with years ago that cut her hand on a pair of clean scissors. It was just a minor cut, washed and covered, but she was exposed to a patient with MRSA and somehow got the cut infected. It took her six weeks of treatment on antibiotics to get healthy again. Not a vacation I would wish on anyone.
So, stay safe in the clinic. Keep obstacles out of the way. Put any unused equipment back where it belongs. Cover even minor cuts if you are exposed to contact diseases. Don't become another statistic on the injury list!
Until next time, hope all your thoughts are good,
Tim