As a healthcare worker, your role is vital, but it can put you in constant danger of suffering illness or injury. The most common threats to healthcare workers’ safety on the job include the following.
Violence
Healthcare workers may experience physical and verbal attacks, harassment, intimidation, and other threatening actions from coworkers, visitors, and patients.
Sharps
Hospitals regularly use sharp objects like needles and scalpels. Even seasoned healthcare workers may suffer accidental injuries from handling these objects.
Germs and viruses
You are in close contact with your patients while providing care. Unfortunately, this puts you at risk of contracting their illness as well. Common and highly contagious diseases like the flu can be hazardous under specific conditions.
Chemicals
Some of the chemicals healthcare workers use can be very harmful. If you work in a medical laboratory, for example, you could come into contact with formaldehyde, which is used to preserve specimens and can cause irritation and chemical burns. Additionally, laser procedures often generate smoke that may contain toxic substances.
Allergies
Some substances that healthcare workers use can cause an allergic reaction. Latex, for instance, is in various medical tools, including tubes, surgical gloves, and medicine vials. A latex allergy may necessitate a trip to the emergency room in severe cases.
Stress
Long hours, demanding workloads, and ever-present risk make the job of healthcare workers highly stressful. Too much stress can affect not just your physical well-being but your mental health as well.
If you suffer an injury or become ill because of your job, worker’s compensation may cover the cost of treating your condition. Therefore, it helps to know the scope of your coverage and how you can claim this benefit.