According to new U.S Labor Department statistics, nursing home workers are accidentally injured on the job at a higher rate than workers in other types of professions. The statistics measured the injury rates by the number of injuries per every 100 full-time employees in 2010.
The average number of skilled nursing facility workers injured on the job was 8.6 per 100 workers, compared to 5.6 in coalmines and 4.6 in tire manufacturing and 3.5 for building construction. There are many circumstances in a nursing home that can result in injury. Often times it is related to lifting patients, or from having to deal with violent behavior from certain residents. There is also the risk of exposure to bodily fluids or interactions with infectious agents. The Labor Department encourages employers to document each incident in order to help employers with prevention tactics. It is important for the employers to know what injuries and illnesses are evident in their workplace and what risk factors are more prevalent so they can take measure to prevent them.
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Nursing Home Workers are Prone to More Accidents, Study Finds
Another reason they're prone to more accidents is they're not properly trained on how to lift people or re-position them.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the ratio really is - who has more "accidents"? Workers or residents?
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