When you think of dangerous industries in which to seek employment, which come to mind? Many people think of coal mining, construction work and manufacturing, and it’s true that all can pose certain hazards to workers in those fields.
But you may be surprised to learn that nursing home workers get injured at work at higher rates than workers in those aforementioned sectors, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
When the DOL examined worker injury rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in comparison to the total number of injuries for every 100 workers employed full-time, they found there were 8.6 injured skilled nursing facility employees per every 100. This far surpasses the 4.8 workers injured in manufacturing jobs, the 5.6 injured coal miners and the 3.5 injured construction workers.
Why do nursing home workers get injured so frequently?
To comprehend why nursing home employees suffer so many injuries requires a thorough understanding of the jobs they perform every day. Aides and skilled nursing professionals are the ones responsible for patient transfers and lifting. They have to intercede when dementia patients lash out at other residents or the caregivers themselves. Nursing home workers also frequently come into contact with infectious agents in patients’ blood and other body fluids.
As you can see, nursing home workers are at a very high risk of getting hurt or sickened from the everyday conditions on their jobs.
What the workers can do
Documenting each injury and sickness that arises on the job allows the government to accurately track and assess these risk factors. Supplied with this data, the government agencies who oversee the nursing home industry can implement safety standards and responses that address these hazards and work to mitigate the risk to workers.
Documenting an injury or exposure to an infectious agent also establishes a causal link between the incident the worker’s subsequent injury or worsened condition. That, in turn, can become the basis of a valid workers’ compensation claim if said claim is timely filed according to the rules of the state of New Jersey.
If your claim is denied
Injured workers often opt to handle their own workers’ comp claims, and many times, they are successful in their endeavors. But sometimes their employers refuse to approve their claims. It’s these cases where a Lawnside workers’ compensation attorney can be very helpful during the appeals process.