Workers across various industries face health risks from occupational diseases like asthma, carpal tunnel, and hepatitis. When disease and injury are common on a job, it can affect employee morale, productivity, and increase fatalities.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 2 million die annually from work-related causes, and that doesn't include the ones left permanently injured or too sick to return to work. That's why employee safety measures from ergonomic setups, balanced workloads, wellness programs, ventilation, and protective equipment are must-have investments.
Why Do Workplace Health Improvements Matter?
Getting serious about employee safety measures benefits workers, businesses, and the general public alike. A healthy employee is more energized and engaged, which creates higher productivity and greater potential revenue for the company. It also reduces the likelihood of oversights that could lead to product contamination affecting consumers.
Employees are less likely to burn out while developing more morale in a supportive environment that makes it clear that their mental and physical safety matters. As a result, a company can attract more talent from a good reputation. Plus, being in a cleaner and safer environment reduces the risk of expensive claims and tragic worker fatalities.
What Are Common Occupational Diseases?
Occupational health risks can come from falls, chemical exposure, or extreme/repetitive physical movement.
Medical
Healthcare and cleaning professionals often experience contact dermatitis, which accounts for 90% of all work-related skin diseases, according to a study by Sasseville for Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology. It's caused by exposure to allergens, irritants, and chemicals.
Working in medical environments or crime scenes often means handling bodily fluids. This exposure puts workers at risk for infectious diseases from tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS, which is why personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential.
The Trades
Those in manufacturing, insulation, and construction are at a high-risk for respiratory problems such as asthma and mesothelioma from asbestos exposure. According to Asbestos.com, about 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually.
Additionally, repetitive motion and heavy lifting in these professions can often result in lower back injuries like herniated discs. Being around loud industrial noise can also promote hearing loss.
Offices
Sitting and typing at a desk all day also comes with risk for occupational diseases. Frequent and repetitive hand movements and wrist flexing can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, which shows up in pain, numbness, or tingling in the thumb through the ring fingers. A business can prevent this by having an ergonomic workplace with adjustable chairs, vertical mice, wrist rests, and encouraging enough breaks.
How Can I Claim Compensation?
Understand medical conditions that qualify as a job-related injury so you can seek compensation if needed. The main thing to remember is that a work-related injury is one that either happens directly on the job or off the job site when performing a work-related duty (such as making a delivery). Straining your back during an employee after-hours game doesn't count.
Make Work a Disease-free Zone
From medical care to construction to administrative work, anyone can get sick or injured from poor employer protection. Regardless of how skilled or eager a worker is, their performance and safety can suffer due to occupational diseases, but jobs can mitigate these issues by assessing and removing hazards.
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