According to a new report, nurses, nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants suffer more musculoskeletal injuries than workers in any other occupational field. Costs associated with back injuries in the healthcare industry are estimated to be more than $7 billion annually. Facilities are hamstrung in its ability to take action to resolve unsafe conditions by an absence of needed safety standards.
Researchers say that In 2010, healthcare employers reported 653,900 workplace injuries and illnesses, about 152,000 more than the next most afflicted industry sector, manufacturing. Comparably, the construction industry is the subject of the most inspections. Although healthcare workers outnumber construction workers more than two-to-one, OSHA conducts just a fraction as many inspections of healthcare facilities as construction sites.
Public Citizen recommends that OSHA increase the number of inspections of the healthcare industry facilities by several fold and pursue binding standards to ensure that workers are protected from the risks posed by musculoskeletal disorders, workplace violence, and other risks. The report also recommends that Congress significantly increase OSHA funding.
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Posted By: Jen Fad
Thursday, August 1st 2013 at 3:58PM
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