Workers face many hazards, some of which are due to the nature of the job. These are difficult to minimize because there might not be alternative ways that they can do their duties in a safer manner. It is imperative that employees and employers work to improve safety. However, the onus falls on the employer to ensure people have everything they need to avoid unnecessary accidents.
One particular safety issue in many workplaces is cumulative trauma. This occurs when wear and tear on the nerves, tendons and muscles causes damage to them. Repetition and improper body mechanics are two primary factors for these conditions.
Prevention of cumulative trauma injuries
There are three main ways to prevent these injuries. One of these is for employers to provide employees with the proper equipment to get the job done. Another is for employees to use proper motions when doing repetitive tasks. Finally, stretching before each shift and when possible during the shift can also help.
While you might think that factory workers and cashiers are the primary people who will suffer from these injuries, this isn’t the case. Even office workers can have a cumulative trauma disorder, which is often caused by working on computers that aren’t set up with ergonomics in mind.
Signs of this injury
Cumulative trauma injuries often start with minor discomfort in the affected area. This might go away when you have time to rest the area of your body. As time progresses and the injury gets worse, the pain and discomfort you feel will increase. Sometimes, everything might be worse at night or when you first wake up in the morning because of the position in which you slept. If you have pain or discomfort that doesn’t abate, you may need to seek medical care to receive a diagnosis and start a treatment plan.
Healing afterward
Often, you will miss considerable time from work when you have one of these injuries. This is due to the rest that is required to allow your body to heal. If you need surgery to treat the injury, the healing process will be even longer. When you are allowed to return to work, you might not be able to do everything you could do before. This could make it hard to do your job.
When your injury was the result of work duties and conditions, workers’ compensation can help you to get the medical care you need. The program may also provide short-term partial wage replacement if you aren’t able to work while you are healing.