Health Risks At Work: A Basic Guide

According to some statistics, between 5 and 10 percent of people around the globe are dealing with health issues that they believe were triggered or worsened by their past or current work. There is no doubt that the workplace can be dangerous and risky and even people who work at the desk can feel the negative consequences. The good news is that it is possible to minimize the effects of these illnesses related to your work. In order to understand more about their prevention, it is the best idea to analyze some common health risks at work.

Stress

In the past, ordinary people and many medical experts were ignoring the negative consequences of stress. Stress is usually described as a side effect that people experience when they are dealing with excessive pressure. So, whenever people feel that the tasks related to their work are exceeding their capabilities and capacities, they feel stress and tension. Stress related to work can trigger a wide range of health problems. This is one of the main reasons why modern companies are witnessing an increased number of sickness absences and work errors. The best way to prevent situations like this is to notify the manager that you have limited or if you are the business owner/manager to discuss the future projects and deadlines with the employees.

work-related-illnesses

Back pain

This is by far the most common health issue among former and current employees. Just like stress, back pain can be caused by different situations. However, there are some things that increase the risk of back pain and these things include heavy manual labor, extensive driving, repetitive tasks, extensive sitting and manual handling. It is impossible to prevent all back pain-triggering situations, but implementing ergonomics at the workplace is one way to lower the risk of the emergence of this health issue.

Work-related accidents and exposure to dangerous elements

Sometimes, it is the nature of the job that makes it very risky. For example, those working in nuclear facilities can be exposed to hazardous chemicals and radiation. The only thing that they can do to prevent such accidents is to follow the protocols. Due to the fact that this is a risky job the US Department of Energy has developed an energy employees occupational illness compensation program. In this way, workers exposed to dangerous elements can get adequate medical attention at low or no cost at all.

Upper limb disorders

Upper limb disorders or simply ULDs caused by activities at work represents a set of clinical conditions that affect the upper limbs like tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tenosynovitis. In the past, they were called repetitive strain injuries. Generally speaking, ULDs have an impact on the arms and shoulders including fingers, hands, wrists, elbows and forearms. People affected by these disorders feel pain and aches, tenderness, weakness, numbness, swelling, and tingling in these areas. Improved ergonomics and identifying the exact risks that lead to these problems should be able to prevent their occurrence.

Occupational asthma

Now here’s another work-related health problem among modern employees. This is an inflammation limited to the airways which cause signs and symptoms like chest tightness, wheeze, cough, and breathlessness. Promotion of healthy lifestyle and good ventilation at work should be able to lower the health risks at work.

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