The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is a reputable agency that conducts research for preventing workplace accidents and illnesses. The organization has been expanding a research program for addressing the health and safety needs of working women.
There has been a considerable increase in the number of women that experience workplace injuries. However, the harsh truth is that the number outweighs men who sustain nonfatal injuries as per the recent report of the National Safety Council.
All organizations are paving a path towards the belief behind creating workplaces as safe havens for women. And the heart-wrenching women’s injuries data sheds light on the need for better protection for women employees. Some of the workplace injuries unique to women are:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The workplace injury occurs when the job requires excessive use of hands, arms, and fingers in repetitions. One such work injury occurs when women spend around eight hours a day entering data on computer systems. The accident is also known to occur when women in heavy manufacturing plants take up the assembly of smaller equipment and parts due to repetitive movements.Studies show that employers can avoid these injuries by allowing a 15-minute break twice, which will help prevent costly workers compensation cases in the long-run – you can learn more about this hereΒ to better understand when you might be able to make a case.
Stress
Some workplace stresses are explicitly unique to women. These may be because of gender biases or strict time constraints. Research shows that unreasonable productivity expectations affect women to greater extents than men. Other factors such as family and work balance issues and sexual harassment come to light as top stressors for female workers. The Schaumburg personal injury lawyer talks about reproductive hazards in the workplace. Some of the medical issues that come to light are Brachial Plexus Injuries (BPI) and Bone Fractures. These injuries occur due to work-related stress during pregnancy. What adds more is medical negligence. This type of damage is a reason to worry for the female workers and the unborn child causing temporary and permanent disabilities.
Fatigue
One of the common causes of workplace accidents is fatigue- when people fail to take a break. It, therefore, becomes essential to take adequate breaksβthese help in recovering from grueling labor. If a worker restrains regular intervals, physical issues are known to crop up. Other conditions include general exhaustion and atrophy. Taking a 10-minute break is much better than foreseeing devastating results.
Trips, Slips, and Other Injuries
The workplace layout disregards slips, falls, and trips by women. For instance, carpeting and worn-out floor tiles, coupled with narrow passageways between desks and cubicles are regarded as potential injury risks. Thus, the experts recommend employers have cubicle floor arrangements and desks that comply with fire safety laws to avoid injuries and liabilities.
Workplace Violence Acts
Violence is quite common among co-workers. The issues come in the light, as sensitive issues and office politics. Thus, the organization must work diligently to integrate conflict resolutions and undertake peer medications for reducing outburst risks.
Final Words
It becomes essential for female workers to embed a clear understanding of legal rights related to injury compensations in Schaumburg. The best you can do is engage a personal injury lawyer. Ensure that the lawyer has significant practice and experience in handling workplace injuries related to women. That way, you can ensure your safety in every way.