Common risks faced by healthcare workers | EcoOnline US

Healthcare is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S., employing over 18 million workers.  

Due to the nature of their work, the compromised safety of healthcare workers is an ever-present danger. In fact, employees in the healthcare and social assistance industries suffer more injuries and illnesses than workers in any industry in the US. 

With new legislation and higher fines for non-compliance coming into force, protecting your healthcare teams has never been more important. 

Below are the four most common risks healthcare lone workers face: 

1. Sprains and strains 
   Sprains and strains are the most common injuries to healthcare workers, especially to the lower back and the shoulders. 

1. Slipped discs 
   Moving patients from one location to another, to the bathroom, or helping them sit up / lie down / get out of bed, can often result in slipped discs, or back injuries. 

1. Violence and harassment 
   According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, workers in the health care and social service industries are 5 times more likely to suffer a workplace violence injury. 

1. Falls and slips 
   Healthcare workers may also suffer from slipping or falling on the floor. A common reason is due to fluids or water left on the floor. Severe falls can result in broken bones or limb fractures.  

A lone worker solution like EcoOnline's lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, means that if an incident or threatening situation occurs when your lone workers are out in the community, or removed from immediate colleagues, they can signal for help. 

The in-built fall detection and non-movement features mean that slips, trips, and falls raise an instant alert from the app to the cloud-based hub. Your monitors can see in real-time when an impact has occurred and the GPS accuracy means responders can get to your employees quickly. 

Your employees work 24/7 and so do our external monitoring partners, meaning your employees get the same high-level responses and support regardless of location or time of day. 

To find out more about how EcoOnline can help you to protect your healthcare workers, book a demo today.