Whenever you enter a property as an employee or a visitor, or whenever you merely walk along a stretch of sidewalk owned and maintained by the local authority, there are systems in place to ensure that a duty of care for your safety is observed during your time in the environment. This means that no matter where you are, from working in an office to standing at the bus stop waiting for your ride home, all reasonable measures should have been taken to make sure that you are not the victim of a slip, trip, fall, or personal injury of any kind.
That being said, we do know that common workplace injuries exist – and that common workplace illnesses also exist, such as mesothelioma (contact a Mesothelioma lawyer).
Today, we’re going to look at a couple of the most common workplace injuries, and what you can do to help prevent yourself from developing symptoms.
Carpal tunnel
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs where pressure on the nerves in the wrist result in numbness and pain in the hand and fingers (some patients do not report pain or numbness but instead present symptoms of weakness in the hands).
The condition is caused by repetitive movements, and is often linked to scenarios in which those repetitive movements were carried while holding the arms in a hands-lower-than-wrists posture.
Treatments can involve steroid injections or surgery, but patients can take certain precautions to lower the risk of developing symptoms of carpal tunnel. This includes holding the wrists straight when carrying out repetitive tasks and taking regular breaks, allowing the muscles in the hand to relax.
Exposure to loud noise
In general, noise levels of around 70db and lower are considered safe. This means that anybody working in noise levels above this 70db threshold may not be aware that they are being exposed to an excessive noise level that can lead to noise induced hearing loss in later life.
Industries that regularly expose workers to excessive noise levels include teaching (which can mean working in noise levels of 85db), factory and farm work (which can mean working in noise levels of around 105db), nightclub work (which usually means working in noise levels of around 115db), and construction work (with noise levels getting up to 120db). Certain members of airport staff are also on the list, as they can be exposed to noise levels of 140 / 150db – literally the noise of jet engines at take-off (therefore, this would only affect ground staff).
Care should be taken to wear ear defenders or ear plugs whilst working in these environments, as there are not currently any medical procedures that can fix or reverse hearing loss.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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