The health care industry is the fastest growing employment area in North Carolina. In 2018, 14% of all jobs in the state were in the health care sector, totaling 619,217 jobs. The elderly population in the state was 16% in 2018 and is expected to be 19% by 2028. The demand for health care workers is increasing but health care can be a dangerous business.
Doctors, nurses, therapists, CNAs, home health aids and janitorial workers are exposed to a wide range of hazards on the job, including puncture wounds, exposure to harmful chemicals, back injuries, violence, and stress. The CDC indicates that back injuries are one of the major hazards that health workers face. Please see our prior article on back injuries and NC Workers’ Compensation.
Another danger for health care workers is exposure to harmful chemicals. According to the CDC, hazardous chemicals are used to treat patients, clean work areas, and as fixatives for samples. This can expose a health care worker to antineoplastic drugs, anesthetic gases, quaternary ammonium compounds, bleach, toluene, and formaldehyde, to name a few. Long term exposure to such chemicals may cause cancer, breathing difficulties, and other health problems. Occupational Disease is covered under NC Workers’ Compensation and may be an area where you can be compensated when hurt at work.
Finally, a growing concern is violence in the workplace and health care workers are not immune to this concern. Health care workers interact with people from all walks of life and in many different stressful situations. Unfortunately some of these interactions result in injuries from violence. According to AJMC, violence against health care workers results from fear, mental illness, and dire emotional circumstances. Unfortunately, patients and their families can hurt the very people trying to help them.
If you have been injured at work, you may be eligible for Workers' Compensation for NC Health Care Workers. Check with a NC workers’ compensation lawyer for what that can mean for your case today.
The Bishop Law Firm represents clients injured on the job in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Fayetteville and surrounding areas of North Carolina. We do not get paid unless we win, and we offer free case evaluations. Call us today, (919) 615-3095.
