How to avoid common workplace injuries (and treat them if they happen anyway)

Workplace injuries can happen in any industry and any setting, from chronic back pain and repetitive stress injuries in office workers to strains, bruises, and cuts in restaurants or warehouses.

Private employers reported more than 2.7 million on-the-job injuries and illness in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the previous year, 2.4 million of these injured workers sought treatment in the emergency room, most often for conditions related to contact with objects and equipment, overexertion or other bodily reactions, and falls, slips and trips resulting in sprains, strains, or wounds.

Workplaces face enormous burdens from these incidents. Lost productivity is extremely challenging in a time when everyone seems to be short staffed – but the human toll of avoidable injuries is equally important. Employees trust their employers to keep them as safe as possible. Breaking this trust by actively failing to protect workers can have long-term impacts on a workplace’s reputation and staff morale.

Employers need to take specific, proactive steps to prevent injuries and illnesses during working hours, including providing proper protective equipment and safe workspaces that encourage good habits.

Sometimes, however, it’s simply impossible to avoid a safety incident. Accidents happen. And when they do, employers need to have the resources in place to immediately address worker injuries in a convenient, cost-effective manner.

Here’s how employers can develop an action plan for injury prevention and treatment to ensure employees can access the care they need to heal quickly and return to work as soon as possible.

Strains and sprains

Sprained joints and strained muscles, including back muscles, are among the most common injuries reported by employers, affecting approximately 27.5 out of every 10,000 full-time workers in 2017.

Often resulting from trips, slips, and falls, these injuries can range from mild to severe, and may require time off to recover. Employers can prevent sprains and strains by ensuring workers wear correct clothing and footwear, use proper lifting and moving techniques, and operate in ergonomically appropriate workspaces.

When a sprain or strain does occur, proper treatment can prevent long-term damage or repeat injuries, so it’s important that company leaders connect workers with care as soon as possible.

That doesn’t always mean the emergency department, however. While a health care provider will likely wish to rule out a fracture or ligament tear, this assessment can be performed in an urgent care setting instead of the ED.

High-quality urgent care facilities typically have on-site X-ray equipment to diagnose more serious injuries without the time and expense associated with the emergency department. As a result, workers can begin an appropriate treatment plan sooner and return to work within an appropriate timeframe.

Lacerations, contusions, and other contact wounds

Just like muscle injuries, lacerations and contusions (otherwise known as cuts and bruises) can also run the gamut from needing a little more than a band-aid to requiring stitches or other extensive interventions. According to the CDC, 2019 saw 229,410 injuries due to contact with objects and equipment that were so severe that they resulted in time away from work.

Providing appropriate personal protective wear, such as safety glasses, helmets, gloves, and work shoes can prevent many of these injuries. Correct use and storage of sharp objects, use of hazard warnings such as barriers and cones, and implementation of compliant processes for using dangerous equipment can also reduce the likelihood of an injury event.

Wounds that bruise or bleed are often frightening and painful for the person who suffers the injury. Instead of waiting in the ED, potentially for hours, workers may benefit from access to an urgent care facility that may be able to provide speedier treatment in a comfortable, convenient environment.

Repetitive strain and overexertion injuries

Harder to prevent and treat are the repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), such as tendonitis, that build up over time. Workers may experience pain in their wrists and hands, knees or elbows, neck and shoulders, or back after many weeks, months, or years of completing similar tasks.

Preventing RSIs starts with offering staff members an ergonomic workspace. This could include well-designed office chairs or other seating, standing desks, or tools and equipment arranged in a way that avoids repeated reaching and stretching. Employees should also be able to take regular, short breaks to move and stretch, and should be coached on how to maintain good posture while working.

Recovery from RSIs can take anywhere from days to months, depending on the location and severity of the injury. Treatment can include the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), but more serious cases could progress to splinting or surgery.

These injuries may be painful and worrisome, but they are typically not emergency situations. Sending a worker to the ED for joint- or muscle-related RSIs can result in overutilization of scarce health care resources that are best reserved for much more serious needs.

Related: Best workers’ comp insurance in 2022

Instead, urgent care or primary care are better options. Workers can receive a thorough assessment, diagnosis, and treatment plan tailored to their specific needs.

By shifting care away from the emergency department whenever possible, employers can help to control costs for the business and for their employees while offering appropriate, timely, and highly effective care for a wide range of common workplace injuries.

Dr. Joseph Sliwkowski is a physician and Director of Occupational Health Services at Carewell Urgent Care.