Pain at work
A recent report from the Maine Department of Labor indicates that more than 1,300 workers in the health care industry were injured on the job by a patient or client in 2011.
Of the 100,000 health care workers in Maine, 9,965 filed injury reports with the Maine’s Workers’ Compensation Board last year. Out of those, 13.4% cited violent and aggressive actions on the part of the patient or client as the reason for the injury.
“So many of us know someone working in the health care field who may deal often with stressed and hurting people,” said former Commissioner of Labor Robert Winglass in the report. “This report includes recommendations that may help employees calm a patient in a stressful situation and stay safer when threatened.”
Workers cited in the study were employed in mental health care, residential care, health care, social assistance and disability rehabilitation settings. Aggressive acts on the part of patients and clients included hitting, biting and kicking, as well as injuries sustained while trying to restrain a patient. Hitting and “other assault” led all categories of violent behavior with 226 incidents in 2011. Injuries sustained while restraining, kicking and grabbing rounded out the top five. There were also 12 incidents of pinching reported last year.
Biting incidents were of particular concern, as they can result in viral or bacterial infection if the skin is broken. In 2011, there were 208 incidents of biting reported, according to the study. Education technicians incurred the most injuries from biting, with 45 incidents. Behavioral technicians and miscellaneous occupations followed with 28 incidents each.
Twenty-two percent of the injuries cited in the report occurred at psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, with 15% taking place at general medical and surgical hospitals.
Nurses and nursing assistants led all occupation categories in incidents of workplace aggression and violence, with 284 such workers reporting incidents in 2011. Educational technicians were a close second with 249 incidents reported.
Matt Dodge
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