JENKINTOWN PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS

The Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at MMKLaw recently learned about a new outreach campaign to increase the awareness of the hazards that can cause musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare workers. The campaign was created by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to raise awareness for disorders and injuries such as sprains, strains, soft tissue and back injuries.

The campaign focuses on educating 2,500 employers, unions and healthcare associations throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia about the ways with which they can help control hazards in the workplace. For healthcare workers, these hazards can include heavy lifting of patients during transfers and handling. As part of the program, OSHA offers alternatives to the manual lifting of patients, therefore reducing the strain on the healthcare workers’ bodies.

OSHA regional administrator in Philadelphia, MaryAnn Garrahan stated that the “best control for MSDs (musculoskeletal disorders) is an effective prevention program.” She went on to state that the program’s goal was to “assist nursing homes and long-term care facilities in promoting effective processes to prevent injuries.”

Recent data shows that for MSD cases that involved patient handling, 99 percent were the result of overexertion. The injuries that occurred included sprains, strains and tears of the muscle. The injured individuals ranged in job duty with the majority (49 percent) of injuries occurring with nursing aides, orderlies and attendants. Coming in second was registered nurses at 17 percent.

The Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Mednick, Mezyk & Kredo are proud of the education program and the knowledge by OSHA that MSD cases are a very real workplace hazard for healthcare workers. The experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at MMKLaw are here to help represent any individuals who have been injured on the job, regardless of duty or educational programs available for employers. If you or someone you love has been injured on the job in Philadelphia, call us today at for a free consultation 888-807-WORK (9675).