Women Take the Lead in Health Care Despite the Risks

Health care workers (HCW) face many workplace safety risks and in some specialties female HCW encounter risks at a particularly higher rate than males, in some cases because more women than men take on high-risk careers that pose dangers in order to care for their patients.

Often due to the important and equally strenuous roles female HCW hold, 80 percent of nonfatal injuries and illnesses occurring in health care involve women. These may include accidental injury by another person; slips, trips and falls; and other types of harm.
The National Safety Council (NSC) points out that seven out of 10 nonfatal workplace assault injuries happen to women, and this number is on the rise—increasing 60 percent between 2011 and 2017.
Women dominate some of the most dangerous careers. For instance, being a veterinarian has been found to be more dangerous than working in law enforcement due to the increased likelihood of infectious agent exposure, animal bites, repetitive-motion injuries, and more. Nearly 63 percent of veterinarians are women.
Exposure to dangerous toxins can have a detrimental effect on women, resulting in serious consequences. Research shows that female dental assistants exposed to unscavenged nitrous oxide (N2O) for five or more hours per week had a significant risk of reduced fertility compared with unexposed female dental assistants. The good news is that when there were scavenging systems in place, the risks abated.

These are just a few scenarios in which health care workers can be at risk during the workday. It is important for health care organizations to recognize these risks and take steps toward mitigating them. Best practices include conducting comprehensive workplace analyses, developing robust safety plans, offering detailed staff training and employing relevant engineering controls. When taken together, these actions can go a long way toward keeping both women and men safe.

For more information on how Stericycle can help you protect your staff, please reach out to our compliance experts by clicking "Request Free Quote" in the top right of this screen.