Could Working Make You ill?

It might seem a bit strange that I’m suggesting working could make you ill. The harsh reality of that statement is that it’s true for thousands of people each year. Certain occupations or tasks that get carried out daily can take their toll on a person’s health. Soon, they can start to exhibit the signs of illness related to their vocation.

Today’s employers are doing more to make their employees have a safe working environment. Still, despite that fact, companies can’t or don’t completely eradicate all potential dangers to an employee’s health.

So, what kinds of things could make you ill at work? And what can you do about the problem, apart from quitting your job? Here is a selection of examples:

Allergic reaction to airborne particles

Things like wood dust or flour particles in the air can trigger allergic reactions in people. And people that work in manufacturing or industrial environments are often susceptible to occupational asthma, for instance.

Employers often take steps to filter the air in such environments to lower the risk to people’s health. But, there will be times where one has no choice but to breathe in such particles in the air.

Noise

It’s almost impossible to work in a near-silent environment. Everyone will have to put up with background noise to some degree. Still, some occupations may expose you to excess amounts of loud noise from machines or other equipment.

Protective accessories such as ear defenders can help to block out most loud noises, reducing them to a quieter muffle.

Toxic materials

With some vocations, working with toxic materials is almost unavoidable. For instance, people that remove or transport waste chemicals to treatment plants may come into contact with toxins.

In the past, workers from many disciplines came into contact with deadly asbestos, the leading cause of mesothelioma (an aggressive type of cancer). Many workers that unknowingly handled asbestos for their employers are turning to experienced mesothelioma attorneys to seek compensation.

Radiation poisoning from radioactive materials is also an unfortunate occupational hazard. You might be thinking of things like the fallout from nuclear power plants, for example. But, people such as radiographers in hospitals can suffer from prolonged exposure to radiation; especially if X-rays and other scanning equipment are faulty.

Stress

The thing about stress is that it doesn’t present symptoms visible to other people as a physical injury might. Everyone deals with stress in their daily working lives to some degree. For the most part, they can cope with the stress and have ways of keeping it to a minimum.

Unfortunately, compounded stress can be too high for some people. It can cause problems such as a dip in work-related performance. Employers have a duty of care to ensure their staff have adequate workloads and aren’t overburdened to the point of despair.

Vocal injuries

Last, but not least, some occupations involving a lot of talking, shouting, or singing, could cause extensive damage to a person’s voice. Examples include busy financial trading room floors, retail stores, and singers.
So, is your occupation making YOU ill?

• Tags:

COMMENTS.

comments