Health issues at the workplace

Different workplace experience different types of health issues. But there are some health issues that just about every workplace has to deal with. This article discusses six very common workplace health issues.

Colds and flu

Some of the most common health issues among the workplace are the common cold and the flu. Just about any workplace, especially crowded workplaces, are a terrific breeding ground for the cold and flu viruses. Despite the attempts employers make to keep sick employees home sometimes sick employees still come to work. And even if an employee thinks they are healthy, they may already have a cold or flu and be able to spread the germs before they are even showing symptoms.

Stress and anxiety disorders

Stress and anxiety disorders are a huge health issue in the workplace. Different employees may be more or less affected by stress depending on several factors. The personality of the employee, what shift they work, if they have a lot of responsibility at work, how they get along with other employees, how much pressure they feel at work, etc., are some of these factors. The longer a person has a stress or anxiety health issue the worse it may get. It is important that these health issues are treated sooner rather than later.

Upper extremities

Some of the health issues at the workplace that are becoming even more common include health issues dealing with the upper extremities. Many people who type on a computer all day end up with swollen wrists, elbows that ache, fingers the tingle, and sore shoulders. These workplace health issues are caused by several different factors.

One factor of upper extremity health issues is repetition. When a person does the same motion over and over again their muscles can get sore. Another factor is pore posture. Many people do not sit correctly. They may hunch their shoulders or bend their wrist the wrong way while they type. And the force that a person uses to perform tasks can also cause these upper extremity health issues.

Allergies

Allergies are another common health issue in the workplace. Offices and other workplace buildings can have mold, dust, and even asbestos that can aggravate employees' respiratory tracts and cause allergies.

Sometimes these allergens, especially mold and asbestos can end up causing more than just a few sneezes. Asbestos is known as a silent killer and can be located in many older buildings. Breathing in asbestos partials can cause mesothelioma and lung cancer. If a workplace is newer it is less likely to contain any asbestos.

Accidents

Accidents are one of the number one health issues at the workplace. Accidents are especially apparent at workplaces that can be considered more dangerous with a lot of manual labor. But accidents do not just happen at manufacturing plants, warehouses, and construction workplaces. Accidents can happen at just about any workplace. When an office has a wet floor, poor lighting, broken office furniture, rips in the carpet, or a bad staircase accidents can happen just as easily as they could at a more dangerous workplace.

Lower back

Along with upper extremity health issues that people can develop when sitting at a computer, they can also develop lower back health issues from poor posture when sitting at the computer. Being obese can also add to an employee's risk for lower back problems. Of course workplaces that require an employee to lift, bend, and twist a lot also have a high rate of employees with lower back issues; especially if the workers lift, bend, and twist incorrectly.