Childcare Worker – A Surprisingly Hazardous Profession

Childcare workers undertake a number of physically demanding tasks throughout the day. Some examples include carrying bed frames and play equipment, picking up children from ground level and pushing a food distribution trolley. Working with children requires continual lifting, carrying and bending. A poor lifting technique can result in a back injury and many items on the floor increase the risk of slips, trips and falls. Such injuries are not uncommon, which is the reason Radek Zacharek of RZ Injury Lawyers has (successfully) represented many childcare workers.

Work injuries at childcare centres and related facilities

It is easy to assume, especially by anyone not familiar with the profession, that working in a childcare centre is a pleasant and rewarding experience, and the exposure to hazards and risks is low. Afterall, if the environment is safe for children, it must also be safe for the adults, right? Well, not quire. Let’s look at some hazards and risks as a result of which claims for workers’ compensation are commonly made:

• Lifting, carrying, and moving children mainly in and out of cots and change tables. If these areas are poorly designed, the risk increases.
• Lifting and moving furniture, mattresses and play equipment to create a safe and stimulating environment for children puts a lot of strain on the body. Furthermore, often such equipment is awkwardly designed and unnecessarily heavy.
• Bending and squatting: muscle strain and joint/ligament injury can be caused by repetitive bending, kneeling, and squatting as employees are working at the level which enables them to reach children or objects.
• Slips, trips and falls: muscle strain, joint injury, and bone fractures or breaks may result from hazards on the floor.
• Storage areas are poorly design, often without walk through space, inadequate and cluttered, so they are waiting for the accident to happen.
• Cramped, poorly design offices with poor ergonomics.
• Poor maintenance and housekeeping of indoor and outdoor, like trips on uneven or damage flooring, falling of tables, chairs while hanging children’s artwork.
• Bullying and harassment: stress-related injuries result from a variety of factors such as poor culture, poor support structures and unreasonable work demands. This type of injury is commonly reported.

Obligations of the employer

The employer must provide a reasonably safe system of work. This can be achieved through identifying and then eliminating or reducing the hazards and risks that may impact the physical or mental health of its employees. There are protocols and procedures implemented by Department of Commerce under ‘Child care – checklist’ in place that should limit workplace accidents. The recommendations include, but are not limited to:

• Consultations on OSH matters between management and employees;
• Hazard and injury have to be adequately investigated;
• Reporting notifiable injuries to WorkSafe;
• Identifying hazards;
• Assessment of the risk of injuries; and
• OSH adequate safety induction and specific training for employees.

Carl Davis, OSH consultant, trainer and assessor with the Australian Institute of Education and Training has said: “Staff do a fantastic job but occasionally take risks to get the job done. Children’s areas are almost always very safe. It is the staff areas that are the problem. Are you a childcare worker who has lodged a claim for workers’ compensation? Are you aware of your rights? Most importantly, do you know how much your claim is worth? Contact RZ Injury Lawyers are the reputed workers compensation lawyers in perth and car accident lawyers perth. The consultation is free regardless of whether you instruct us to represent you.