Workplace safety assessment and injury prevention in hospital settings.

Work-related injuries are becoming increasingly prevalent in hospital settings. These injuries are impacting all professionals providing services in the health care arena including nurses, physicians, and household cleaning employees. In order to reduce the number of worksite injuries, the hospital setting may benefit from ergonomic assessments, as well as safety education and prevention strategies. This paper describes the incidence and type of injuries as well as the related risks encountered by hospital personnel. Employers and employees may benefit from participating in the recommended ergonomic process in order to identify potential at-risk situations and prevent musculoskeletal injuries.