US healthcare workers experienced a staggering 249 percent increase in injury and illness rates in 2020, based on employer-reported data, as they encountered serious safety and health hazards while serving those in need and labored countless hours battling the pandemic. In fact, healthcare and social assistance workers combined for more injuries and illnesses than any other industry in the nation. As the nation observes National Caregivers Day on Feb. 18, the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration urges healthcare employers, and those in related industries, to take immediate actions to help make 2022 safer for these workers.
