Do you have a job involving a lot of squatting, kneeling, or stooping? It’s important to take proper safety precautions to protect your knees and prevent workplace injuries.
Wearing knee protection, such as knee pads, is important if you have a job that involves kneeling directly on hard surfaces. Preventing knee injuries is important. Employers should implement knee injury prevention programs throughout their companies. Doing so helps prevent injuries and guards against disruptions to a company’s productivity.
Have you already developed knee pain or sustained a work-related knee injury in the Lexington, KY area? If so, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Wear-and-tear knee injuries also may qualify for workers’ compensation if the job caused greater than normal deterioration of the knee joint. A workers’ compensation lawyer at Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer can review your knee injury and discuss whether you have a workers’ comp claim. If so, a workers’ compensation lawyer can help you demand full workers’ compensation benefits. Our dedicated approach has allowed us to secure more than $300 million for injured Kentuckians. Contact our Kentucky Courage lawyers today for more information.
Understanding Knee Anatomy and Common Injuries
The knee is a complex joint. It consists of numerous bones, muscles that move the knee joint, ligaments and tendons that stabilize the knee, cartilage that absorbs shock, and a small sac under the knee cap that provides lubrication so the joint moves smoothly. Trauma to any part of the knee can result in a serious knee injury, causing pain and limiting range of motion.
Common knee injuries are:
- ACL injuries
- Fractures
- Cartilage tears
- Ligament tears
- Torn meniscus
- Knee bursitis
- Cartilage damage
- Patellar tendinitis
- Overuse injuries
In addition to traumatic injuries caused by workplace accidents, a worker may gradually develop a wear-and-tear injury as a result of overuse of a body part such as the knee joint. A doctor often initially diagnoses a wear-and-tear injury as osteoarthritis. However, greater than-expected arthritic changes to a knee joint may occur as a result of excessive kneeling or squatting related to work duties. The employer’s workers’ compensation insurance may cover medical treatment of a wear-and-tear knee injury.
You’ll need skilled workers’ compensation attorneys who can develop medical evidence to show that the changes to your knee joint are more than the deterioration that would be expected to occur with normal age-related changes to the joint. You may be entitled to seek a workers’ compensation settlement for a wear-and-tear injury.
Knee injuries tend to affect a worker’s balance and mobility. You might have joint pain and limited mobility if you’ve sustained a work-related knee injury. Depending on the injury’s severity, you may be out of work for a lengthy period or unable to return to your job.
Identifying High-Risk Work Activities
Some workers, such as construction workers, carpet layers, and floor layers, have a higher risk of sustaining knee injuries. Often, these jobs involve kneeling, lifting heavy objects, and other physically demanding tasks. The work puts stress on the knee joint and other body parts.
According to a study available through the National Library of Medicine, jobs that can injure the knees are:
- Farming
- Construction
- Metal working
- Floor Installation
- Carpet laying
That’s not an exhaustive list. Your chances of sustaining a work-related knee injury may be high if you engage in such tasks as:
- Lifting heavy items
- Carrying heavy items
- Kneeling to reach low spaces
- Using a knee kicker to stretch carpeting
- Frequent squatting
- Frequent stair-climbing
Certain risk factors in a workplace can increase the odds of employees sustaining knee injuries. These factors are:
- The quality of workers’ footwear
- Uneven surfaces, particularly in areas where employees perform physical tasks
- Lack of proper equipment
- Lack of sufficient workers to complete various tasks
- Lack of communication regarding knee injury prevention strategies
Familiarizing yourself with knee injury prevention best practices can help you minimize your chances of hurting your knees at work. Sharing this information with your employer may also promote a safer overall working environment.
Adopting Workplace Practices to Safeguard Knee Health
There are various ways to prevent knee injuries in the workplace. They include:
- Teaching employees how to maintain proper posture
- Using ergonomic work tools to minimize joint stress
- Providing protective equipment such as knee pads and knee shields
- Encouraging employees to wear footwear that offers proper support
- Encouraging employees to perform regular stretching exercises to strengthen and protect their joints
- Letting employees know they should wear kneepads and similar protective equipment when performing certain tasks
An employer should provide protective gear for their employees. Requiring employees to use this gear when engaging in activities that carry a high risk of knee injury could reduce injuries and workers’ compensation claims.
Maintaining Knee Health and Well-being
Employers should encourage employees to take precautions to prevent knee injuries and maintain joint mobility. Employers should encourage employees to:
Raise Tasks Off the Ground
Work activities that involve squatting or kneeling for extended periods of time put stress on the knees and can cause inflammation, pain, minor knee injuries, and more serious knee injuries over time. Raising the work off the floor or ground so you don’t have to kneel or squat to perform the task can spare the knees and prevent knee pain.
Take breaks
If a worker must kneel and wear knee protection to perform a task, the worker should take mini-breaks every 20 seconds to extend the leg and allow blood flow. Changing positions can reduce stress on the knee and the risk of injury caused by kneeling in one position for extended periods.
Report signs of pain
Employees should never feel the need to work through pain. Workers should report any pain they experience as a result of doing their job and make adjustments to reduce stress on the knees, knee pain, and the risk of knee injuries. Even if symptoms are minor, an injury could get worse if a worker ignores it.
Live a balanced lifestyle
Getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy diet are effective ways to guard against illness and protect your health in general.
Knowing how to prevent knee injuries is crucial. However, there’s no way to completely eliminate the possibility of sustaining a work-related knee injury.
It’s also essential to talk to a knowledgeable attorney and understand your legal options if you develop a knee injury on the job.
Contact a Lexington Knee Injury Lawyer
You may be eligible to claim workers’ compensation benefits if you develop a work-related knee injury or a wear-and-tear injury in Kentucky. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover the cost of your medical treatment, including surgery and physical therapy for job-related knee injuries. Workers’ compensation also may cover a portion of your lost wages while you are unable to work due to the injury.
Speak with a Lexington, KY, knee injury lawyer for more information about your legal options. At Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, we’ll answer your questions and offer the dedicated representation you need. Get started by contacting a workers’ compensation lawyer online or calling us at (877) 809-5352 for a free injury case review.
