f you suspect that you have an occupational disease, you aren’t alone. Many New Jersey workers share your plight. An occupational disease is some sort of illness or ailment caused by a risk factor related to your work environment. The types can vary, but they are all chronic in nature. Here’s more information about occupational diseases and ways that you can prevent them.
Understanding what causes occupational diseases
Occupational diseases occur because of a wide variety of reasons. The factors can include exposure to chemical or biological agents on a regular basis, having to do repetitive movements in order to complete work-related tasks, an improper work environment, or dealing with things like harassment or bullying. Whatever the cause of the occupational diseases, they tend to not go away. Many individuals find that they have to live with them for the rest of their lives and they seek workers’ compensation benefits as a result.
What you can do to prevent them
Fortunately, you may be able to prevent an occupational disease from occurring. It’s crucial to take into consideration any hazards that you are likely to come across when you are at work. If you will be near chemicals, wear a mask. If your work environment is causing you unnecessary stress on your body, talk to your supervisor about it so that you can get it fixed right away. Learn about the different procedures that are in place to handle biological agents. By doing all of these things, you can lessen the likelihood of developing an occupational disease.
These types of diseases can occur even if you’ve taken certain steps to try to prevent them. If you think you’ve developed an occupational disease and your workplace is at fault, you may want to consider seeking legal counsel.