Work-Related Injuries in Canadian Occupational Therapy Practice

Abstract

No studies investigate work-related injuries experienced by Canadian occupational therapists. To identify the nature and prevalence of work-related injuries, impact of practice context, cultural and structural factors that influence response to these injuries, and strategies used to manage return-to-work after injury. Members of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists were sent an electronic survey in June 2009. Over half of the 600 respondents reported at least one injury episode. Patient-handling and equipment-related incidents accounted for the largest proportion of injuries. Almost one-third of respondents reported being threatened at work or experiencing workplace violence. Injured occupational therapists tended to minimize the extent and impact of their injuries by underreporting incidents and continuing to work after injury. These behaviours may contribute to a failure to recognize the reality of work-related injuries in occupational therapy practice and thereby limit the development of profession-specific, risk-minimization strategies.