医療機関における労災事故の特徴とコロナ禍の影響に関する考察

抄録

This study investigated the number of work-related accidents that occurred in medical institutions over a three-year period from 2019 to 2021. In all three years, the number of accidents caused by “excessive physical strain” and “slips, trips, and falls” remained at a high level. The number of work-related accidents varied significantly by time of day, and one contributing factor was considered to be the shortage of nursing staff relative to the workload. Furthermore, the spread of the novel coronavirus infection led to an increase in the number of work-related accidents related to the infection in 2020. However, despite the continued increase in the number of positive cases nationwide in 2021, the number of work-related accidents caused by the novel coronavirus infection decreased significantly. Factors contributing to this include strained medical resources, disruptions to work, dissatisfaction with leave systems, insufficient awareness of the necessity of isolation due to asymptomatic infections, and an increase in cases where the connection to work could not be confirmed, such as infections within households. Healthcare workers are exposed to a variety of occupational hazards. As the Japanese government promotes reforms to working conditions, it is also important that healthcare workers who have suffered work-related accidents receive appropriate compensation.