An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the old saying goes. While this adage is certainly true for the individual whose illness or injury is prevented, most of us don’t think of the impact for practitioners. But as a Therapist, I would like you to consider, might you truly enjoy both: Helping injured clients recover, AND preventing workplace accidents in the first place?

Obviously, great satisfaction can be found in helping a patient heal from a painful and debilitating injury. It can be thrilling to watch someone recover their full range of movement, their physical capabilities, and to witness their joy as pain subsides. But when we consider both the personal and financial cost to workers, whose lives and livelihoods can be drastically disrupted by an injury, it becomes clear that prevention of these situations provides an even more meaningful service to our communities.

For an injured worker, the true cost can be difficult to calculate. Not only can medical bills quickly overwhelm a family; a price cannot be placed on pain or lost morale. And of course, no amount of money or rehabilitation can replace a lost life.

The cost of injuries is great for Employers, too. If the average Workers’ Comp claim cost for an Employer is $40,000*, and their injury rate is 6% per year with their 1000 employees, that means those 60 injured workers will cost about $2.4M annually. Think of the impact an Industrial Therapist can have – cut that injury rate in half!!! Great for the Employer! Great for the Employees! Great for the Community! Great for the Industrial Therapist!

The bottom line: Both Employees and Employers are better off when workplace injuries can be prevented.

For Therapists with knowledge and skills gained through their education and from treating injuries, illnesses and disorders within the clinical setting, the transition to workplace settings is a logical and natural one. Your skill set can easily be used to identify workplace risks, assess worker ability, teach safety protocol, and prevent numerous injuries from ever occurring.

Not only will the workforce be stronger and healthier as a result; so will your local businesses. The rewards multiply, both professionally and personally, as you serve as an invaluable resource to both Employers and Employees. In this way, Therapists do their part to build happy, thriving communities.

*National Safety Council