The ABCs of Occupational Health for Teachers
Summer break is over and, for more than 3.8 million teachers nationwide1, school is back in session. With the return to school also comes a return to the occupational hazards of teaching. But what are those hazards? To understand more about the risks of teaching, first look at the typical day for a teacher.
A Day in the Life
For most teachers, a typical day begins well before the school bell rings, usually around 5:30 – 6 a.m. This early wake-up is necessary to ensure they arrive at work and have time to prepare their classroom and themselves before students arrive around 7 a.m. From approximately 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. (depending on grade level and specific district hours) time is spent in the classroom with students, with typically only 30 minutes for lunch. During these eight hours, teachers’ time will be spent on their feet, walking around the room or in hallways, sitting at desks that may not be ergonomically correct, bent over student desks to assist, or reaching to write on boards.
Once students leave the classroom for the day, teachers may spend time in the afternoon on afterschool activities, which could include a variety of activities such as sports practice/instruction, tutoring, parent meetings, or professional development. After arriving home between 5 and 6 p.m., most teachers will have work duties such as answering parent phone calls or emails, grading student work, and lesson planning. After completing this same schedule five times each week, it adds up to more than 50 hours worked per week for teachers2 – well above the standard 40-hour work week.
Burdens and Occupational Hazards of the Job
With workloads like this, it is easy to understand why stress is one of the leading occupational hazards for teachers. In a study published in the International Journal of Educational Research, researchers examined how these long hours and increased stress levels lead to a decline in the physical health of teachers. According to the article, “…studies indicated that teachers are susceptible to many health consequences. This includes the development of mental health conditions,” such as burnout, depression, and anxiety, “…but also notable and negative effects on their physical health…As teaching is considered to be a stressful profession, it is unsurprising that researchers have highlighted teachers to be at risk to burnout…The implications of burnout for teachers are wide-ranging. This includes interpersonal consequences such as conflict irritability, and reduced communication. It also includes broad consequences for teachers’ mood, well-being, and mental health.”
“Another contributor to stress for teachers is the lack of discipline among the newer generation of children,” said Dr. Jay Sayani, center medical director at Concentra’s Onsite Health Clinic for a Texas school district. “Many teachers are faced with unruly classrooms and disrespectful students on a daily basis. When coupled with a lack of support in disciplining either at home, or in some cases, in administration, it puts teachers in a position conducive to stress.”
While high levels of stress and potential burnout are serious health concerns for teachers, they are not the only concerns teachers face. There are quite a few other occupational risks encountered on a daily basis – some more obvious than others.
Slips, trips, and falls
Throughout their day, many teachers are susceptible to conditions that could lead to an injury-inducing slip, trip, or fall. From the time they arrive at work and walk across the parking lot, they encounter potentially uneven surfaces with loose debris that could cause an accident. Other potentially hazardous conditions a teacher may encounter include loose cords in the teaching area, uneven carpets, stairs, spills, and trying to navigate with poor lighting.4
Slips, trips, and falls are such a common occurrence that they were the leading reported cause of work-related injuries (as documented by worker compensation claims) for employees in K-12 schools from the 2009-10 through 2013-14 school years.4 “When they do occur, they can cause injuries to extremities such as sprains, fractures, contusions, dislocations, and joint disruption,” said Dr. Sayani. “Other injuries from such mechanisms may also involve concussions and even various spinal conditions.” Injuries like these often require extended time off from work for treatment and recovery, and in extreme cases, can lead to disability.
Ergonomic concerns
During a typical day of instruction, teachers’ bodies will be under strain from various tasks such as standing for extended periods of time, bending over desks to help students, reaching above their heads to write on boards, or carrying classroom supplies – just to name a few. These activities can lead to increased risk of ergonomic concerns including pain in the back and hips, strains and sprains, and repetitive stress injuries. If the actions putting teachers under stress are repeated often, they could develop musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).5
An MSD is a condition affecting bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissues which can result in pain and loss of function. According to a study published in Industrial Health, “School teachers, in general, have been demonstrated relative to other occupational groups, to report high rates of MSD of between 40% and 95%.”6 The same study later states that the burden of MSD on teachers is high and can often lead to the inability to carry out normal work duties, prolonged absence from work, and in extreme cases, early retirement due to ill health.
Violence in schools
Some teachers, particularly those who care for students with special needs, are at risk of harm if the students in their classroom have violent outbursts. Possible injuries include bruising or lacerations from punches, kicks, or bites.
However, special education teachers are not the only ones at risk for violence, and that risk doesn’t just come from students. According to an article posted on NEA Today, in a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association of 15,000 education professionals from March 2020 – June 2021, “One-third of the teachers reported being threatened by a student within the year, including verbal threats, cyberbullying, intimidation, or sexual harassment; and 29 percent reported at least one incident from a parent. Fourteen percent of teachers said they had been victims of physical violence from students.”7
Possible exposures
Teachers are one of the largest groups of employees that face almost daily exposure to contagious diseases, as they interact closely with multiple students and other teachers. “Common illnesses teachers encounter are usually respiratory viral infections such as cold, Flu, COVID-19, various gastro-intestinal viruses, and also some that cause skin infections such as ringworm,” said Dr. Sayani. “Also common for teachers to encounter is the bacterial infection streptococcus pharyngitis, commonly known as strep.” While these illnesses are most often non-serious, they do usually require rest at home to recover, which means time missed from classroom instruction.
Other possible exposures for teachers include hazardous substances. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)8 possible substances that teachers may encounter include:
- Infectious agents – most commonly encountered by biology teachers
- Mold and microbial contaminants – encountered within the classrooms, storage areas, restrooms, and food storage areas (such as a teacher breakroom or cafeteria)
- Volatile chemicals – most commonly encountered by chemistry lab teachers
- Diesel exhaust – encountered when in the parking lot or near buses
- Asbestos – most commonly encountered in older schools and storage areas
- Lead – most commonly encountered in older schools
“These hazards and others, such as work organization factors, may increase employee risk of respiratory illness, infections disease…and chronic disease,” states the CDC.
Voice disorders and hearing loss
Speaking in noisy classrooms and straining their voice to be heard on the playground or in the parking lot can lead to damage to teachers’ vocal cords. Additionally, prolonged exposure to noisy environments such as lunchrooms or indoor recess areas can lead to hearing loss.
Eye strain
In recent years, the use of technology has increased, particularly in school systems. “Technology is a common tool used by teachers and students alike,” said Dr. Sayani. “And the hours that teachers spend on computers or smart devices for lesson planning, emailing, projects, etc., adds up quickly. Extended use of screens can cause eye-related issues such as blurry vision, astigmatism, and can even trigger migraines, which are also becoming a more prevalent issue for teachers to cope with.”
Sleep disorders
Due to the amount of stress they are under, teachers are also susceptible to sleep disorders, which can include trouble falling asleep, waking up often, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness. When teachers don’t get enough sleep, their performance at work can be negatively impacted and other health concerns, including mental health concerns, are raised.
Concentra Can Help
When it comes to mitigating these conditions, it is important to remember that keeping teachers healthy is essential for the growth of future generations.
“Teachers play a crucial role in education that gives success to the future of kids,” said Dr. Sayani. “The responsibilities and pressures placed on teachers by parents and administration to ensure these kids are successful have only increased. It is incumbent upon us to make sure they have the tools to succeed – and those tools include good health.”
To help manage the occupational health concerns of your teachers, Concentra® can provide various services, including:
Concentra can provide treatment for injuries that do occur and can advise on prevention strategies to keep them from occurring in the workplace. Our clinicians take the opportunity to educate employees we treat for injuries and help them return to work faster. We can provide a wide range of injury care services including return-to-work evaluations, physical therapy services (including ergonomics), and care coordination, and are able to easily refer to an in-network specialist if, and when, needed.
Concentra can provide health tests and screenings for drug testing, medical surveillance, and preventive screenings. Tests and screenings that would be used in a teaching setting include audiograms, medical surveillance exams for possible exposures such as bloodborne pathogens, and preventive screenings such as biometric screenings and screenings for specific conditions.
Concentra Telemed is a telemedicine solutions used to treat employees with relatively minor work injuries and illnesses. This service could be used to treat minor health concerns of teachers from the school – even from their desks – preventing time spent away from work.
Most recently, Concentra has introduced Behavioral Health Telemedicine, which can provide teachers an option to cope with mental health struggles they may face. Licensed psychologists are available and services include: delayed recovery qualification, assessment and care, neurocognitive screenings, and mental health diagnosis and treatment.
Another service to help meet the health care needs of teachers while allowing them to remain at work is implementing a Concentra Onsite Health program within your school district. An onsite health program facilitates a safe, healthy, and productive workforce by bringing health care services directly to the workplace.
To learn more about any of these services, or to get more specific details on how Concentra can help meet your teaching-related health care needs, reach out to the nearest local Concentra medical center.
Notes:
- “How Many Teachers Are There in the USA? (and more Statistics 2024).” Legit Course Reviewers. Accessed August 12, 2024.
- “What a Typical Teacher’s Day Actually Looks Like”. Education Week. April 14, 2022
- “Teacher burnout and physical health: A systematic review” International Journal of Educational Research. March 28, 2023.
- “Slips, trips and fall hazards”. New Jersey Education Association. November 1, 2023
- “The 3 biggest health risks affecting teachers”. Mass General Brigham Health Plan. July 13, 2022
- “Musculoskeletal disorders in the teaching profession: an emerging workplace hazard with significant repercussions for developing countries.” Industrial Health July 2015.
- “Teaching in Turmoil: The Growing Threat of Student Outbursts”. NEA Today. October 9, 2023.
- “Safety and Health in Education and Schools”. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010.
