Why care workers are at risk

Social care work is physically and emotionally demanding and often low-paid, rushed and done alone. HSE manual handling guidance applies as much in someone's home as in a care home, and EU-OSHA identifies health and social care as a sector with high levels of musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk. Family carers who look after a relative unpaid often have no training or equipment at all, and the NHS points them towards carers' assessments and support.

01Back injuries from helping people move

Helping someone out of bed, onto a toilet or up from a fall can involve heavy, awkward and unpredictable loads. Manual handling guidance asks employers to avoid hazardous lifts, assess the ones that remain and provide equipment and training. Trying to catch a falling person is a common cause of injury.

What helps

  • Follow each person's moving and handling plan and use the equipment it names.
  • Do not try to catch someone who is falling; guide them down and get help to get them up.
  • Ask for a reassessment when someone's mobility changes.
  • Family carers can ask for an occupational therapy or carer's assessment for equipment.

02Infections

Close personal care brings exposure to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and to body fluids. Hand hygiene, the right protective equipment and staying off work while infectious protect both workers and the people they care for, many of whom are vulnerable.

What helps

  • Wash or sanitise hands before and after every episode of care.
  • Use gloves and aprons for contact with body fluids, and dispose of them safely.
  • Keep up recommended vaccinations, including seasonal ones offered to care staff.
  • Stay off work while you have vomiting, diarrhoea or a fever, as your employer's policy requires.

03Stress, aggression and lone working

Tight visit schedules, emotional demands and occasional verbal or physical aggression, sometimes from people living with dementia, contribute to stress. OSHA lists healthcare and social service workers among those at increased risk of workplace violence. Home-care workers often work alone and travel between visits late in the day.

What helps

  • Report every incident of aggression, even minor ones, so patterns are recognised.
  • Use lone-working check-in procedures and share your schedule.
  • Ask for training in de-escalation and dementia care.
  • Use supervision or peer support to talk through difficult visits.

Weekly checklist for care workers

  • Check each person's handling plan at the start of the week.
  • Wash hands before and after every episode of care.
  • Do two short strength sessions on days off.
  • Eat proper meals between visits rather than skipping them.
  • Log any incident or near-miss the same day.
  • Have at least one fully free day in the week.

When to see a professional

  • Back or shoulder pain lasting more than a few weeks or affecting your work.
  • Symptoms of infection that do not improve, or that you may have passed on.
  • Stress, low mood or poor sleep lasting more than two weeks.
  • Family carers whose own health is suffering: ask your doctor about a carer's assessment.

Get urgent help for back pain with numbness around the genitals or buttocks, loss of bladder or bowel control, or weakness in both legs.

Where ONU fits

ONU brings your sleep, activity and recovery trends together, so you can see what long runs of shifts or caring at night do to your own rest. It cannot judge injury risk or diagnose stress. If caring is affecting your health, talk to your doctor and ask about carer support.

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Common questions

What should I do if the person I care for falls?

Do not try to lift them alone. Make them comfortable, check for injury, and use the agreed procedure or equipment, or call for help or emergency services if they are hurt.

I care for my parent unpaid. Can I get help?

In many countries unpaid carers can request an assessment of their own needs, which can lead to equipment, training, respite or financial support. Your doctor or local authority can point you to it.

Is back pain inevitable in care work?

No. Equipment, safe systems of work and enough staff make a large difference, and reporting problems helps employers fix them.

Sources and further reading

Educational information drawn from the public-health sources listed on this page. It is not a diagnosis, a treatment plan or a guarantee that you will avoid an illness or injury. ONU does not diagnose, treat or prevent disease. Speak to a qualified professional about anything that concerns you, and follow the rules of your employer, sport or local health service.