Overexertion injuries are a common concern among flight attendants. These professionals face demanding tasks while ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers.
Understanding the prevalence and impact of overexertion injuries helps promote the health and well-being of flight attendants.
Repetitive motion tasks
Flight attendants often engage in repetitive tasks such as serving meals, demonstrating safety procedures and maneuvering through crowded aisles. These repetitive motions can lead to strain injuries in areas such as the shoulders, wrists and back. Such injuries can cause discomfort and decreased mobility over time.
Heavy lifting
Handling luggage, beverage carts and emergency equipment are routine duties for flight attendants, often requiring them to lift and maneuver heavy objects in confined spaces. Improper lifting techniques or overexertion can lead to muscle strains, sprains and other musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries can compromise their ability to perform essential job functions.
Prolonged standing
Flight attendants spend extended periods standing during flights. This can contribute to fatigue and discomfort. Prolonged standing increases the risk of foot and leg pain, swelling and circulation problems. As a result, it can impact both short-term comfort and long-term musculoskeletal health.
Safety impacts
Overexertion injuries can have an impact on flight attendants’ productivity and morale. Pain and discomfort resulting from these injuries may limit their ability to perform duties. This, in turn, can lead to decreased job satisfaction and increased absenteeism.
Flight attendants injured on the job may need to seek workers’ compensation benefits to help pay for treatment or loss of work.
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overexertion and bodily reaction injuries accounted for 35.9% of 2019’s non-fatal injuries among flight attendants. Recognizing the risks associated with overexertion and implementing measures to prevent these injuries helps create a safer, more efficient aviation industry.
