What If You Are Injured While Working at a Blood Donation Center?

 Posted on May 22, 2019 in Workers' Compensation

Blood and plasma donors help save lives. Donated blood and plasma are used for a wide variety of life-saving techniques that benefit thousands of people every day. Blood transfusions are needed on a daily basis in hospitals across the country. Plasma is used in the treatment of serious disorders such as hemophilia and immune system deficiencies, and to treat victims of shock and burns. Plasma donation has become popular due to the cash incentive since donors get paid for their donations, typically in the form of VISA gift/debit cards. As with a lot of medical professions, lab technicians at these facilities can injure themselves while performing certain job tasks. If you are hurt working in a blood or plasma donation center, you might be eligible for worker’s compensation benefits.

Job Duties

Lab technicians who work at blood or plasma donation centers screen candidates for their compatibility as donors. The plasma technicians use automated machines that collect the donors' blood, which separates blood components, retains the plasma, and returns the remaining blood components to the donors.

In addition to collecting and processing the blood or plasma, technicians might have duties that include cleaning the lab center and counting inventory. This could require manual labor, such as lifting and reaching for objects, sweeping and mopping floors, or even moving furniture. Employees could also provide routine maintenance on computers or machines, as well as administrative duties such as answering phones and helping donors complete paperwork.

Types of Injuries

As with any occupation in which employees handle blood samples, workers risk contamination if a needle unexpectedly comes loose from under the donor’s skin and blood spills onto the technician’s skin. Certain bacteria, viruses, prions, parasites, and infectious diseases such as hepatitis can be transmitted through blood. Therefore, it is important that donors are thoroughly screened to make sure their blood supply is healthy and safe for blood transfusions or in case a lab technician comes into contact with it.

Employees at donation centers can sustain a back or neck injury if they lift a heavy box or try to move a large piece of equipment. They could also slip and fall if blood or plasma accidentally spills on the floor. Falling could result in a fracture, back or neck injury, and even head trauma. In rare cases, a donor might become ill and faint, falling on the technician and injuring the technician that way. If a donation center fails to follow proper safety procedures to protect their employees, the consequences can be life-threatening. The center’s management may be found negligent if they did not put in place and/or practice certain standards.

Contact a DuPage County Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

If you work in a blood or plasma donation center, you may perform a lot of different tasks besides just collecting blood. If you sustain an injury as a lab technician, you may be entitled to collect compensation. Steep medical bills not to mention lost wages can devastate your family’s finances. To learn how to file a workers’ comp claim, contact a Bloomingdale workplace injury attorney at 630-665-5678 today. We offer a free consultation in our conveniently located Wheaton office.

Sources:

https://www.biolifeplasma.com/us/#/about-plasma/what-is-plasma

https://www.cdc.gov/bloodsafety/basics.html