The insurance industry is beginning to see an alarming trend of workers’ compensation claims roll in from extended mask wearing.
Of course, the CDC recommends the masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, OSHA approved air quality monitors also indicate the masks do create a hazardous breathing environment. This is leading to negative side effects such as anxiety, headaches, increased heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.
To be clear, I am not condemning the masks. My only interest is to make sure insureds aware of the potential negative side effects so that you can take the appropriate steps to mitigate the impact on the health of your employees.
For more information you can visit: Mask Wearing Prevents COVID Spread; But Could They Also Be Ushering in Workers’ Comp Claims?
Below are Four Steps for combating the effects of wearing the mask from PN Medical.
Combating the Effects of Mask Wearing
TAKE 5 QUALITY BREATHS
- A Quality Breath = 4 seconds inhale through the nose, 6 second exhale through the mouth. 2 second pause. Repeat 5 times.
LONGER AND SLOWER
- Notice people around you. Some change their breathing patterns while wearing a mask. Combat this by taking longer slower breaths while you are wearing yours.
TAKE MASK BREAKS
- If you are wearing a mask for extended periods of time, take breaks from the mask periodically when it is safe. Follow Step 1 above.
- Breaks between times wearing a mask can reduce the negative effects.
RESPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING (RMT)
- RMT helps to improve the function of respiratory muscles.
- For 5 minutes in the morning and 5 at night, practice RMT.
- RMT is valuable in the face of COVID-19 (Severin et al 2020)
If you have any questions, I can be reached by email at ryanhanigan@jjdoorhy.com or through PM here on LinkedIn.
Source: PN Medical
