A student visa that lets you study at the university of your choice is a terrific thing for you. But what happens if your studies take longer than you planned? On top of exams and term papers, you may have to worry about your student visa expiring. That’s where an immigration lawyer can be your best friend. Understanding how immigration laws work can be the first step to making sure that you keep your student visa in good standing. My blog is all about immigration issues, especially those faced by foreign students. Check out the articles for more information that you can use to complete your studies in the country you chose to study in.
If you love kids, you might consider working at a well-run daycare center your dream career. However, spending your days around 20 or 30 children in a group setting puts you at risk for developing a shocking number of illnesses and workplace injuries. Take care of yourself with these five tips to avoid the hassle of calling in sick or filing for workers compensation.
Get Vaccinated
To start with, make sure all your basic vaccinations are up to date, including those for:
Most people receive these shots as a child, but adults may need a booster to protect their charges and themselves. Talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated for hepatitis A as well - this form spreads rapidly and often affects daycare workers changing dirty diapers or cleaning up after unknowingly infected children. It's often hard to win a workers compensation claim for these viruses unless you've taken the precaution of getting vaccinated. Consider flu and chicken pox vaccines too, so you don't have to miss work when these common viruses are going around.
Practice Correct Lifting
A crying toddler wants you to pick him up and cuddle him after a fall. Can you lift 40 or 50 pounds from the ground to your chest without straining a muscle in your back, shoulders, or arms? One moment of poor posture when lifting a child could leave you in serious pain for weeks, months, or even longer.
Practice lifting with your legs instead of your back. Since you need to bring the child close to your body to lift and hold them, try using a 40 pound bag of flour or sugar instead of boxes or training weights weighing the same. Never lift a child while you're seated - squat down or rest on one knee while reaching out for them.
Ask for Masks and Gloves
Sometimes it's impossible to keep sick children from coming into the daycare environment. Talk to your supervisor about getting a supply of latex-free medical gloves and simple surgical masks to prevent you and your fellow workers from being exposed to every cold, flu, and virus strain the children bring in with them. Hand washing is essential to cut down on the spread of illness, but in many cases it's far faster to put on a new pair of gloves when you can't get away for the 30 seconds needed to scrub up with soap.
Make Sanitizing a Priority
Aside from keeping your hands clean to cut down on disease transfer, remember to wipe down surfaces and disinfect toys when anyone in the center has so much as the sniffles. Your workplace should already have sanitizing protocols in place as part of the daily routine, but it helps to do a little extra cleaning when you notice a specific student showing signs of illness. This protects you, the children in your care, and all of their family members from serious outbreaks of E. coli, Salmonella, and other easily spread infections.
Address Safety Issues
Finally, take note of any issues in your workplace that put you at extra risk for illness and injury. Document the problems with photographs and written reports that you date and sign. If you need to make a claim against your daycare employer because they failed to give you disinfection supplies, it's easier to get worker's compensation when you can hand over plenty of proof to your attorney.
Taking better care of yourself while working at a daycare also benefits the children you manage. When you're too injured or sick to come in for the day, your charges will notice the difference as another employee fills in for you. Protect yourself with vaccinations and the right supplies so you can stick to your schedule through the tides of illnesses that roll through ever year.
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Share22 January 2015
