In our agricultural and industrial past, workers often longed for an office job away from the harsh weather, loud noises and occupational dangers of work on the farm, factory floor or in the mine.
But office workers suffer from their fair share of debilitating injuries, and while a repetitive stress disorder might not have the cocktail party cache of, say, losing a limb in a logging accident, it can still be painful, life-changing and the cause of a worker’s compensation claim.
Most common falls come from tripping
A recent study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, using information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that the most common accidents in the office are falls. The most common falls:
- Tripping over an open desk drawer, loose carpeting or electrical cords
- Bending for something on an unstable chair
- Standing on a chair
- Slipping on a wet floor
- Tripping due to inadequate lighting
The report offers some tips on how to avoid such injuries such as closing drawers after you use them, don’t stretch when you need something but instead get up, report loose carpeting or exposed electrical cords to the maintenance department, pick objects up off the floor and use a stepladder and not a chair to reach overhead objects.
Spare a thought to ergonomics
Ergonomics is the practice of workplace efficiency, and experts have determined that unless office workers use proper posture hygiene, they could require worker’s compensation after suffering from musculoskeletal problems of the neck, shoulders and back as well as poor posture, eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Experts suggest that part of staying healthy includes looking away from your computer screen every 10 minutes and stretch every half an hour. They also suggest you:
- Adjust your chair so your thighs are horizontal to the floor, your feet are flat and your lower back is supported
- Adjust your keyboard so your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and your wrists are straight
- Adjust your monitor so the top of the screen is at eye level, and use a document holder so your documents are at the same level as the monitor
- Use the least amount of force possible to type or staple
- Adjust blinds to keep glare off the monitor
If you suffer from an injury sustained in the workplace, it’s in your best interest to not only seek the best medical care available but also the best advice from a qualified, experienced attorney who can help guide you through your worker’s compensation claim.
