Office Employees at Risk of Work-Related Injuries

By The Husband and Wife Law Team on October 3, 2011

Many people assume that office employees are at very little risk of workplace injuries because their jobs are not as dangerous as mining, agriculture, construction, or manufacturing jobs. However, office workers have many opportunities to injure themselves on the job. The authors of Costs of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses estimate that the average American worker spends up to 50 percent of his waking hours at work.

Repetitive Stress Injury

Typing, data entry, and other repetitive tasks put a lot of strain on the muscles of the hands and arms. Some workers develop carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition characterized by pressure on the median nerve. This condition causes numbness and tingling in the palm and thumb, pain in the wrists, pain extending to the elbow, muscle wasting, hand weakness, problems with coordination and movement, and weak grip.

Muscle Strains

Office workers may not be hauling construction materials every day, but they do have to lift heavy boxes of documents, move heavy objects like copy machines and computer equipment, and lift other heavy objects. This increases the risk of muscle strains and related injuries.

Falls

When workers move equipment without permission or leave their supplies scattered around, they are putting everyone in the office at risk of a fall. Causes of falls in an office environment include spills that are not cleaned up, loose wires, damaged flooring, loose carpeting, leaving drawers open, and carrying items that obscure the vision of workers.

Your employer should take steps to ensure your safety at the office. If you sustained a work-related injury caused by someone else’s actions, contact the Phoenix workplace injury lawyers at The Breyer Law Offices P.C. We have the experience needed to handle workplace injury cases and fight for your rights. Call us at (602) 457-6222 to schedule a consultation.