The Most Common Office Injury to Avoid

Have you been injured at work?

You’re not alone. There were over 800,000 workplace injuries or illnesses in 2017 alone.

A workplace injury can cause a great deal of pain, suffering, and financial loss. While an injury is sometimes unavoidable, it’s important that your workplace creates and fosters a safe work environment.

Take a look below at common work injuries and what you can do to avoid them.

Common Work Injuries

1. Slips And Falls

Slips and falls are one of the most common workplace injuries. Slips and falls occur often at the office due to:

• Loose carpeting
• Spills on the floor
• Standing on chairs
• Tripping on cords

To avoid this type of work injury, make sure that your work is clean and clutter-free. If there are any loose rugs, carpets, or cords, report this to facilities management for repair. Never use a chair as a ladder, and keep hallways free of clutter or tripping hazards.

2. Lifting

If you work in an office setting, you’ve likely had to lift boxes of heavy files or even a computer at some point in your career. Even though this may not seem like a huge risk, it could still cause a serious back injury if you’re not using the proper lift technique.

In order to prevent an injury from lifting, you should:

• Warm up your muscles before attempting to lift an object
• Squat down and keep your back straight
• Grab the item and lift
• Lower the item by squatting again

Ask for help if you are lifting anything particularly heavy.

3. Ergonomic Safety

If you sit hunched over in front of a computer for hours a day, you’re at risk for an ergonomic injury. Many of these injuries are musculoskeletal and cause issues with your muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. These include:

• Carpal tunnel
• Muscle strains
• Tendinitis
• Back pain

To prevent ergonomic injuries, you should:

• Sit so that your knees are equal to your hips with your feet flat on the floor.
• Keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle and keep your wrists straight
• Set up your computer monitor an arm’s length away. Keep it level to your eyes.
• Take frequent breaks to stretch

4. Electrical Accidents

Electrical accidents, on average, lead to over 4,000 injuries and 300 deaths in the workplace each year. These accidents can range from a quick shock to serious burns, electrocution, and death.

To prevent electrical accidents at work, your office should:

• Inspect electrical cords to make sure they’re in good condition
• Never overload power strips or outlets
• Confirm that all equipment is properly installed
• Don’t throw rugs or carpeting over extension cords
• Keep water away from electrical outlets

What Should You Do With An Injury?

You’ve followed all these tips to avoid a workplace injury but you still get hurt on the job… What do you do now?

If you’ve suffered from a workplace injury, you may want to contact a lawyer. These law experts can help you navigate your claim and ensure that you’re getting the pay and help you deserve.

Be Safe At Work

It’s important to create a safe work environment for you and your colleagues. A workplace injury can happen to anyone at any time. However, if you maintain a rich safety culture, it can help decrease the risks.

If you’re interested in reading about more information like this, please check us out here.

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