A significant amount of work-related injuries come from white collar professions.
When you think about workplace injuries, you probably envision blue collar jobs like manufacturing or construction. While these professions are some of the riskiest careers in Missouri, they are not the only ones that are at risk. One example is office jobs, which are rarely talked about, but comes with their own set of risks. In fact, if you talk to a work injury lawyer, they will probably tell you that a significant portion of the clients they work with come from white collar professions. Below, we explain the most common office job injuries and what you can do to prevent them.
Falls
One injury that takes place in every workplace is falling. Though office workers spend a significant portion of their day sitting down instead of on their feet, there is still a fair amount of walking done. When they do walk, there is always a risk of falling. That could be from a spill on the ground, an object being where it shouldn’t be, or some other unseen danger. Falls frequently lead to soft tissue injuries and broken bones. They can be avoided by paying attention while you walk. The majority of falls happen when somebody is looking at their phone or are distracted in some other way. If you keep your eyes in front of you, you should avoid falling.
Lifting
Though the majority of office work involves working at a desk, there are still various lifting activities that workers need to carry out. A typical example is transporting files or boxes of office supplies. When you do these tasks, you should follow lifting safety guidelines like lifting with your legs instead of your back and using support equipment when available. If you don’t, you could end up with a sprain or strain.
Bumps
When you’re navigating your office, there are many hard objects that you can bump into and hurt yourself on. Though these injuries are generally not severe, you could be unlucky and have a bump lead to severe damages. Just like with falls, the best to avoid this is by not multitasking when you walk. Instead, pay attention to where you are going, and you will prevent bumping into hard or sharp objects.
Repetitive Stress
Perhaps the most common types of office damages lie under the repetitive stress category. They come about due to repetitive motion, which causes injuries to develop over an extended period. A typical example is carpal tunnel, which is characterized by wrist pain and numbness. To avoid these, you can make simple ergonomic changes to your day to day tasks that will protect your health.
If you are an office worker that believes you are at risk of injury, don’t be afraid to speak up. If you notice unsafe practices in the office, your boss likely wants to hear about them. Additionally, there are behavioral changes you can make to avoid injury. If all else fails and you do sustain damages, you can talk to a Missouri workers compensation lawyer to discuss your options. Call (816) 399-3706 for a free case evaluation.