White-collar employees often take for granted that their jobs are relatively safe. When making a comparison with blue-collar careers, like construction work, that is generally true. However, being safer than the most dangerous jobs does that mean that a job is without risk.
Office workers are actually among the workers most likely to file workers’ compensation claims because of the numerous job hazards that they encounter. While office workers do not necessarily work with heavy machinery, they do work with equipment powered by electricity. While they may not work on a production line, they may do the same job functions every day just like a factory worker does, and that reality can result in work-related harm.
The following are some of the most common ways that office workers may injure themselves and end up in need of workers’ compensation coverage.
Ergonomic injuries
The idea that someone could hurt themselves by sitting all day at work may at first seem ridiculous. However, ergonomic injuries can become debilitatingly painful over time. Someone sitting in a chair with no lumbar support for eight hours a day or more, for example, might develop pain in their lower back, shoulders or hips. The more time workers spend at their desks, the more important it is for employers to provide ergonomic accommodations to help them avoid injuries on the job.
Repetitive stress injuries
Many people associate carpal tunnel syndrome specifically with office workers. Employees in a broad range of careers can develop carpal tunnel syndrome, including commercial truck drivers and factory workers. However, those who type at a computer all day have elevated risk because of the constant active use of their hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries may require the use of assistive technology or a leave of absence to allow someone’s body to heal. People may need to undergo physical therapy. In more extreme cases, they may even need to have surgery.
Slip-and-falls
Office workers don’t perform their jobs at a significant elevation, so they may dismiss the possibility of falling at work as a potential source of injury. Still, someone does not have to fall from a significant elevation to develop injuries that affect their job performance. Someone could fall off of a ladder while accessing stored files or slip in someone spilled coffee. Same-level falls can cause broken bones and brain injuries that require medical attention and affect someone’s job performance.
Understanding that even white-collar employees can become seriously hurt at work may empower people to speak up about their injuries and to seek workers’ compensation benefits.