Workers' Compensation

Workers’ Comp Risks in Office Settings

Chelsea Bikner
Workers’ Comp Risks
Reading time 5 Mins
Published on Jan 10
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It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your office employees are less susceptible to injuries than workers in more physically demanding roles. Office settings pose their own unique set of workers’ comp risks. From falls to ergonomic issues and eye strain, your office-bound employees are just as much at risk of injury as other employees. Being aware of the risks and taking steps to minimize them is the best way to help your employees avoid work-related injuries. Here are the most common workers’ comp risks in traditional office settings and tips to help your staff avoid them.

 

Falls

Injuries incurred from slips, trips, and falls are common in almost every industry and are continually in OSHA’s top 5 most prevalent injuries across nearly all job sectors. Not only do falls take a physical toll on your injured worker, but they also pose a significant financial burden – to the tune of $70 billion annually.

Most falls in the office result from a worker tripping over an open drawer, loose carpeting, an object placed in the walkway, slipping on wet floors, and using a chair instead of a ladder. These accidents are usually preventable with the proper precautions. Don’t place objects, including décor items or temporary items, in common walkways. Ensure that all workers get in the habit of closing file and desk drawers when they finish using them. Make sure that all electrical cords and loose carpeting are secured and unobtrusive. Encourage workers to clean up spills as soon as they happen or are noticed, even if they didn’t make the mess. Have wet floor or caution signs for large spills or for areas that have been freshly mopped. Make sure that you have step ladders for employees to use, particularly in storage areas and near tall shelving units to reach items stored overhead.

Ergonomics

Awkward working positions can cause serious strains to muscles, nerves, and circulation. Be ergonomically aware and ensure that workstations are set up to comfortably fit the needs of your office workers. Your employees shouldn’t have to overextend to reach their keyboards, strain to see their monitors, or develop aches from a chair that doesn’t offer proper support.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and upper and lower back strain are just a few of the most common workers’ comp risks associated with poor ergonomics. Since this kind of nerve and muscle damage is extremely painful and may never fully heal, prevention is worth its weight in gold with these injuries. Encourage your employees to take regular mini-breaks to stretch, rest their eyes, and make posture adjustments throughout the workday. Ensure that monitors are kept at eye-level for each employee to avoid neck strain. Work with your employees to select office chairs that provide proper ergonomic support.

Eye strain

With the average office employee spending seven hours each workday on the computer, it should come as no surprise that the American Optometric Association reports that 58 percent of adults have experienced eye strain or vision problems as a direct result of too much screen time. With symptoms including headaches, blurred vision, and physical fatigue not only does eye strain pose a significant long-term health risk, but it also increases the risk of errors in an employee’s work and hinders productivity.

Simple adjustments like blue-light filters on computer screens can help reduce some eye strain. Additionally, you should utilize mesh screens or tinted film over windows to reduce excessively bright light coming from the outside without blocking views. Use lower intensity bulbs to reduce the brightness of ambient light indoors. Ensure that all employees adjust the brightness of their computer displays to match that of their surroundings. Employees can even alter text size and contrast as necessary to ensure eye comfort. Use the 20-20-20 rule to encourage employees to take physical breaks away from the computer to avoid eye strain. Every 20 minutes, employees should look at an object or space that is 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. It may seem like a small step, but these breaks not only reduce eye strain, they also improve productivity.

Sheakley can help you better understand your risk

Workplace injuries leave injured employees out of work for an undetermined amount of time and can result in high medical bills, stress, and anxiety. When working with your workers’ compensation partners, it is important for you to understand the unique work-related injury risks for your industry and setting and how to help your employees avoid injury. The Workers’ Compensation experts at Sheakley can help to give you guidance and additional information on the most common injury types for each industry, making sure that you understand the risks for your employees and your business.

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