Like many people, you probably associate workplace injuries in Ohio with jobs involving manual or physical labor. You might think you cannot sustain a serious injury at your office job when most of your tasks involve sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
However, you can sustain an injury in an office job. There are many types of common injuries that occur in office jobs.
Improper seating
Most office chairs are not comfortable, and you are not meant to sit for long periods. Sitting at your desk for several hours at a time can cause strain to your neck, shoulders, wrists and back.
While these may seem like minor issues, these strains can develop into more serious conditions over time, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Your employer should provide you with a workstation designed to reduce these types of injuries.
Heavy lifting
Injuries from lifting or carrying heavy objects are another common type of office workplace injury. While most of your job may be sedentary, you probably do occasional lifting, such as lifting stacks of documents or office equipment.
You should not be engaging in this type of heavy lifting on your own if it is too much for you. Your employer should provide you with support or have co-workers help you if you must engage in a task like this.
Falls
Falls are extremely common in an office setting. In fact, they are the injury most responsible for causing a disabling injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that office workers are twice to two and a half times more likely to suffer a disabling injury from a fall than non-office workers.
There are many factors that cause falls, such as tripping over office equipment, slipping on wet floors or reaching for something from a chair.
You can potentially recover compensation for an office injury through workers’ compensation claim, which can make a big difference in your life.