Whether you’ve been reporting for duty at the same Nebraska office for decades or have just recently started a new job, it’s easy to take your own safety in the workplace for granted. Compared to other lines of work, such as railroad jobs, factory work or agriculture, office work seems rather benign regarding risk for injury.
However, that’s not always the case. Many issues and situations can place you at risk as an office worker. Your employer is obligated to provide you with proper training and equipment to help you stay safe while you work. The more you know about office hazards ahead of time, the better. It would also help to know what to do and where to seek support if you suffer injury on the job.
These issues are safety risks for office workers
When you arrive at your office every day, do you typically look around to make sure the walkways are clear of debris or that nothing is in your path that can cause you injury? Making sure your work environment is safe is one of the obligations your employer has. The following list includes the most common types of accidents and injuries that occur in office settings:
- Slips and falls: You might trip over an electrical cord or fall on a wet floor that was not properly marked with a caution sign. Even if the corner of a carpet is in disrepair, it might be enough to cause you to stumble and sprain an ankle or worse, suffer a debilitating back injury.
- Falling objects: If someone stacks something on a shelf in your workspace or you are walking by a line of shelves or trying to find something in a supply closet, a falling object can hit your hit, land on your foot or otherwise cause you injury.
- Repetitive stress: Do you sit at a computer for most of the day or perform the same manual motion over and over again to complete your assigned tasks? If you stand, do you end in an awkward posture that causes strain on your body over time?
Repetitive strain injuries can cause partial or full disability. You might not know you have an injury for some time, however, until symptoms begin to worsen and tasks become more difficult to fulfill. Even if you are alert and cautious in the workplace, you may fall victim to an accident because of someone’s negligence.
Recovery phase
Even a minor workplace injury can cause you to have to take time off to recover. If your employer pays you by the hour, this can cause serious financial strain at home. Then again, you may be a salaried employee, but if you incur hefty medical expenses because of your injury, it can be difficult to make ends meet.
In addition to reporting your injury to your employer and seeking medical attention, many Nebraska workers speak to support teams who are well-versed in workers’ compensation law before navigating the benefits process.