Common office injuries eligible for workers’ compensation

Workplace injuries do not just occur in industries with working conditions that are considered dangerous, such as oilfields, manufacturing and construction. There are many risks involved in white collar office jobs in Texas and around the country that could lead to a workers’ compensation claim. Common injuries include strains, overexertion, falls or being hit by objects, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Human Resources Management.

Office supplies and furniture might pose a risk to workers. Workers might also find themselves catching a finger or other part of their body in something, such as office machines or a door. Objects might fall off the shelf, a person might walk into the furniture or something might fall on a person’s foot.

Although these pose a potential risk, the type of injury that most commonly leads to disabling injuries in the office is falling, typically due to tripping or otherwise losing balance. This may be due to tripping over wires, slipping on a wet surface, tripping over an open desk drawer or using inappropriate items in place of a ladder. Compared to non-office employees, there is a 2 to 2.5 times higher risk of falling for those who work in an office.

According to Albert Einstein College of Medicine, another common threat to office workers comes from long-term strains to the musculoskeletal system (muscles and bones) due to workstations that are not made to properly support a person. Continual use of workstations with uncomfortable chairs, improper angles for typing or computer screens at the wrong location could lead to poor posture, back pain, eyestrain and carpal tunnel syndromes.

Another very common office injury comes from overexertion or straining a muscle, frequently the back, when lifting objects. This is not just from lifting heavy objects; even a small load lifted improperly can lead to an injury to a muscle group, especially the shoulders, neck and back.