Connecticut office workers face numerous risks on the job, from falling to illnesses and repeated motion injuries. Some of the more dangerous professions may come to mind when thinking about workplace injuries, such as the construction or trucking industries. However, there is potential for an employee to be injured in any line of work, even if the job mostly entails sitting down. Those who work in an office can be just as likely to receive a disabling injury as someone who operates dangerous heavy equipment. Administrative, clerical and executive office workers can also face workplace illnesses from numerous sources, ranging from asbestos exposure to burns to improper ventilation. If you have been injured in the office please contact our CT injury attorneys handling office worker injury claims.
Common types of office injuries:
According to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, an office worker injury claims stem from hazards that are unique from other types of jobs. There are quite a few scenarios in which an office employee can get hurt, including the following:
- Head injuries from hitting a cabinet or from heavy objects falling off high shelves;
- Injuries from office equipment, including computers, printers and copy machines;
- Eye strain and headaches from staring at a computer monitor for hours at a time;
- Illnesses shared by office workers in close quarters or through poor ventilation systems;
- Back or neck strain from poor desk ergonomics or sitting for too long in one position; and
- Tripping or slip-and-fall accidents.
In fact, the University of Illinois at Chicago Environmental Health and Safety Office found that fall injuries are the most common type of work-related accidents at the office, with office workers twice as likely to be injured in a fall than those who don't work in an office. Employees in an office can be injured in a fall by tripping on a mat, by slipping on a wet or slick floor or by tripping over electrical cords or other clutter in the walkway.
Repetitive motion injuries from an office job can result in long-term pain:
Possibly one of the most widely recognized forms of office injury, carpal tunnel syndrome affects countless people who routinely perform the same tasks day after day. This includes typing at a computer, especially if the keyboard is not ergonomically sound or the employee is not able to take frequent breaks from typing. According to the Mayo Clinic, the pain from carpal tunnel syndrome can be debilitating and may take weeks or months to recover from. In some cases, the damage from carpal tunnel syndrome is permanent. Additionally, it may even take time for symptoms to show up, even after the employee has left the workplace.
A Hartford, Connecticut workers' compensation attorney can help:
There are just about as many ways an office worker can be injured on the job as there are jobs for office employees to do. If you're suffering from a work-related accident, illness or long-term pain related to an office job, an experienced workers' compensation attorney in Connecticut can help you during the process of applying for help and appealing if necessary. call us anytime at 860-500-1414.
