The Hidden Dangers in your Office. Is your Health at Risk?

You’re probably familiar with the health and safety regulations put in place at your office. What to do in case of a fire, who the first aiders are and what you need to do in the event of an emergency. It’s difficult to imagine that an everyday office could be harboring dangerous hazards, which means many employees fail to take safety regulations seriously.

The truth is, if you were to become involved in an accident at work and be seriously injured, you could be looking at a loss of earnings, rising medical bills and mounting debts. If you’ve been injured at work you may want to discuss your situation with a PI attorney – you can find a personal injury lawyer here, just click the link. Understanding and recognizing the hidden dangers in your office is crucial. Besides accidents, you need to pay attention to your overall health and make sure that your daily posture isn’t harming your back. Also, if your job requires you to be on your feet and you’ve noticed pain, you should get a checkup to determine if you have nerve damage. If so, you can consider getting insoles for neuropathy. Having said that, you should be on the lookout for the following hazards!

Falling

No one wants to experience the humiliation of tripping and falling down in the office, surrounded by co-workers and peers. Sadly, if your workplace is harboring hidden hazards, then it might be more likely to happen. 

Areas that are cluttered are more likely to have people catching their feet and tripping. Boxes, cables and wires, rugs and mats near doors, even bags and coats of co-workers that have slipped off chairs into walkways and thoroughfares could pose a danger. 

Employees who decide to stand on chairs and on desks to reach items or to adjust lights or even swat insects are also at risk of falling and seriously injuring themselves. Anything that’s out of reach requires a step ladder! 

Slips

Again, slipping and sliding everywhere should be saved for the ice rink, not your morning trip to the coffee maker! Slipping can cause painful and debilitating injuries, either when the victim hits the hard ground, or when they’ve stretched and strained joints, bones and ligaments trying to stop themselves from skidding.

Water spillages in kitchens and wet floors in bathrooms are often the most common cause of slips in the office. Especially on tiled floors that provide little grip or friction.

Being struck by falling objects

Whether you’re sitting at your desk and suddenly a ceiling tile comes crashing down, or you’re walking past a filing cabinet and the entire thing lurches forward and strikes your head, one thing is certain – being struck by falling objects can have serious health consequences. Skull fractures, neck damage and even brain trauma are possible outcomes!

All heavy items should be stored correctly. So those large boxes of paper should be stored in the bottom of the cupboard, not the top, to help with weight distribution. Anything heavy that is stored at height should have safety cords and the maximum weight of these storage units should never be exceeded. 

And finally, ergonomic injuries

Repetitive strain injuries, back pain and neck issues are common amongst office workers and they’re usually the result of poor ergonomic practices. 

Workers should be trained on how to use their equipment properly to ensure various parts of their body are being adequately supported. Regular breaks should also be encouraged to reduce injuries.