If you ask the average American to imagine a dangerous workplace, it is unlikely that a regular white collar office space would top the list. However, there are a surprising amount of serious injuries that office workers experience each year.
It may surprise you that falls are extremely common causes of injuries in office spaces. According to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, office workers are over two times more likely to sustain a disabling injury from a fall then workers who do not labor in offices.
What causes these falls?
Probably the most common cause of office falls is the carelessness of others. For example, it is not uncommon for one office worker to open a file cabinet in a hallway and fail to close it. A second office worker may walk through that hallway, not paying attention to his surroundings and then fall over the open file cabinet.
While this may seem comical to a certain extent, it can cause debilitating injury. Additionally, older office spaces may have rumpled up carpets in hallways that cause falls. Finally, some office workers are too lazy to go get a proper stepladder and then we’ll stand on their chair to try to reach high up spaces.
What can I do to prevent injury?
The best thing is to remain cognizant of your surroundings. Make sure that you have an eye open for open file drawers or other potential hazards. Ensure that if the janitorial staff mop the bathroom, they put up wet floor signs.
If there are any defects in your workspace, such as pulled up carpet or other hazards, inform your supervisor immediately so somebody can fix the problem.