Top Five Office Worker Injuries
In 2021, private employers throughout the country reported over 2.6 million non-fatal workplace injuries among office workers. A significant number of these injuries require intense medical treatment. That means high medical bills which, in most cases, victims cannot pay. Such injuries also mean several weeks or months off work which, in most cases, victims cannot afford. Workers’ compensation benefits in Florida address both these needs.
Once upon a time, Claims Examiners basically rubber-stamped these claims, so workers quickly got important financial benefits. Now, since lawmakers have repeatedly lowered workers’ comp insurance premiums, there’s less money in the system. So, Claims Examiners scrutinize these claims and look for ways to deny them. Therefore, unless job injury victims have a tough Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer, they must usually settle for less.
Eye Strain
This injury affects workers in several different ways. Eye strain leads to discomfort and headaches, reducing productivity. Improper lighting makes things worse. Additionally, simply staring too long at a computer screen day-to-day can lead to eye strain, since it causes our blink rate to drop. As a result, eyes aren’t properly hydrated.
If workers have complete control over their workspaces, eye strain injuries are relatively easy to prevent. For example, a computer screen must be about eighteen inches from your face, and the center of the screen should be ten or fifteen degrees below your eyes.
Many workers don’t have complete control over their workspaces. Bosses tell workers where to place their computers, and bosses also control room lighting. These control measures often increase the risk of eye strain.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
A combination of improper wrist positioning and too much typing compresses the medial nerve, which runs through the wrist. Common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include tingling, pain and numbness in the hand and forearm. Additionally, people who use vibrating power tools are at risk for CTS. These symptoms aren’t too serious. However, only rest and physical therapy treats CTS. That means time off work and medical bills.
Proper wrist elevation and occasional breaks virtually eliminate the risk. It’s not enough for employers to provide proper workstations and allow frequent breaks. Employers must also explain why these things are important. Employers must also ensure that workers take breaks and configure their workspaces accordingly.
Falls
Floor clutter, mostly boxes and cables, often causes slip and fall injuries. These injuries are especially severe if the victim has a pre-existing condition. Usually, full benefits are available in these cases. A Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer must only prove the job injury aggravated the pre-existing condition, and not the other way around.
Back Pain
A worker usually needs more than two weeks of rest, not to mention extensive medical treatment, to recover from a back pain episode. Improper sitting often causes such episodes. Improper lifting usually causes most of the rest.
Usually, WFH employees are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits for back pain and other injuries. Employers have a responsibility to make a WFH space as safe as office space.
Repetitive Stress Injury
RSI can be difficult to diagnose and manage, because doctors still don’t know much about how to treat it. Its name comes from the fact that RSI is often caused when particular movements are carried out in repetition.
Activities like inputting on a computer, writing, or using tools and machinery may seem harmless, but over time these continual movements can cause small tears in muscles. The resulting inflammation causes pain and damage whenever these movements are repeated. Eventually, RSI may even lead to premature degenerative changes.
In some cases, RSI and other job injury victims may be able to sue outside the system and obtain additional compensation for their pain and suffering and other noneconomic losses.
Count on a Diligent Hillsborough County Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to important financial benefits. For a free consultation with an experienced job injury lawyer in Tampa, contact Kobal Law. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
Source:
bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf