The Ways In Which Even An Office Job Can Endanger You

You might think that getting to spend all day behind a desk is pretty compared to some of the jobs out there. There’s no denying it doesn’t quite carry the risks of working on a construction site, in a mine, or an oil platform, but if you neglect to recognize the health risks inherent in many offices, you can leave yourself open to some pretty serious injuries. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common office health risks and what you can do to deal with them.

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Eyestrain

While it might not seem like the most serious of risks, eye strain can cause a lot of problems. For one, it’s painful, leaving your eyes feeling stinging and watery. However, it can also lead to increased stress, as well as headaches, including migraines, that can ruin your day even when work is done. Most modern eyestrain is caused by being too close to your screen, which emits blue light that can cause real harm. However, there are blue light covers you put over a monitor to control those emissions.

Musculoskeletal injuries

There are a lot of posture problems in the average office. Sedentary lifestyles can increase your risk of chronic hip pain, back pain, and knee pain. You can lose your range of mobility to the point that it’s easy to pull something simply by twisting the wrong way, or the pressure of bad posture can slowly cause inflammation and pain. Ergonomic furniture in the office can help you ensure you’re sitting in a safe and healthy way, but it’s crucial to take breaks, stand up, and stretch your legs.

Slips, trips, and falls

There are a lot of offices out there that could stand to be a lot tidier. The biggest risk of all is having any tripping hazards out in the walkway between desks. Looking where you are going as best as possible can help you avoid them but any tripping hazards are largely the responsibility of employers. If you don’t feel they have taken care of the work environment or left warnings where necessary, it may be worth talking to the best injury law firm if you injure yourself. Otherwise, try to warn them of work environment conditions ahead of time so they can fix it.

Lifting accidents

Similarly, if you feel like you aren’t able to safely lift some essentials in the office, such as boxes of documents or digital equipment from the storeroom, you should let your employer know. Trying to lift heavy objects without the right aid can cause sudden and serious back injuries. You can be taught proper lifting form to make sure that you’re doing it as safely as possible, but you should also know when you’re doing to need certain pieces of equipment, such as trolleys, to help move especially heavy objects. This isn’t as common in the office but does still happen regularly enough to keep it in mind.

Ensure you protect your rights to a safe working environment and speak up if you feel unsafe or have been injured by the office. You have to be your own advocate.