Accidents In The Office.
According to HSE statistics, over two million people in the UK suffer accidents at work every year. This includes around 300,000 injuries which are serious enough to be reported, representing a rate of one serious work accident per 100 workers. People don’t really realise that serious accidents can happen in an office environment. But in fact, accidents are just as likely to happen in an office as they are on a construction site or in a factory. The sad thing is that most of these accidents are preventable by following simple health and safety guidelines and a little bit of common sense.
Most of the office hazards are hidden, therefore regular risk assessments and maintenance checks need to be carried out. Office injury claims tend to arise as a result of inadequate workstations and seating arrangements and bad ergonomic planning for desk workers. These factors can cause repetitive strain injuries. Office workers usually complain of back, neck or shoulder pains due to the way they sit during the day. If an office chair is too high or low this can affect the way a person sits and put unnecessary pressure on parts of the body. These sorts of injuries can lead to long-term injuries if endured for long periods of time. Office workers spend virtually all of their working day sitting at a desk typing; therefore the furniture provided needs to be as comfortable as possible to ensure optimum productivity.
Slip, trips and falls are also common in an office environment. The common cause of falls is trailing computer cables and other obstacles on the floor. If wires are not tidied up properly then this can be potentially hazardous. Slips often occur on worn or broken steps in the office. Accidents can also be caused if wet floor signs are not properly displayed or if the car park is not properly maintained. Also if the office entrance is not properly gritted during icy weather then this can cause accidents. If office work involves heavy lifting then appropriate instruction on how to lift things properly must be administered to avoid back injuries. Faulty equipment or appliances can also cause injuries.
If you have suffered an injury at work that was not your fault then it is your right to make a claim for compensation. The compensation that you will receive if your claim is successful will cover any loss of earnings that have incurred due to work absenteeism for recovery purposes, any physical or emotional suffering that you have endured and any medical bills that you have had to pay as a direct result of the accident. Your employer has a duty of care to provide a safe workplace for his employees to work in and it is his responsibility to minimise the risk of injury as much as possible. It is also a legal requirement for an employer to be covered with appropriate insurance in the event that an accident claim is filed against the company.
If you have suffered a workplace injury then contact Accident Consult today for more information on making a successful claim. They can provide you with impartial advice on any accident claim enquiries that you may have.
Tags: long periods of time, office environment, office workers, repetitive strain injuries, risk assessments, safety guidelines, term injuries, work accident |
