The Most Common Office Accident: Not Preventing It Could Make You Disabled

As you sit there typing away at your desk and sipping your coffee, chances are you’re not concerned about getting an injury. Although office environments may not seem as hazardous as the inherent dangers of construction sites, tens of thousands of office workers suffer injuries or work-related health problems that lead to lost time every year.

According to the Center for Disease Control, falling down is not only the most common office accident, it is also responsible for causing the most disabling injuries. In fact, the CDC reports that office workers are 2 to 2.5 times more likely to suffer disabling injuries from a fall than non-office workers.

What many people don’t realize is those workplace injuries can not only cause other injuries, but they can also put the safety of other employees at risk. For example, if a falls causes an employee to bleed, other employees could slip and fall themselves. It can also lead to exposing other employees to blood-borne pathogens – which can infect workers with certain diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

It may seem like avoiding falls in the office is common sense, but complacency plays a heavy factor in the common causes of office falls.

Here are some tips to prevent falls in the office:

• Look before you walk -- make sure the walkway is clear.
• If you're done with a drawer, close it immediately.
• Don't stretch to reach something while seated. Get up instead.
• Report any loose carpeting, electrical cords, etc. to someone who can have them fixed.
• Help keep the office fall-proof, such as cleaning spills and picking up misplaced objects.
• Use a stepladder, not a chair, if you need to reach something overhead.

Here are the most common causes of office falls, according to the CDC:

• Tripping over an open desk or drawer, electrical cords or wires, loose carpeting, or objects in hallways/walkways.
• Bending or reaching for something while seated in an unstable chair.
• Using a chair in place of a ladder.
• Slipping on wet floors.
• Inadequate lighting.

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