The Overlooked Workplace Safety Risk: Office Workers

Office workers may not be exposed to the same risks as linemen or lumberjacks, but they are subject to risk of injury on the job, just the same.

In fact, a false sense of security regarding office workers can cause us to let down our guard and make on-the-job injuries more likely, so let's look at some of those risks.

Trips, Slips and Falls

Even the most casual misstep can lead to serious accident:

• An office worker carrying a stack of files falls down the stairs and severely injures her back.
• A worker who slips on liquid spilled on the floor falls and breaks his elbow.
• An employee trips over a section of floor covering that has curled up at the corner, falls and hits her head on a desk.
• The bottom drawer of a filing cabinet is left open and an employee falls over the drawer, seriously injuring his knee.
• The heavy top drawer of an otherwise empty filing cabinet is pulled out quickly and tips the cabinet over on an unsuspecting office worker.

Electrical Shock

Electrical shock is not limited to the shop floor. Consider these:

• An employee using a high-speed copier touches an electrical power cord that has been damaged, exposing bare wiring; the employee is critically burned by the exposed wiring.
• A vending machine has a power plug with exposed wiring due to a damaged connection of the wiring to the plug.  When the machine leaks water, an employee attempts to remove the power plug while contacting the water and receives a fatal electrical shock.

Strains and Sprains

• The sedentary lives many of us lead causes the muscles that support our lower backs to weaken. Even casual lifting can result in a serious back injury - one of the most frequent workplace injuries.

Accident Prevention

Recognize Hazards and Correct Them

• Conduct regular inspections - look for dangerous situations and promptly remove or correct noted hazards.
   Management personnel can help with this activity.
• Train employees to look for hazards - this not only helps resolve potentially dangerous situations, it also get employees thinking about safety.

If your company does not have safety professionals on staff, Anchor Risk Management safety consultants can help with safety inspections, information and training for employees.

For more information on avoiding poisons in the workplace contact Anchor Risk Management, 214-632-5188 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .