When asked to picture a dangerous workplace, it is likely most would picture either a quarry or a construction site. However, when it comes to suffering from falls, neither of these are the most dangerous.
In fact, when considering falls alone, the most dangerous workplace is one that millions of Americans enter every day. According to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, those who work in office environments are more than twice as likely to suffer injury from falls as compared to workers in other environments.
Why are office workers so prone to falling?
A lot of it has to do with employee carelessness. For instance, it is not uncommon for a worker to open a file cabinet and fail to close it. It is also not uncommon for other office workers to be walking around the office and not paying attention to their surroundings. This can lead to the second office worker tripping over the file cabinet that the first office worker left open.
Additionally, many workers stand on chairs to reach objects on high shelves. This can cause many falls.
How can I prevent office falls?
The first is to ensure that you clean up after yourself and stay alert to your surroundings. You never know when a colleague may leave open a file drawer or string an extension cord across a hallway. You could also ensure that you go fetch a stepladder every time you need to reach something on a high shelf.
Furthermore, make sure to report dangerous floor conditions to your employer. For instance, chronically wet floors with no signs or hallways with bunched up carpet can be sources of injury.
