Kentucky Workers’ Compensation for Office Injuries

When you think of Kentucky workers who are injured on the job, you may envision construction workers or factory employees. But people who work in offices suffer injuries far more frequently than many people realize. And their injuries may qualify for Kentucky workers’ compensation.

Even workers who are not handling dangerous machinery or caustic chemicals may be at risk for injury. In fact, certain injuries are more common in an office setting than in other workplace environments.

Common office injuries include:

• Falls – According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the most common type of office injury. They also cause the most serious injuries. Office workers are 2.5 times more likely to suffer a serious slip and fall injury than other workers. Office fall injuries are commonly caused by tripping over an object, using a chair to reach something high, slipping on a wet surface, or trying to navigate in inadequate lighting.
• Lifting injuries – Even if your job doesn’t technically require you to lift anything, chances are that you frequently lift boxes or supplies at your office job. Because it is not officially part of your job description, you may not be using the proper technique when you lift, which can lead to a back strain or sprain.
• Violence – CDC statistics tell us that almost one in three (28 percent) of all workplace homicides occur in the “sales and related occupations” industry. This often means an office setting.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – CTS occurs when the median nerve that runs from the arm into the hand is compressed at the wrist. One in three compensable workers’ compensation carpal tunnel syndrome claims comes from the “technical, sales, and administrative support” field, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Transportation accidents – If your office job includes driving, you are at risk. Year after year transportation accidents take the top spot for workplace fatalities according to the BLS.
• Falling Objects – Being struck by an object is among the most common causes of workplace injuries across all industries. Workers in an office atmosphere are not immune to this danger. In fact, officer workers are often at a heightened risk because supplies may be stored on high shelves. Even a single ream of paper falling off of a shelf can cause a serious head injury.

If you have suffered a job-related injury or illness at your office, or have lost a loved one as the result of an office workplace accident, you may be entitled to Kentucky workers’ compensation benefits.

Source:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention