Office job accidents are more common than one might think because the office environment comes with unique, entrenched potential injury opportunities. While the injuries are not like those sustained working outside or another physically active job, they nonetheless present the possibility of strained vision, back pain, hand and wrist pain, neck pain, slips, trips, and falls, poor ventilation or lighting, or even unsafe electrical hazards in various forms.

Many office accidents result from working 100 percent indoors while seated and working on a computer all day, using the phone extensively, and working at a desk. The office environment is also fraught with other hidden hazards that may lead to an office job accident or death and a workers’ compensation claim.

In 2022 in New Jersey, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cited 116 fatal work injuries, up from 110 in 2021. For further information, visit the BLS charts HERE. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) reported there were 5,486 deaths recorded nationwide in 2022, a 5.7-percent increase from 5,190 in 2021. And still, on the national scene, slips, trips, and falls were the second-most common fatal event for 16 percent of the death total.

Overall, the most common accident that happens while working an office job is falls. Office workers are 2 to 5 times more likely to be disabled from a fall at the office. Falling also accounts for one of the most disabling injuries possible, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most common cause of falls while working in an office may include:

• An unexpected sudden slip on wet floors or set stairs.
• Improper lighting in areas of the office where there are possible hazards, such as unused equipment being stored, stacked boxes, or other objects not in frequent use but not securely stored. 
• Not using a ladder to reach something and using a chair or other object.
• Reaching over or bending over an unstable chair and falling off trying to pick something up.
• Tripping over objects in a hall or on walkways, tripping on loose wires or cords, or tripping on loose flooring or carpeting.
• Back, neck, and shoulder injuries may come from lifting loads such as computer monitors, boxes of files, or other equipment. If a worker slips and falls, it can result in even further injuries. 
• It is common for office workers to also bump into objects, get hit by falling objects from the top of filing cabinets or other storage units, or get jammed between objects.
• Items can land on workers’ feet, causing broken bones. Cabinets or other furniture may be unstable and fall over onto a worker. Getting hands caught in drawers, paper cutters, or getting clothing or jewelry caught in office machines.
• Working from or in a workstation that does not support your body, such as using a chair that does not support your back, there is no proper wrist support while typing. This can result in musculoskeletal issues and neck, back, and wrist issues.

Contact Petrillo & Goldberg Law

For serious office job accident injuries in Camden County, contact our workers’ compensation attorneys at Petrillo & Goldberg Law. Workers’ compensation laws protect workers and job providers against occupational injuries and illnesses.

When a worker sustains injuries, workers’ compensation insurance pays the costs, up to policy limits and based on New Jersey state laws. Workers’ compensation insurance also protects employers against lawsuits from workplace accidents. We’re here to help you with your workers’ compensation claim.