Office workers

These are the most common injuries and hazards for people working in an office environment, as shown by injury claims.

Office workers

These are the most common injuries and hazards for people working in an office environment, as shown by injury claims.

Safety solutions

WorkSafe expects employers to have safety solutions in place to protect workers from the most common sources of injury.

Hazards and solutions

Hazard 1
Lifting
Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment (eg height-adjustable trolleys,) and ensure they are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

Ensure building layout / design limits the need to push, pull or carry equipment (eg goods lifts, car parking is nearby, stairs and entry doors are designed for people handling loads, sufficient storage is available at or near the point where objects are used, storage is at waist height).

Where heavy, bulky or awkward objects are moved in and out of vehicles, ensure that the load can be slid to/from a trolley.

Arrange deliveries to nearest the point of use or directly into storage.

Ensure employees are not exposed to repetitive work for long periods (eg by using job rotation, work variation, providing sit-stand stools and anti-fatigue mats) or work that requires a significant amount of high force.

1 per cent of the injuries were to a persons arm.

9 per cent of the injuries were to a persons shoulder.

14 per cent of the injuries were to a persons back.

6 per cent of the injuries were to a persons hand / fingers.
Hazard 2
Repetitive work / computer use
Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment (eg height adjustable or sit / stand desks, phone headsets, voice recognition software), and ensure they are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

Provide appropriate workstations (eg height-adjustable chairs, computers with height-adjustable monitors, adequate lighting, desk and foot space and mouse pad area, docking station for laptops). This includes home offices or off-site work areas.

Ensure employees are not exposed to repetitive work for long periods (eg by using job rotation, work variation, providing sit-stand stools and anti-fatigue mats).

Set up workstations to ensure people are not lifting frequently-used objects at the limits of their reach.

Train employees on office ergonomics (eg keyboard and phone shortcuts)

1 per cent of the injuries were to a persons arm.

9 per cent of the injuries were to a persons shoulder.

14 per cent of the injuries were to a persons back.

7 per cent of the injuries were to a persons forearm / wrist.

6 per cent of the injuries were to a persons hand / fingers.
Hazard 3
Slips trips and falls
Ensure chairs are appropriate for the floor surface (eg castors on carpet, gliders or castors fitted with brakes for timber, concrete or vinyl).

When accessing heights, provide the highest level of falls prevention measures (eg platform ladders, mobile step stools with hand rails) as is reasonably practicable. Ensure ladders are in good condition and are used safely (eg three points of contact at all times).

Ensure floors are level and non-slip throughout work areas, and no temporary or permanent obstructions (eg install more power points to eliminate long power leads, ensure rugs and carpets are secure).

Apply good housekeeping practise (eg remove unnecessary items, provide sufficient storage, ensure items are put away, doors and drawers closed after use).

Ensure employees wear appropriate footwear (eg non-slip).

Ensure procedures are in place to handle spills and wet cleaning (eg warning signs barriers and immediate clean up).

1 per cent of the injuries were to a persons arm.

8 per cent of the injuries were to a persons knee.

9 per cent of the injuries were to a persons shoulder.

14 per cent of the injuries were to a persons back.

7 per cent of the injuries were to a persons forearm / wrist.

5 per cent of the injuries were to a persons leg.
Hazard 4
Work-related stress bullying and work-related violence
Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for workplace bullying and harassment.

Encourage a positive workplace culture, including reporting of bullying and harassment.

Ensure all employees understand what bullying and harassment is, and the procedures for reporting incidents (eg policies and procedures should be promoted during employee induction and workplace bullying prevention or training).

Provide access and encourage employees to use employee counselling / support services, where possible.

Encourage employees to report any workplace stress factors (eg work demand, low control, poor support, lack of role clarity, organisational culture) and control appropriately.

27 per cent of the injuries were to a persons psychological system.

Office workers

Office workers

Safety solutions

Hazards and solutions

Lifting

Repetitive work / computer use

Slips trips and falls

Work-related stress bullying and work-related violence

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