Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog | Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

Many people assume that workplace injuries only occur at dangerous workplaces, like construction sites, oil refineries, mines, or convenience stores, but the truth is that many injuries occur under the very conditions where the majority of us work: in an office, at the computer. Sometimes, these injuries can be merely a nuisance, but other times, they can be serious, necessitating a workers compensation claim.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is a name for any number of aches and pains that occur as a result of doing the kinds of things you have to do during your office job. This can range from stress that makes it painful for you to work, all the way up to disorders like bursitis or tendonitis that can prevent you from working at all and require expensive medical treatment. If you file repeatedly, if you stay on the phone all day, and especially if you type on your computer all day, you are liable to suffer some form of RSI. Here are some tips for avoiding this form of injury:

Break up tasks: if you have a lot of filing to do, break it up into several shorter tasks, rather than attempting to do it all at once. If your phone calls are long, take breaks in between to do other work.

Ergonomic design: Make sure all your work equipment is designed to help avoid strain on your body during use. A shoulder rest for your phone, a wrist rest at your keyboard, a well-adjusted chair can all make the difference between injury and health. Place your most-used files at a comfortable level to avoid repetitive bending over. If you feel uncomfortable at your work station, suggest to your employer that you might benefit from an ergonomic analysis of your workstation.

Keep active: Being generally active and healthy is a good way to prevent RSI. Park farther away from the building to get in more walking every day, or use public transportation to add walking and save money at the same time. If you can, consider biking to work. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up and walk during break times rather than spending it checking email or browsing the web. Suggest to your employer that the office practice a mandatory break with stretching exercises to help everyone in the office avoid injury.

If you have suffered an on-the-job injury in your office workplace, these can sometimes be the hardest to prove, but the experienced workers compensation lawyers at Pomerantz, Perlberger, and Lewis, LLP know how to maximize your success. Please contact us today for a free initial consultation.