Office health is important to understand both as an employer and an employee if you want to ensure that your workspace is as healthy and safe as possible, in order to prevent injuries occurring within the workspace. Offices are notoriously unhealthy, with blame being given to their culture for symptoms such as insomnia and mental health issues. Knowing about the potential issues with office health and what you can do about it either as an employer or an employee is vital.
Slip and Falls
Slip and falls can occur in any workplace, and most often happen in offices when loose wires are left in a dangerous position, or when floors or surfaces have been cleaned without appropriate warning signs to ensure that employees are careful. Slip and falls are also extremely important to reduce the risk of as they can harm not only you as an employee, but also clients and visitors to the office. If you have experienced a slip and fall in your office that has caused you to sustain an injury, you are eligible to seek the help of a workers compensation injury lawyer who can direct you as to the next steps in the process and help you to get the compensation that you deserve for your injury.
Computer Related Strain
Unlike careers such as manufacturing and construction, computer-related issues are some of the top concerns of working in an office, leading to major concerns over elements, such as your eyesight and repetitive strain injuries, such as carpel tunnel syndrome. To reduce the effect of computer-related strain in your office, you should follow the 20-20 rule, which forces you to look away from your screen for 20 seconds every 20 minutes. You should also turn down your screen brightness, adapt your keyboard and monitor position to suit you, and take regular breaks to reduce the strain.
Posture
Posture is also a major issue for those who work in offices, and this can cause problems such as back and neck pain, as well as headaches, and arm pain for employees. To reduce posture issues, many employees are now starting to request standing desks, as well as taking proactive steps to stop the negative impacts of poor posture through stretches and other exercises that you can perform at your desk. However, if you are already suffering from back pain or arm pain it is always worth going to see a healthcare professional as they will be able to refer you to a specialist in arm pain treatment, or a physiotherapist or osteopath for back pain.
Poor Air Quality
Poor office design and layout can also lead to poor air quality in your office, which is associated with the spread of diseases and bacteria, and can lead to the exacerbation of existing conditions such as asthma. To prevent these issues, you should ask your employer to install air vents within the office in order to allow the free rotation of air around the office, request humidifiers to stop damp entering the office, and open the windows nearest your desk whenever possible.
Staying healthy at work is both important for employees and employers as this can allow the business to stay as productive as possible and reduce the amount of office sick days, which are incredibly common in the USA. By introducing a number of office measures and taking care of your own personal health, protecting your health can be simple.