With more and more Nevadans working from home than ever before, it’s important to familiarize yourself with accidents and injuries specific to home offices. This is why various safety organizations use the second week of January to promote Home Office Safety Week. The Las Vegas injury lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys would like to contribute to the event with the safety tips below. While working from home can be comfortable and productive, it can also be dangerous. Here are some of the most common work-from-home injuries our injury lawyers have encountered and ways to avoid them.
Three Common Home Office Injuries
While most homes have comforts and conveniences most offices cannot match, they are not optimized for full work days. Many people that have transitioned to work-from-home or hybrid working are surprised by how big of an adjustment the change can be. Unfortunately, switching from full-time office work to a home office setup can lead to injuries. Here are the three most common types of home office accidents our Nevada injury lawyers have encountered with our clients.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Proper offices are full of electronic devices and equipment meant to serve multiple users. Most home offices are equipped for one. People that have transitioned to work-from-home often have to add devices to their home offices to match that productivity. This can lead to additional power cables, extension cords, and surge protectors, which can lead to slip-and-fall accidents.
You can avoid slips, trips, and falls caused by new electronics and peripherals by using proper cable management. Keep wires tucked out of the way by using cable organizers that bundle multiple cords together. Not only will it make your home office look tidier, but it will also increase your safety.
Electrocution Injuries
Adding new electronics to your home office can add strain to your electrical outlets. Be sure to spread the electrical load over multiple outlets and multiple surge protectors. Overloaded outlets can lead to injuries such as shocks and electrical burns. The good news is that these injuries are highly avoidable through thoughtful electrical load management.
One of the biggest mistakes our Las Vegas injury attorneys see is people using old surge protectors. Some people erroneously believe that surge protectors are a one-and-done purchase and only replace them upon failure. The Wirecutter suggests replacing surge protectors every three to five years. Use Home Office Safety Week as a reminder to replace any old surge protectors in your office. This will help you protect your electronics and avoid electrical injuries.
Soft Tissue Injuries Caused by Poor Ergonomics
When some people think of work-from-home environments, they get visions of working from a plush sofa with a latte in hand. While this may be fine for an hour or two, working from a couch or recliner can wreak havoc on your back, neck, and shoulders. This can lead to numerous soft tissue injuries that can take years to recover from.
If you’ll be working from home in the long term then it pays to invest in a high-quality office desk and office chair. Properly designed office furniture with ergonomic support in mind can keep you comfortable and supported throughout the day.
Share These Home Office Safety Week Tips
The Nevada injury lawyers at ER Injury Attorneys hope that this blog has given you a better understanding of the unique challenges of working from home. Please share this information with your friends and family as part of Home Office Safety Week. Should you suffer a home office injury and believe that it was caused by a defective product then contact us for immediate assistance.
You can reach ER Injury Attorneys’ team of experienced and knowledgeable Nevada lawyers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are available by phone at 702-878-7878 and online through LiveChat or encrypted contact form. Our firm represents injury victims throughout Nevada, including Henderson, Summerlin, Pahrump, Boulder City, Laughlin, and other areas of Southern Nevada.
ER Injury Attorneys is committed to getting you the highest settlement allowable by law, while allowing you to focus on recovery without the stress of dealing with aggressive insurance companies. Take the first step towards the money that you deserve for your injuries and reach out to us today.