Because back pain is a common reason that people miss work, being aware of and implementing office ergonomics can be crucial to protecting workers’ health.

While back pain and injuries can develop as a result of some traumatic incident or accident, in many cases, these crippling injuries can slowly arise overtime due to the repetitive stress placed on the back. In fact, in terms of repetitive stress, one of the more significant things that can contribute to back pain is sitting in an office for multiple hours a day, day after day, week after week. Because this is an unavoidable situation for many working Americans, it may not be surprising that:

• U.S. workers spend more than $50 billion annually to try to treat their persisting back pain.
• Back pain is among the most common reasons cited for missing working.
• The number one cause of disability in the U.S. is lower back pain. 

Given these facts, as well as the fact that back injuries can significantly impact a person’s quality of life for years (if not for the rest of their life), it’s crucial that office workers are aware of ergonomics that can help relieve back pain and may even prevent them from developing crippling repetitive stress injuries.

What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics is the scientific study of designing and situating tools in order to help people use them more safely and efficiently. Some of the goals of ergonomics are to:

• Prevent the overuse of certain muscles
• Reduce people’s tendency towards slouching or otherwise posturing themselves in harmful ways
• Relief the stress caused by repetitive motions (like, for instance, typing)
• Ultimately reduce people’s risk of developing back and other injuries as they perform their jobs.

In its real-world applications, ergonomics is focused on designing work spaces, developing tools and equipment and creating exercises and tasks in order to better protect workers.

Our upcoming second part of this blog will take a closer look at some specific ergonomics geared towards reducing back pain and other repetitive stress injuries for workers. Be sure to check it out.

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers’ compensation claim, you cannot rely upon your employer or insurance companies to look out for your best interests. In fact, both your employer and insurance companies will be more focused on their own bottom lines instead of your current and future wellbeing. This can make the system adversarial for injured workers and potentially even put them in situations in which their legitimate workers’ compensation claims are undercut or even flat-out denied.

In such cases, it’s essential that injured workers contact the Colorado workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals are experienced at going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies, and we have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses. For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.