Contra Costa County and Tri-Valley Workers' Compensation Blog

Many people in California do not realize how dangerous it can be to work in an office. A significant number of workers' compensation benefits claims involve injuries caused by slips, trips, falls and other occupational hazards posed by office surroundings. However, proper housekeeping can mitigate almost all the risks..

Trip hazards include cords and cables snaking across walkways, random objects or boxes that are not placed in storage areas, personal items like handbags and briefcases, and desk or cabinet drawers that are left open. Slips can cause serious fall injuries, mostly caused by spills that are not cleaned and highly polished floors. Top-heavy filing cabinets that are improperly loaded can tip over and cause injuries.

Workers face many hazards, some of which are due to the nature of the job. These are difficult to minimize because there might not be alternative ways that they can do their duties in a safer manner. It is imperative that employees and employers work to improve safety. However, the onus falls on the employer to ensure people have everything they need to avoid unnecessary accidents.

One particular safety issue in many workplaces is cumulative trauma. This occurs when wear and tear on the nerves, tendons and muscles causes damage to them. Repetition and improper body mechanics are two primary factors for these conditions.

Parking lots can be hazardous places, and California drivers must be extra vigilant for pedestrians. The chances of striking a pedestrian that results in serious personal injury are greater after dark, especially if there are children present. Young children might not realize that the same rules apply for parking lots as crossing normal roadways.

Police in Antioch recently reported the death of a child who was struck by a car in the parking lot for Sears on Somersville road. They say an emergency call came in shortly after 7:30 p.m. and emergency workers found a 3-year-old girl in an unresponsive condition. Paramedics rushed her to an area hospital, but she did not survive.

As devastating wildfires ravage California, there is an urgency in efforts by authorities to protect employees. At the same time, there was an urgency in the efforts of farm owners to get crops off the fields to prevent smoke and suit damage. Labor unions expressed their concern for low-income construction workers, farmworkers and others who earn their incomes in the outdoors. Some of the workers on smaller farms might not be eligible for workers' compensation benefits.

Under California laws, employers must provide outdoor workers who are exposed to the hazards of wildfires with protective gear. Reportedly, deputies who helped with evacuating residents during the Woolsey and Hill fires were equipped with protective masks. However, thousands of the estimated 36,000 farmworkers were hard at work in the fields without any protection.