The document discusses ergonomics and slip/trip/fall prevention for home offices. It provides statistics on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and days away from work due to injuries. It then outlines OSHA's 7-phase process for identifying and addressing ergonomic problems, including management support, worker involvement, training, identifying issues, early reporting, implementing solutions, and evaluating progress. Easy solutions are suggested to prevent slips/trips/falls like wearing proper footwear and clearing snow/ice. Workplace strategies include identifying elevation changes, using floor mats, applying slip-resistant treatments, and training employees on hazard identification and safe practices. The document emphasizes finding and eliminating hazards to protect employee safety.

1. Ergonomics in the home office
& Avoiding Slips/Trips/Falls in
the HOME office
March 2022 Presentation from
Telcom Insurance Group’s
Risk Management Department

2. It’s no secret…
Our world has changed in the last two
years. Brick and mortars are closing,
and we are learning to be productive
sitting ten feet from where we sleep.
While not all of us are working from
home, a good amount still are and will
most likely continue with the trend.

3. It’s no secret…
This does put a bit of pressure on the
employer to keep the employee safe
while working away from the office, in
their own home.
Let’s look at some stats and suggestions
to help the telecommuter stay safe while
pounding away at those keys.

4. Statistics are Always a Good
Place to Start. Did you know…
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), there was a slight downward trend
of Days Away From Work from
musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) injuries
from 2012 to 2018. 2012 had roughly
317K and 2018 had roughly 273K. Any
time there is a drop of 44K injuries, I call
that good!

5. More good news from the
BLS…
The top ten occupations that make up 40%
of all MSD cases, did not have
telecommunication customer service or
accounting occupations listed.
Unfortunately, maintenance and repair
workers were included on this list, and that
can easily include our OSPs and Installers,
FYI.

6. Here is a
big
number:
600,000
600,000 workers miss work every year due to
ergonomic issues.
OSHA, Ergonomics, an Overview, 2018
1/3 of all private industry injuries were from
sprains, strains and tears.
BLS Work Injuries and Illnesses Resulting in Visits for Medical
Treatment 2018
The average worker suffering from an MSD
spent 12 days away from work.
BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities 2018
(according to thehartford.com)

7. The What:
1.8 Million…
This is the amount of U.S. Workers who report
MSDs each year. The bulk of those MSDS
include:
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Tendinitis
• Rotator cuff injuries (affects the shoulder)
• Epicondylitis (affects the elbow)
• Trigger finger
• Muscle strains and low back injuries
https://www.osha.gov/ergonomics

8. The Who (not the band or the
giant health organization):
45–60 is the age group who
reports the most injuries per
demographic
1 in every 2 adults
have an MSD. Wow. 50%

9. The Who
Continued…
About 70% of an office
worker’s time is spent sitting
down.
80% of all U.S. jobs are mainly
sedentary. This creates a
greater risk to all of us.

10. Your job, should you choose to accept it…
Create the healthiest, most cost
effective and productive
working environment for your
employees, either in the home
office, or at the HOME office.

11. What does say?

12. OSHA Has a
7 Phase
Process to
Follow
Phase one: Provide Management
Support - A strong commitment by
management is critical to the overall
success of an ergonomic process.
Management should define clear goals
and objectives for the ergonomic process,
discuss them with their workers, assign
responsibilities to designated staff
members, and communicate clearly with
the workforce.

13. Phase Two:
Involve
Workers
A participatory ergonomic approach, where
workers are directly involved in worksite
assessments, solution development and
implementation is the essence of a successful
ergonomic process. Workers can:
Identify and provide important
information about hazards in their
workplaces.
Assist in the ergonomic process by voicing
their concerns and suggestions for reducing
exposure to risk factors and by evaluating the
changes made as a result of an ergonomic
assessment.

14. Phase Three:
Provide
Training
Training is an important element in
the ergonomic process. It ensures
that workers are aware of
ergonomics and its benefits,
become informed about
ergonomics related concerns in the
workplace, and understand the
importance of reporting early
symptoms of MSDs.

15. Phase Four:
Identify
Problems
An important step in the
ergonomic process is to
identify and assess ergonomic
problems in the workplace
before they result in MSDs.
Look at past accidents to start.

16. Phase Five:
Encourage
Early
Reporting of
MSD
Symptoms
Early reporting can accelerate the
job assessment and improvement
process, helping to prevent or
reduce the progression of
symptoms, the development of
serious injuries, and subsequent
lost-time claims, especially in the
work from home environment.

17. Phase Six:
Implement
Solutions to
Control
Hazards
There are many possible
solutions that can be
implemented to reduce,
control or eliminate
workplace MSDs. It is
your job to find them.

18. Phase Seven:
Evaluate
Progress
Established evaluation and corrective
action procedures are required to
periodically assess the effectiveness of
the ergonomic process and to ensure its
continuous improvement and long-term
success. As an ergonomic process is first
developing, assessments should include
determining whether goals set for the
ergonomic process have been met and
determining the success of the
implemented ergonomic solutions.

19. Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention

20. A Few Stats
• According to the National Safety Council 34,673
people died from STFs at home and at work in
2016. That number increased in 2019 to 39,443!
• 50K, roughly, workers are injured bad enough
annually to require days off from work
• 134 people died from falls on the SAME LEVEL
in 2016
• 880 workers died from falls in 2019 with 244,000
required days off from fall injuries
• STFs are a leading cause of death for working
adults in the United States
• Falls are the #1 cause of death for older adults!

21. Easy
Solutions
• Concentrate on the path ahead; take your time and
proceed slowly
• Where possible, avoid slippery surfaces – take a
route around slippery hazards, such as wet leaves,
icy areas and snowbanks
• Wear appropriate footwear -- wear shoes or boots
with rough (waffled, ridged, or heavily textured)
soles to work and change into dress shoes, if you
must wear them. The inconvenience of changing
shoes is insignificant compared to the
inconvenience due to a serious fall related injury
• Use handrails wherever they are provided -- a
secure handhold can prevent a fall if you should
slip

22. More Easy Solutions
• Check to be sure entrance halls and stairs are clear of snow and slush;
tracked in snow and slush often cause slips and falls
• Beware of changes in walking surfaces; many falls are caused when someone
doesn't realize he/she is leaving a secure area for a slippery one
• Clean your shoes when you go inside; caked snow and ice on shoe soles can
be treacherous. Provide shoe cleaning devices at your office entrance ways
for employees and customers to use, as an example

23. IF YOU DO SLIP:
• Try to roll with the fall, if you begin
to fall forward
• Sit down if you begin to fall
backward -- when a falling person
relaxes, an injury is less severe than
when he/she tenses. Fighting a fall on
ice can cause twisting or bending
injuries which may be worse than the
bump the fall would have produced

24. Workplace Safety
• Clearly identify steps, ramps and other elevation changes
that might not be visible in snowy conditions
• Contract with a snow removal company to keep your
parking lots clear of snow and ice or train employees on
how to do it
• Place high quality, beveled edged mats in walking areas
subject to water or snow accumulation. Change mats
regularly to ensure those in place are dry
• Apply a slip-resistant floor treatment in areas that tend to
become wet and slippery. Clean and maintain these floors
according to the manufacturer’s specifications

25. Workplace Safety
• Don’t get caught by surprise. Monitor the weather and changing
conditions. Have a plan that employees know what to do
• Keep adequate supplies of snow and ice removal tools in accessible areas
• Shovel and apply ice melts as indicated by the manufacturer to keep
walking area clear and dry
• Watch for areas where ice tends to form. Remove ice accumulations
promptly and apply ice melt to prevent buildups
• Provide good lighting and clear path markings in parking lots and
walkways

26. Snow Falls Gently, People
Don’t!
Be on the lookout for fall hazards such as:
• Slippery inside floor surfaces due to water, ice or snow tracked in
by footwear
• Snowy and ice-covered sidewalks
• Freeze and thaw cycles
• Black Ice – a thin, nearly invisible coating of rise caused when
temperature rise above freezing and quickly drop below freezing
• Obstructed sidewalks and roadways
• Packages that are too large or heavy that can affect an employee’s
balance or obstruct view

27. Train
Employees To:
Keep floors and surfaces clear of clutter
Keep file cabinets and desk drawers closed
Keep electrical and phone cords out of traffic areas
Install handrails on stairways
Wear sensible footwear
Never stand on chairs, tables or any surface with wheels
Properly arrange furniture to create open pathways
Maintain good lighting indoors and out

28. Ergonomic Issues and STFs are Ever Present
While people are employed, no matter where they do their work, hazards
are always present. Go find them and eliminate them. The hazards, not
the people.

29. MARILYN AND CRAIG
mab@telcominsgrp.com csr@telcominsgrp.com
301 220-1085 903 424-7452