The Most Common Workplace Injuries in Hong Kong

The mental strain that follows a desk job is as exhausting as the physical strain of a hands-on job. Due to their job and the office environment, office and desk employees are also prone to injuries, which can seriously harm their health and future.

Many employees overwork themselves and put their jobs before their health, leading to even more injuries and health matters. If an employee is injured, they must get medical attention as soon as possible – no matter how important their tasks are.

Due to their work and long hours, office or desk-based employees can suffer many types of injuries. This article will explain common workplace injuries in Hong Kong and how employers can help with employee compensation insurance.

What is Employee Compensation Insurance?

The employer’s legal duty is to purchase employee compensation insurance when hiring even one employee. The insurance covers employees against common workplace injuries. 

Employee compensation insurance covers the employer’s liability if an employee is injured, contracts a disease, or dies while at work or on the way to work. The insurance will cover medical bills, compensation, and salary while the employee recovers.

 The government takes mandatory employee compensation insurance in Hong Kong very seriously. Any employer who breaches the Ordinance law is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and two years imprisonment.

Common Workplace Injuries

Repetitive Strain & Muscle Strain Injuries

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a medical term for pain caused by repeated movement of a part of the body. A common workplace injury is caused in offices due to poor posture, computer use, and writing, which, over time, causes small muscle tears. These factors can also cause severe muscle strains, especially in your back and neck.

These injuries are caused by long hours in one position and, importantly, in the wrong position. These injuries at first may seem easy to cure by popping a painkiller, but over time, they may need serious medical attention.

It’s better to avoid these injuries before it’s too late. You can prevent them by taking breaks to walk around every 30-40 minutes. Even a short walk to the water station or to get your favourite snack can help. Stretching the body and releasing strain is vital.

You can also research sitting positions and look at ergonomic products that support your body. Finally, don’t be afraid to get up and walk around; your boss has not glued you to that chair.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is another common workplace injury that could happen to anyone working on computers. CTS is pressure on a nerve in your wrist. Symptoms of this injury are tingling, numbness, and pain in your hand and fingers. The cause of this injury is the amount of typing and the position of your hands on the computer.

Recent research has calculated that typing more than 28 hours per week may make you more prone to the syndrome. Unfortunately, typing more than 28 hours a week is common in Hong Kong, depending on the job. Thankfully, if CTS is noticed earlier, there are medical treatments to cure and improve it. It can be fixed by physical therapy or, if very serious, surgery.

You can avoid carpal tunnel syndrome by taking frequent breaks, improving your posture, investing in ergonomic equipment, and gently hitting your keys. If you have even the slightest symptoms, you must show it to a professional before it is too late. Typing may be essential to your job, but your health is more important.

Slip and Fall Injuries 

Slip and fall injuries can happen anywhere, including the office. It can be as simple as an employee tripping over wires or slipping on a puddle of water. These accidents can lead to serious injuries that may need urgent medical attention. Painful slips and falls are common workplace injuries due to clusters and busy employees pacing.

Slip-and-fall injuries are still considered workplace injuries, even if they happen on the way to a meeting or the building’s staircase. As long as the injury occurs during working hours or on the way to work, it is a work injury. However, if you slip at home while working from home, it will not be counted as a work injury.

Unfortunately, such accidents are more complicated to avoid as they are so sudden. Employers can try decluttering offices and ensuring paths are clear of wires or obstacles. Sometimes, employees are so focused on the paper in their hands that they forget to look down.

Eye Strains

We all use computers or phones to work daily. Unfortunately, staring at a screen for hours is never good for your eyes and can lead to eye strain. Eye strain can lead to killer headaches and physical eye damage, which, over time, can seriously ruin your vision and overall health.

We have all faced eye strain at some point in our work careers. Some of you may feel it every day and ignore it cause “it’s nothing; I will rest after work”. When the damage becomes permanent, no matter how much you rest, it won’t reverse the damage. The strain can be caused by looking at a screen for too long, poor lighting, or displays that are too small (small letters).

Thankfully, you can easily avoid eye strain. First, take a break and wash your eyes if you feel discomfort. Then, use proper lighting on your desk and install good eye protection software on your devices. Also, get frequent eye check-ups to be safe—you may need glasses and not even know it. Finally, make sure you take an eye break after reading this article!

Will Employee Compensation Cover These Common Workplace Injuries?

Due to its critical coverage, employee compensation (EC) insurance is mandatory in Hong Kong. The insurance helps the employer financially reimburse their employees’ medical bills, compensation, and salary. In addition, it allows employers to fulfil their duty to employees as effectively as possible.

However, for employee compensation insurance to cover these common workplace injuries, it must be proven that the injury was caused by work (excluding work-from-home). Therefore, if an employee injures their back due to strain, it may not be covered, as it can’t be proven that work caused the injury. Hence, employers should also provide medical insurance to their employees.

Additionally, it is essential to understand the process of EC insurance from the day of injury to the day of reimbursement. You can learn the detailed process and steps in our Employee Compensation Claim Process article.

Employers should offer employee compensation and medical insurance to help deal with costly common workplace injuries.

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To learn more about employee compensation insurance and cover workplace injuries in Hong Kong & Asia, contact Red Asia Insurance.