Could Opening a Door Cause Workplace Injuries?
When you think of workplace injuries that qualify for Workers' Compensation, does opening a door come to mind? Probably not. But there was an employee in New York that filed a case for workers' comp due to injuries she sustained to her shoulder and elbow by opening a door several times per day. Bariza Laib was a case manager for the State Insurance Fund. Laib says she injured her right shoulder and elbow by repeatedly closing and pulling open the heavy front door of a building in which she worked for five years. The door is made of thick metal and glass with a tight spring that was particularly difficult to open and close on windy days. She complained to security guards in the building lobby about the problem. Laib says she had to use the door four to six times a day. After she started having problems with her shoulder, she asked her supervisor if she could use the handicapped-accessible door [...]