Office workers have the same right to compensation as workers in higher-risk industries. Trips over trailing cables, falls on stairs, collapsing chairs, falling files and poorly set-up workstations all cause real injuries — and employers have specific legal duties to prevent them.
Common Office Accidents
- Slips and trips — wet floors after cleaning, trailing cables, uneven or worn carpet, and items left in walkways
- Stairwell falls — defective handrails, poor lighting and worn stair edges
- Falling objects — files, boxes and equipment from unstable or overloaded shelving
- Defective chairs — a collapsing base or gas lift causing back or tailbone injuries
- Lifting injuries — moving boxes of paper or equipment without training or help
- Cuts — guillotines, broken glass and defective drawers
- RSI and back pain — from poor workstation set-up, long screen use and no breaks
Your Employer’s Duties in an Office
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require floors that are even and clear, unobstructed walkways, adequate lighting and ventilation, and safe stairs. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require workstation assessments for regular screen users, suitable chairs and equipment, eye tests on request, and breaks from continuous screen work. If your employer never carried out a DSE assessment, or ignored its findings, and you developed RSI, you may have a claim — see repetitive strain claims. The same duties can apply to working from home.
Compensation
Office injuries are often less severe than industrial ones but can still mean weeks off work, physiotherapy and lasting symptoms. Under the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition, April 2026), for example, a minor back injury that recovers within about three months is valued at up to £3,240, rising to £5,750–£10,420 where recovery takes one to two years, and a moderate back injury at £16,520–£51,230. Lost earnings, treatment and ergonomic equipment you need to return to work are added on top.
Evidence That Helps
- Accident book entry and photographs of the hazard
- The DSE assessment — or evidence one was never done — in RSI cases
- Complaints or near-miss reports raised before the accident
- For a collapsed chair: photographs of the chair and any maintenance record
- Witness statements, medical records and payslips showing lost pay
No witnesses? That is rarely fatal to an office claim — the physical evidence, such as a broken chair or a trailing cable, and your prompt medical records usually tell the story.
How common are slips and trips at work?
Slips, trips and falls on the same level are the most common workplace injury in Great Britain, accounting for 30% of the 59,219 non-fatal injuries to employees reported by employers in 2024/25, and they are the most common reported accident kind in most broad industry sectors. Sources: HSE, Non-fatal injuries at work and HSE, Kind of accident statistics in Great Britain, 2025.
Which rules apply to offices?
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 12 — floors and traffic routes must be suitable, free from holes and slopes that create risk, and kept free of obstructions and articles that may cause a slip or trip
- Regulation 5 — the workplace and its equipment, including stair coverings and fittings, must be maintained in good repair
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 — employers must assess workstations, reduce risks, plan breaks and pay for eye tests for regular users
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 — apply to moving archive boxes, printer paper and office furniture as much as to warehouse work
Can a worn stair carpet lead to a claim? A real case
HSE publishes a case study of a city centre office where an inspector pointed out worn stair carpet nosings and the proprietor gave a written undertaking to replace them. Fifteen months later, after a written warning and further assurances, an employee tripped on the nosing where temporary tape had come away. She broke her ankle, dislocated her foot, spent ten days in hospital and was unable to return to work. The proprietor pleaded guilty to offences under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Source: HSE slips and trips case study.
Prior complaints, emails or reports about a hazard, like the warnings in this case, are exactly the kind of evidence that helps an office accident claim.
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Start your free claim checkWhat should I read before I claim?
- Accident at work claim time limits
- How much compensation an accident at work claim is worth
- How the accident at work claims process works
- Accident at work claims in London
- Accident at work claims in Leeds
- Accident at work claims in Manchester
Frequently Asked Questions
Office accidents seem minor — are they really worth claiming?
Even 'minor' injuries can cause significant loss of earnings, treatment costs, and long-term symptoms. A solicitor will assess the merit honestly.
Can I claim for RSI from typing?
Yes — if the employer failed to carry out a suitable DSE assessment, provide suitable equipment or breaks, or act on the assessment. The time limit runs from when you first knew the symptoms were work-related.
What if my chair collapsed and there were no witnesses?
Photographs of the chair, its maintenance record and your A&E records form the evidence. A lack of witnesses is rarely fatal to an office claim.
Primary legal and safety sources
This guide is checked against official sources. The applicable law and limitation rules depend on where in the UK the accident happened.