From the "some-studies-will-grasp-at-any-straw" department comes word that female tech workers are more likely than their male counterparts to get hurt in the workplace. If that's the case, I'll bet it's because men are more likely to "rub some dirt on it and shake it off," rather than report tripping over some Cat5 in the storage room.
The study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, doesn't give a breakdown of the nature of the injuries but Computerworld's Patrick Thibodeau says similar past studies indicate they're probably related to muscle strains, sprains, and bruises.
Kristin VanSoest, director of operations and a consultant at Safety Resources Inc. tells Computerworld she pins the blame on the high-heeled shoes women wear at the office. "If I'm setting out to go shopping, I'm not going to put on my most uncomfortable dress shoes," says VanSoest. Therefore, she says, she's less likely to get injured at the mall than at work.
In all seriousness, the risk of massive amounts of tech worker injuries is pretty small. Of the 356,000 employees working in data processing services, ISPs, and Web search portals last year, only about 900 reported getting hurt on the job. I'd imagine there are far more instances of repetitive stress injuries in the tech sector than trips, falls, or bonked heads. Take a minute to review these tips on how to avoid this common problem among tech workers.
And save the fancy footwear for weekends.