A Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (LMWSI) study published in 2019 highlighted some of the most common causes of on-the-job injuries. Many of them were serious enough to result in five or more days missed from work.
Understanding your risk of a serious injury can help you devise strategies to help you remain safer.
What are the top injury concerns for most workers?
While every workplace is different, here are the major causes of serious injuries across all industries:
- Overexertion injuries: At least 23.65% of serious workplace injuries result from overexertion, resulting in workers missing five or more days from work.
- Same-level falls: The workplace incident that takes second place as being the one most apt to cause workers to call in sick is same-level falls. At least 18.72% of serious workplace injuries are these each year.
- Stuck-by injuries: Study researchers determined that struck-by object or equipment injuries resulted in the third-highest rate of serious workplace injuries at 9.42%.
- Falls to lower levels: Injuries resulting from falls from a higher level to a lower one account for 8.99%, or the fourth-highest rate of serious incidents.
Bodily reactions and other types of exertion account for 6.65% of the serious annual injuries. Motor-vehicle incidents, slips and trips, compression or caught in-between accidents and struck-by or repetitive motion injuries collectively account for 17% of serious workplace incidents resulting in workers missing days from work. Certain professions are inherently more dangerous to work in than others, but not all roles are as injury-prone as the next.
What to do if you suffer a serious injury at work
California law requires most employers to have workers’ compensation insurance to cover job-related injuries. You may be able to tap into these to cover the expenses associated with your occupational injuries. If you’re having trouble getting what you are due, an attorney may be able to help.