The Top 5 Causes of Workplace Injuries

The Travelers Companies recently conducted a study of more than 1.5 million workers’ compensation claims filed from 2010 to 2014 analyzing the most frequent causes of workplace injuries. According to the results, most workplace injuries stem from the following causes:

  1. Material handling – 32% of claims
  2. Slips, trips, and falls – 16% of claims
  3. Being struck or colliding with objects – 10% of claims
  4. Incidents involving tools – 7% of claims
  5. Cumulative trauma from overuse or strain – 4%

All other causes make up the remaining 31 percent of reported workplace injuries. The study revealed that injury causes varied depending on the company size, with slip and falls and tool-related accidents occurring far more frequently at small businesses. In contrast, material handling injuries, which involve lifting, lowering, emptying, filling, or carrying items, were revealed to be much more prevalent in manufacturing and retail occupations, causing strains, sprains, inflammation, fractures, cuts, and puncture wounds. The oil and gas industry was revealed to have spent the most on severe trauma injuries, with construction being the only industry that spent large amounts on cardiovascular and electric shock injuries.

The top five types of workers’ comp injuries were as follows:

  1. Strains and sprains – 30%
  2. Cuts and punctures – 19%
  3. Contusions – 12%
  4. Inflammation 5%
  5. Fractures – 5%

Interestingly, although inflammation was a less common injury than others, it contributed to the longest average number of days away from work at 91 days, outranking fractures which had an average of 79.

Injured at Work? Contact Ufkes & Bright

These statistics serve as a reminder of how accidents in the workplace can occur anywhere and at any time. If you have become injured or ill in connection with your occupation, our Santa Ana workers’ compensation lawyers at Ufkes & Bright can provide the powerful representation you need to get back on your feet and secure every penny’s worth of your entitled benefits.

Call (714) 909-2609 or contact us today to get started towards filing a claim.

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