Did you know that United States businesses spend more than a billion dollars every week on serious, nonfatal injuries that occurred in the workplace?
That’s just one finding from the latest annual Liberty Mutual Safety Index. Every year, Liberty Mutual takes the time to evaluate the average workplace’s safety, determining the 10 leading costs and causes of injury in the American workplace.
So what were the top 10 costly sources of injury over the past year?
- Overexertion involving outside sources. Responsible for $13.79 billion.
- Falls on the same level. Responsible for $10.62 billion.
- Falls to a lower level. Responsible for $5.50 billion.
- Struck by object or equipment. Responsible for $4.43 billion.
- Other exertions or bodily reactions. Responsible for $3.89 billion.
- Roadway incidents involving a motorized land vehicle. Responsible for $3.70 billion.
- Slip or trip without fall. Responsible for $2.30 billion.
- Caught in/compressed by equipment or objects. Responsible for $1.95 billion.
- Struck against object or equipment. Responsible for $1.94 billion.
- Repetitive motions involving micro-tasks. Responsible for $1.81 billion.
What are the main takeaways we can gather from these statistics? First, workplace injuries cost businesses a ridiculous amount of money. These aren’t incidents to be taken lightly; if you aren’t careful, they could compromise your business’s profitability.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, almost every type of injury on this list is wholly preventable. With the proper ergonomics, safety procedures, employee education, and training, nearly every incident on this list can be effectively prevented. All it takes is a small upfront investment to deal with the problems proactively.
If you’re interested in evaluating your current business or organization, to prevent the steep costs of worker injury, contact us at Ethiam. We’ll work with you to determine your business’s current needs and put a plan in action to improve your employee wellness.