Business owners wanting to keep workers’ compensation costs down must reduce compensable employee injuries. One of the best ways to do that is to address risk exposures. To help you reduce injuries, we’ve compiled the six most common workplace injuries with tips on how to avoid them.
Workplace injuries you’ll learn about in this article:
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments
- Overexertion and bodily reaction
- Fall, slips, and trips
- Contact with objects or equipment
- Violence and injuries caused by persons and animals
- Transportation incidents
This list is compiled from the most recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), which updates data on a biennial cadence. In 2023, private employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses, a significant decrease of 8.4% from 2022.
Total workplace injury/illness from 2019 to 2023 (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
1. Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments
In 2019, this workplace injury category had the sixth-most incidents reported. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it went from sixth to first. Despite the pandemic being over, exposure to harmful substances continues to remain the number one cause of injury or illness in the workplace, with 658,240 cases. This includes 634,080 days away from work. In 2022, there were 839 fatalities from exposure to harmful substances.
While driven largely by respiratory illnesses, it is not limited to that. also include exposure to
- electricity
- temperature extremes
- air and water pressure change
- radiation and noise
- other harmful substances (including infectious diseases, such as COVID-19).
The service industry was the largest impacted sector, followed by healthcare and social assistance. The service sector includes education.
Some tips to limit the risk of exposure to harmful substances include:
- Requiring goggles, face masks, and respirators when working with hazardous materials
- Maintaining proper ventilation in buildings and areas where fumes can build up
- Storing chemicals and other substances properly
- Providing ear protection for employees where sound reaches 85dB or higher
- Offering water and mandating rest breaks for employees working in extreme heat
- Providing warming shelter for workers in extreme cold
- Requiring proper clothing and insulated tools when working near electrical hazards
As companies move towards a hybrid or fully in-office model, now is the perfect time for HR to revisit company policies to ensure they create a safe environment for employees. For example, hand sanitizer can be made widely available. It is also worth reviewing your company’s time away policy—instead of a “strict, do not miss work” policy, companies may want to consider a strict “do not come to work when sick” policy.
2. Overexertion & Bodily Reaction
The former number one cause of injuries has remained second since COVID-19. From 2021 to 2022, there were 521,350 reported cases of injury from overexertion that led to days away from work.
Overexertion and bodily injury encompass a lot of different ways to get injured, so the high incident rate is understandable. Overexertion can result from a single event, repetitive motions, or holding a position over a prolonged period. For example, carpal tunnel syndrome, which you can get from using a keyboard and mouse, is classified as a repetitive motion disorder. Other workplace actions that can lead to this injury include:
- Using tools on a construction site
- Loading trucks
- Lifting inventory
- Moving patients
- Sitting at a desk
- Standing at an assembly line
- Bending or twisting
The median days away from work due to this injury were 14. Again, the service industry had the highest number of incidents.
Workers’ comp claims for injuries from a strain cost an average of $36,000, while cumulative injuries cost around $33,909.
While many of the activities that lead to these injuries are repetitive and reflect the nature of a specific job, there are still ways you can help your employees and decrease the chances of an injury. You can help your employees by:
- Investing in ergonomic furniture for employees who sit for long periods
- Encouraging frequent breaks, where the employee gets up and moves around
- Mandating the use of safety equipment, such as harnesses, back braces, and lift aids
- Training employees on smart lifting practices
3. Falls, Slips & Trips
Usually, when a small business owner hears about someone being injured from a slip and fall, they immediately think of their general liability insurance. However, these incidents are also a significant risk for employees. According to the BLS, falls, slips, and trips caused 129,010 incidents, including 92,010 that led to missed work. The BLS separates falls from the same level to lower levels, but if you include falling on the same level, the number balloons to 450,540.
Slips are no joke—falls, slips, and trips cost an average of $49,971.
While falls can lead to minor injuries, unfortunately, they can also be fatal. Falls, slips, and trips were the third most fatal incidents reported in 2021 and 2022, with 700 fatalities in 2022. However, there are measures you can take to decrease the risk of falls on the same level.
- Using “wet floor” signs when mopping or near spills
- Cleaning spills immediately upon discovery
- Placing nonskid tape on steps or frequently used paths
To help prevent falls to a lower level:
- Installing handrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems
- Properly using portable ladders
- Following the manufacturer’s instructions when assembling scaffoldings
4. Contact With Objects or Equipment
There were 450,050 incidents categorized as contact with objects or equipment from 2021 to 2022. This is another broad category. Examples of this type of incident are:
- Friction or pressure causing injury
- Collapsing structure causing injury
- Being squeezed, pinched, or compressed in equipment
- A moving object striking an employee
- An employee striking against, into, or onto an object
The service industry had the most incidents. Goods-producing industries (separate from manufacturing) had the second most incidents, with 272,550 cases. In contrast, manufacturing was third, with 176,810 incidents of an employee being injured by coming into contact with an object or equipment.
Contact with an object or equipment can lead to costly claims. Striking against an object costs $31,105, being struck averaged $40,104, and being caught in something costs $47,076.
You can reduce injuries from contact with objects and equipment by making workplace safety part of your business’s culture. Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA has some helpful tips, including:
- Wearing hardhats
- Using protective measures, like toeboards and debris nets
- Properly stacking materials to prevent falling or collapse
- Properly securing overhead materials
- Securing tools and materials to prevent them from falling
- Regularly inspecting equipment to make sure all components are in good condition
5. Violence & Injuries Caused by Persons or Animals
Unfortunately, workplace violence is a growing problem. In this article, it was the sixth leading cause of injuries two years ago. Unbelievably, it has passed traffic incidents and moved into fifth place. As you can see, 2022 saw the highest number of homicides in the workplace at 524.
The fatality rate in the workplace from 2011 to 2022 (Source: BLS)
In 2020, the BLS reported 39,310 incidents of workplace violence. These included 20,050 incidents of intentional violence by another person and 7,620 incidents where the intent was unknown. Between 2021 and 2022, 85,410 incidents were recorded. The fatalities increased, making it the fifth most fatal cause of workplace deaths.
African American workers are disproportionately represented in this category, accounting for 33.4% or 175 fatalities. But when examining total workplace fatalities, African Americans account for 13.4%.
Protective services and transportation are the top two industries impacted by intentional workplace harm.
Creating a safe working environment means ensuring employees feel secure because the work culture promotes well-being, alongside the physical environment being safe.
You can do this by emphasizing the importance of mental health and offering an employee assistance program (EAP), a secure hotline for reporting problems, and personal days. Proper de-escalation training is important for employees in riskier industries, such as protective services. Promoting healthy conflict resolution and communication training can also help employees learn how to communicate and receive feedback well.
On top of these, be on the lookout for:
- Intimidating or bullying behaviors
- Emotional reaction to criticism
- Withdrawal or suicidal comments
- Inability to resolve conflicts
When you encounter an employee with these or other warning signs, you must take steps to help the employee and protect your business and your workers.
6. Transportation Incidents
While transportation incidents are sixth on the list, with 85,000 incidents for 2021 to 2022, it is the most fatal workplace incident, with 1,369 deaths by roadway incidents in 2022. Transportation incidents aren’t limited to automobiles—the BLS also includes accidents involving:
- Aircraft
- Railways
- Animals
- Bicycles
- Watercraft
The service industry continues the trend in this report of being the leading industry with injuries, with 57,590 incidents recorded.
The most expensive incident, transportation claims, have an average cost of $90,914. This is an increase of over $4,000 from two years ago.
Workers’ compensation claims can be tricky when an employee is injured in a car accident. Policies generally cover injuries if the employee was driving within the scope of their job description—for instance, as a delivery driver. However, their claim will most likely be denied if they decide to run a personal errand or commute to work.
Begin by hiring good drivers. You may also want to develop a safe driving program that includes a discussion of:
- Drug and alcohol use
- Vehicle maintenance
- Cell phone use
- Seat belt use
- Periodic training
Many insurance providers, such as Progressive, offer telematic devices to help you monitor your employees’ driving habits.
The Cost of Workplace Injuries
While decreasing the risk of workplace injuries requires an investment by your business, you need to balance that with the expense of workplace injuries. The costs for these six categories of injuries have all increased over the last two years.
The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that workplace fatal and nonfatal injuries cost employers $167 billion in 2022. The cost of a worker injury isn’t just medical, estimated at $37.6 billion. It impacts the company’s productivity and has ancillary costs like administrative fees. The NSC figure of $167 billion considers this and includes an estimated $50.7 billion for productivity loss and $54.4 billion for administrative costs. For the business owner, these numbers translate into:
- $1,040 per worker
- $1,390,000 per death
- $40,000 per medically consulted injury
The cost per worker is not the average cost of a work-related injury but rather a figure representing the goods and services that other workers must produce to offset the cost of workplace injuries.
Time away from the job hurts the company. It is estimated that 108,000,000 days were lost from injured workers in 2022, including injuries from previous years who are still missing work. Likewise, an estimated 60,000,000 days will be lost from injuries suffered in 2020.
How Safety Can Reduce Your Workers’ Compensation Costs
The average cost of workers’ compensation insurance is $1 per $100 payroll. This represents a decrease of $.07 over the past two years.
Reducing workplace injuries is one of the best ways to decrease workers’ compensation insurance costs. Many insurers offer discounts to small business owners who establish safety programs and train employees in best practices. Top workers’ compensation carriers offer risk mitigation programs, often free, to help business owners reduce claims.
Fewer claims directly impact the premium calculation through your experience modification rate (EMR). The EMR is a number used by carriers to represent your workers’ compensation claims history and is part of your premium calculation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Since COVID-19, the most common workplace injury continues to be exposure to harmful substances or environments.[1] It went from the sixth leading cause of time away from work to the number one cause of workplace injuries and illness.
The median days away from work for all events and exposures are 10.[2] Over the past two years, this has decreased by two days. Many events, including being scratched by an animal, lead to one missed day.
The average cost for all workers’ compensation claims from 2021 to 2022 was $44,179, an increase of $2,826 since 2019-2020.[3] The highest average was for motor vehicle claims, at $90,914, while the lowest was for a cut/punch/scrape, at $24,831.
Bottom Line
Accidents happen in ways you didn’t anticipate. However, you can take steps to protect your employees from the most common workplace injuries they’re likely to face. Not only does this help control workers’ compensation costs, but it also keeps your workers safe.
1Top Work-related Injury Causes, Injury Facts
2Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
3Workers’ Compensation Costs, Injury Facts
