Causes of workplace injuries vary dramatically, from falls to violent acts by coworkers, and they may differ from one job to the next. However, across the board, one workplace injury cause stands out as the most common, according to the National Safety Council.
Millions Of Workdays Lost Due To Injuries
An NSC infographic states that 104,000,000 workdays were lost due to on-the-job injuries in 2016. The three most common causes were:
3. Falls: Injuries caused by slipping on wet surfaces, tripping over objects and falling from ladders or other heights accounted for 25% of all workplace injuries
2. Equipment or materials accidents: Injuries caused by being hit by forklifts or other equipment, struck by falling materials, caught in punch-presses and similar accidents accounted for 25 percent of all workplace injuries
1. Overexertion: Injuries caused by lifting or lowering objects, or by repetitive stress, accounted for 34 percent of all injuries.
Based on these numbers, overexertion alone led to 35,360,000 lost workdays. That is a substantial amount of production missed due to something that could be resolved by employers emphasizing proper workplace safety. The NSC recommends employees who engage in frequent lifting or repetitive movements take regular, short breaks, and avoid twisting, reaching or bending while picking up or lowering items.
Thankfully, people who suffered on-the-job injuries due to overexertion or any other cause have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical expenses, lost wages and more.