The release of the annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index always makes clear the causes of the most serious on-the-job injuries, as well as their financial costs to employers. Serious workplace injuries are defined as those that cause employees to miss five or more days from their jobs.
This year’s edition of the Index also includes detailed reports on the causes and costs of the serious workplace injuries in specific industries, many of which have significant presences here in Jonesboro: manufacturing, healthcare, construction, professional services, retail, wholesale, transportation/warehousing and leisure/hospitality.
Let’s take a look at what the Index reveals about work and injuries here in our Jonesboro and elsewhere in Georgia.
- Manufacturing: The leading cause of serious injuries in manufacturing is overexertion involving outside sources. That simply refers to on-the-job injuries from activities such as lifting, pulling, pushing, carrying, holding and turning. Sometimes these events are isolated and sometimes the injuries result from the repetition of the activities. The second leading cause of serious injuries in this industry: falls on the same level.
- Healthcare: The top two causes of serious injuries in healthcare are the same as in manufacturing. The third leading cause is a disturbing one, however: intentional injury by a person. It makes clear that workplace violence is a real danger in this growing industry. The fourth most common cause of serious injuries in healthcare: roadway incidents involving motorized vehicles.
- Construction: The leading cause of serious injuries in construction: falls to a lower level. Number two on the list: struck by an object or equipment.
We’ll have more on the Index in our next blog post.
If you’ve been injured on your Jonesboro job and been denied Georgia workers’ compensation, contact an attorney with a track record of successful workers’ comp appeals.