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Each year there are approximately 2.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses plus close to 5,000 fatalities, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We’ve compiled a list of the top 13 preventable workplace injuries, and how to prevent them, for you to share with your workers’ benefits clients. By sharing this content, you just might save a life.
Related: A workplace safety incentive program helps stop accidents before they start
Here are the top 13 to identify and prevent on your worksite:
1. Overexertion
Overexertion occurs when a worker pulls, pushes, lifts or carries objects that are simply too heavy for one person. Insureon says these injuries cost businesses $12.84 billion in 2020 (latest figures available). Injuries can occur with one incident – or they may accumulate over time.
How to prevent:
- Train workers on how to properly perform physical tasks like heavy lifting.
- Provide workers with assistive and ergonomic equipment.
- Give them adequate break time to rest and recover.
2. Slips, trips and falls
Not only are these probably the most common, but they’re also the easiest to eliminate from the top 13 preventable workplace injuries. Whether recently mopped floors without a warning sign, tracked-in snow, mud, ice or rain, a leaky pipe or a liquid spill cause slips and falls, diligence to quickly eliminate them will pay off. Other hazards to watch out for: scattered debris, unsecured cords across walkways, uneven or unstable walking surfaces and poor lighting.
How to prevent:
- Train workers to always be on the lookout for slip hazards and report them or clean it up themselves immediately.
- Secure cords across walkways or remove them. To help people easily spot cords, add hazard tape to the flooring.
- Keep walkways and work areas free of floor debris. Ensure floors are clean and that you clearly mark slippery surfaces.
Related: Preventing workplace slips, trips and falls
3. Elevated falls
In the construction industry, falls from heights are a leading cause of worker deaths. Often, poorly built structures or scaffolding, or inadequate/improperly used safety equipment are the cause of these falls.
How to prevent:
- Provide fall protection equipment.
- Ensure the safety and stability of ladders, harnesses and scaffolding.
- Make safety training and employee diligence a priority.
4. Struck by moving object/equipment
The most common injury from a fallen object is a head injury. Blunt-force trauma can be cause by flying, falling, rolling or swinging objects. Falling items like building materials, boxes or being struck by moving machinery can also cause injury.
How to prevent:
- Post warning signs where debris most often flies or falls.
- Stack and store materials safely.
- Provide protective equipment such as hard hats and googles.
5. Motor vehicle accidents
Whether the injured worker is a pedestrian, driver or passenger, these workers’ benefits injuries cost companies nearly $3 billion annually. Contributing factors can be bad weather, poor lighting, equipment issues and negligent driving.
How to prevent:
- Stress driver safety: Provide driver training, enforce the use of seatbelts, and reduce time pressure on employees.
- Monitor drivers regularly to ensure they’re following all safety precautions.
6. Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
One of the most terrifying workplace injuries is entanglement, when a worker’s clothing, hair or limbs become caught within moving heavy machinery. These accidents typically involve an employee having a body part crushed or caught by a workplace object or piece of equipment. Examples include workers caught by moving machinery or crushed between two heavy objects.
How to prevent:
- Ensure that employees working with dangerous machinery have proper training before performing serious tasks.
- Train workers to recognize and address potential hazards.
- Provide protective equipment and appropriate signage and barriers around potentially dangerous equipment.
- Remind employees to have no loose clothing, shoes, jewelry or untied hair that could get caught.
7. Struck against object or equipment
These accidents occur when a worker unintentionally runs into or gets pushed into a wall, door, window, cabinet or equipment. The main culprit? Cellphones.
How to prevent:
- Require workers to maintain a worksite free of clutter and where obstacles and other hazards are clearly marked.
- Institute a policy that prohibits workers from talking or texting on phones while engaged in work activities.
8. Repetitive motions involving microtasks
Repetitive motion injuries are a type of cumulative trauma caused by excessive repetition of small-range or micro tasks. Even everyday tasks – such as working on an assembly line or typing or using a mouse at a computer – can pose risks of developing conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or neck injuries. While these are probably the most minor of our list of 13 preventable workplace injuries, they can cause injury leading to surgery.
How to prevent:
- If an employer is seeing several of these injuries, consider bringing in an ergonomist to determine how to avoid these injuries.
- Provide ergonomically correct equipment.
- Encourage workers to take breaks from these repetitive motions – changing up their tasks and taking an actual break.
9. Electrocution
Faulty electrical outlets, exposed cords and wires are the main culprits for worker electrocution, along with working around power lines or hitting underground cables while digging.
How to prevent:
- Ensure all electrical hazards are identified.
- Ensure all electrical systems and machinery are consistently inspected and maintained.
- Ensure all workers in the area are warned of the hazards.
Related: Prevent the shock: Workplace electrical safety
10. Fires & explosions
Explosions and fires typically result in one of the highest casualty rates of all workplace accidents. Because of these risks, explosion and fire hazards need to be taken very seriously by employers and workers. Zoro says, “Common fire and explosion hazards in the workplace can include dust buildup on machines, overloaded power sockets, combustible materials like paper and improperly stored flammable liquids. When these dangerous substances are not monitored, they can cause a rapid escalation of fire and promote an explosive environment in the workplace.”
How to prevent:
- Provide workers with protective gear and make sure it’s used.
- Train workers to monitor any heat and fuel sources, being careful to keep the two separated.
11. Exposure to harmful substances or environments
Working with, or even encountering hazardous chemicals, acids and heavy metals isn’t a rarity in some industries, such as medical, construction and manufacturing.
How to prevent:
- Proper training is crucial, and it should be ongoing for anyone who may come into contact with the workplaces where these substances are present.
- Ensure proper equipment is provided and used.
- Follow guidelines for handling hazardous materials.
12. Exhaustion
Working long hours, pulling double shifts doesn’t just make a worker tired – it decreases their ability to remain alert and to concentrate on the task at hand. Longer reaction times and poor judgment can result, creating a greater risk of injury.
How to prevent:
- Ensure all workers take adequate breaks; when inclement weather or additional stresses are present, increase the number and length of breaks.
- As much as possible, limit overtime hours.
Related: How employers can help manage workplace stress
13. Workplace violence
Disputes between workers can result in violence at the job site. Employees who deal with the public may face assaults from customers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 37,060 nonfatal injuries in the workplace resulting from an intentional injury by another person.
How to prevent:
- Provide violence training to all employees, including de-escalation tactics.
- Create communication channels for reporting suspicious activity that safeguard anonymity.
There’s a lot of training and equipment provision needed to protect your workers from these 13 preventable workplace injuries, but a series of injured workers can bankrupt a company. Workplace injuries lower morale and interfere with production, adding extra costs to a company. Our list of prevention tips is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good start to identifying and mitigating job site injury risks. While it may be impossible to eradicate all workplace injuries, each employer and safety manager can go a long way towards eliminating hazards at the workplace.
Resources:
Top 10 Causes of Accidents in the Workplace and Their Costs | Insureon
Workplace violence: homicides and nonfatal intentional injuries by another person in 2020
This article was originally published on Arrowhead’s corporate blog. It has been modified and updated to better reflect the needs of our Tribal clients.