OKLAHOMA CITY - Workplace injuries account for a staggering amount of lost wages, time and production ability of the economy each year.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Workplace injuries account for a staggering amount of lost wages, time and production ability of the economy each year.
According to the National Safety Council, over 104 million production days were lost in 2017 due to workplace injuries, with over 12,600 reported injuries per day nationwide.
In addition, workplace injuries and fatalities accounted for over $50 billion in economic losses in 2017 alone, with some estimates indicating the total amount of losses to be three times as much.
OSHA
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is the federal agency tasked with providing guidance, rules and safety measures to reduce the number of workplace injuries in the United States.
Along with state partners, OSHA has only 2,100 inspectors nationwide, which equates to just one inspector per 59,000 U.S. workers.
Despite these seemingly overwhelming numbers, since its creation by the Nixon Administration in 1970, the number of workplace fatalities has fallen from an average of 38 per day to just 14 per day in 2017.
Overall injuries have fallen even further, with 10.9 reported injuries per 100 workers in 1972 to just 2.8 injuries per 100 workers in 2017.
With the regulation of industries following the 1970s, workplace safety has been a critical issue. Most companies have strict safety protocols in place along with training and required instruction to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics employer reported workplace injuries and illnesses have decreased annually since 2013 across the private industry.
Statistics show the average number of days away from work per 100 full-time equivalent workers decreasing from
1.5 days in 2013 to just 0.9 days in 2017.
This not only indicates fewer overall injuries but shows the injuries/ illnesses sustained are causing fewer overall days missed and implies the injuries are becoming less severe.
COMMON WORKPLACE INJURIES
The most common workplace injuries in 2017 were sprains/ strains/ tears, soreness or pain, and cuts/ lacerations or punctures.
The top three causes of workplace injury resulting in lost workdays are overexertion, contact with objects and equipment, and slips/ trips and falls.
The top five occupations with the largest number of overall workplace injuries resulting in days away from work were the service industry (including first responders), transportation/shipping, manufacturing/production, installation/maintenance/repair and construction.
While construction may not have had the highest incidence of overall injuries, it accounts for the largest portion of workplace fatalities due to falls, struck by an object, electrocutions, and “caught-in/ between.”
This resulted in a large majority of OSHA cited standards and violations in 2018 to be in the construction industry. There are two main costs to workplace injuries and fatalities: the economic cost and the human cost.
While employers, employees, and government agencies continue to take great strides to protect workers and reduce both costs, it is important for businesses to continuously improve workplace safety standards and provide worker training and education programs to both prevent and reduce the severity of injuries when and if they occur.