What Are the Most Common Causes of Workplace Injuries?
April 23, 2024 – Paul Hammack
BackOct 20, 2017 Workers Compensation
It’s no secret that some professions are more dangerous than others. Although office workers might not face the same risks as commercial truckers and construction workers, there are hidden hazards in every profession, and knowing how to avoid them may help you prevent a debilitating injury or even save your life.
In this article, we’ll discuss a few of the most common causes of workplace injuries as reported by the National Academy of Social Science, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Liberty Mutual’s workers’ compensation claims.
If you were already injured in a workplace accident, contact Hammack Law Firm to discuss your options for recovering compensation. Attorney Paul Hammack will evaluate your situation to determine if you have grounds for a workers’ compensation claim, and if so, he will help you pursue the maximum payout and avoid crucial mistakes.
Read on to learn about some of the most common workplace injuries:
- Injuries Due to Overexertion
Overexertion injuries arise from lifting, pulling, throwing, carrying, and related activities. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, overexertion was the leading cause of workplace injuries in 2012 and cost businesses in the United States $15.1 billion.
2. Falls on the Same Level
Falls on the same level—usually due to slipping or tripping—are the second leading cause of workplace injuries. These injuries cost U.S. businesses $9.1 billion in 2012 and represented about 15 percent of the top 10 work hazards that year.
3. Struck-by-Object Injuries
Being struck by an object that falls from a shelf or is dropped by another person can cause severe head injuries, the medical treatment for which can cost a small fortune. Struck-by-object injuries represented about 9 percent of the top 10 work hazards in 2012 and cost U.S. businesses $5.3 billion.
4. Falls from Heights
Falls from heights also represented about 9 percent of the top 10 work hazards in 2012. That year, fall injuries cost U.S. businesses $5.1 billion.
An alarming number of serious fall injuries occur due to OHSA violations. In fact, a 2016 report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration listed a lack of fall protection as the number-one violation in U.S. workplaces. By far, most of these violations occurred in the construction industry, which also happens to be one of the deadliest industries in the United States.
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