Workplace Injury Statistics By Demographics, Nonfatal Injuries, Industry Type and Prevention Strategies
Updated · Sep 26, 2024
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS PAGE
- Introduction
- Editor’s Choice
- Common Workplace Injuries Affect Employees Worldwide.
- Workplace Injuries Statistics By Demographics
- Number Of Nonfatal Workplace Injuries In Great Britain By Industry
- Top 10 Causes Of Most Disabling U.S. Workplace Injuries By Cost
- Annual Lost Working Days Due To Work-Related Injury And Illness In Great Britain.
- Workplace Injury Statistics By Industry Type
- Prevention Strategies For Reducing Workplace Injuries.
- Impact On Businesses And The Economy
- Conclusion
Introduction
Workplace Injury Statistics: Businesses in different fields are constantly worried about workplace injuries. They greatly affect productivity, morale, and general business operations since they come with huge costs, including human life loss and other financial costs. In 2023, approximately 2.8 million cases of workplace injuries were reported in the United States.
This is an increase of about 2% from 2022, indicating continued struggles with upholding security at places of work. The construction and manufacturing industries were among those hit hardest by this calamity, making up nearly 45% of all reported injuries. These could be caused by machines or even human beings, resulting in nasty accidents that might lead to death. The most commonly reported injuries include burns, overexertion, or falling. These are considered unexpected events that cannot be avoided at times. Therefore, measures should be put in place to prevent such unfortunate occurrences.
This is especially worrying because these sectors contribute significantly to the economy and have millions of workers employed there. An elaborate analysis of workplace injury statistics from 2023 and 2024 is presented in this article, and clear data suitable for market research professionals is provided.
Editor’s Choice
- The fishing, agriculture, forestry, and hunting industries have the highest number of workplace deaths.
- As of April 2023, the workplace fatality rate in the USA was 1.3 per 100,000 workers, which is an increase from previous years.
- On average, men experience workplace injuries at a rate of 17.3% higher than women.
- Workplace-related illnesses mostly last approximately 14 days and affect employees between 55 and 64 years.
- According to researchers, Arkansas, Delaware, and Georgia are the safest US states for workers.
- Statistics on workplace injuries show that private sector employees have higher injury rates than their government counterparts.
- Women are also found to be at greater risk of harm in cases such as hazardous exposures and roadway accidents, while men, on the other hand, are more prone to fatalities through contact with objects or equipment or due to falling.
- Furthermore, incidents associated with hazardous substances lead to about 650,000 deaths each year, consistent with global trends over the period since then (2023).
- Every year, 340 million workers are injured on the job globally, and this affects 160 million people around the globe.
- On average, a worker suffers an injury every seven seconds (National Safety Council). The repercussions can be as high as seven million days of absence from work annually.
- The construction sector experiences most of such incidents and their resulting injuries. Moreover, workers who are either older than sixty or below 25 years old stand a higher chance of getting injured while working.
- In 2023, overexertion was recorded as the leading cause of occupational injuries, meaning that physical punishment resulting from overstrain caused workers’ injuries.
You May Also Like To Read
- Social Media Recruitment Statistics
- Employee Engagement Statistics
- Depression Statistics
- Employee Wellness Statistics
- Employee Referral Statistics
- Online Interview Statistics
- Salespeople Statistics
- Mental Health statistics
Common Workplace Injuries Affect Employees Worldwide.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 1 million workers in the U.S. get injured on their backs.
- According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), 23 million workers suffer workplace injuries every year.
- The United States records almost 47 million cases of injury every year.
- Workplace injury statistics show that In 2021, there were 5,190 deaths related to work in the United States, which is an 8.9% increase compared to previous years.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported a fatal work injury rate of 3.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2021, growing from 3.4 in 2020 and 3.5 in 2019.
- The 2021 fatality rate of 3.6 had been the highest since 2016.
- From 2018-2022, Australia had an average of 180 employee deaths per year recorded at a rate of 1.4 per 100000 workers.
- It is four times higher among senior employees, with up to 6.2 per 100,000 employees recorded as the highest among seniors.
- In 2018, Australia’s lowest mortality rate was recorded at 1.1.
- Workplace injuries accounted for 34% of new employees during their first year at work.
- In 2021/22, Britain saw 1.8 million cases of work-related health issues.
- The lower back and shoulders are involved in 25% of all workplace injury statistics claims.
- According to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, workers over 65 are more vulnerable to disabilities or death as a result of workplace mishaps.
- Early retirement is influenced by 17% of major injuries sustained by employees aged 55 years and above. Roadway accidents and hazardous exposures result in more women deaths than men, who are usually killed from falls or contact with objects/equipment, Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
- In the last decade, Australia has witnessed 1850 cases of traumatic injuries leading to death at workplaces.
- Over 1 million serious workers’ compensation claims were made in Australia during this period, which translates to almost one out of twelve employees.
- All these one million claims comprised of more than a week’s absence due to work.
- 62% of worker fatalities were people aged 45 years or more in Australia, according to the health ministry.
Workplace Injuries Statistics By Demographics
(Source: techreport.com)
- Workplace Injury Statistics show that both young and old employees are more susceptible to workplace injuries.
- Conversely, it takes workers aged 55 to 64 who suffer from workplace-related illnesses about 14 days before they fully recover, while those between 16 and 24 average five days off because of injuries.
- Furthermore, reports suggest that women are more likely to experience injuries resulting from exposure to hazardous substances and road accidents.
- In contrast, men have a greater probability of dying as a result of falling objects or equipment contact.
- Therefore, New York, Texas, and California were found to be the most dangerous States for workers in the USA in 2023. Statistically speaking, men are 17.3% more prone to sustain work-related injuries than their female counterparts.
Number Of Nonfatal Workplace Injuries In Great Britain By Industry
(Reference: statista.com)
- Workplace injury statistics show that from 2014/15 to 2022/23, there were about 804 non-fatal injuries for every 100,000 workers in the Water supply, sewerage, waste management, and remediation activities industry in Great Britain.
- On the other hand, during that period, the finance and insurance industry had merely 11 cases of injury for every 100,000 workers.
Top 10 Causes Of Most Disabling U.S. Workplace Injuries By Cost
(Reference: statista.com)
- Concerning Workplace injury statistics, from October 2023, Falls ranked as the second most disabling workplace injury in the US, with direct costs of about 9.99 billion US dollars in 2024.
- This shows how much it costs directly for the top 10 most disabling workplace injuries in America, fared by billions of US dollars.
Annual Lost Working Days Due To Work-Related Injury And Illness In Great Britain.
(Reference: statista.com)
- Workplace injury statistics show that in the year 2022/23, around 35.2 million working days were lost in Great Britain due to workplace injuries or work-related illnesses, compared to 36.8 million days lost the previous year.
- The number of lost working days was highest in 2019/20 while it was lowest at only 25,950 days loss for the year 2010/11.
- In total sickness absence in the UK labor market, 185.6 million working days were lost in 2022, up from 149.8 million days lost in 2021.
- By November 2023, over 2.8 million individuals were not economically active in the UK because of long-term sick leave, with long-term COVID-19 being a key contributor—affecting approximately 1.8 million individuals as of April 2022.
- There has been an increase too in long-term sick leave that can be attributed to mental health issues, where about 313,000 persons were on leave for this reason, and another 282,000 accounted for depression, anxiety, or related problems.
- The rate of workplace injuries fluctuated from 2014/15 to 2022/23 for various industries.
- During this period, it was found that the supply of water, sewerage system, waste management, and remediation recorded the highest rate of workplace injuries in Great Britain, at 804 per 100,000 workers.
- The construction industry registered 45 fatalities due to accidents in workplaces during the year 2022/23.
- However, on adjustment based on workforce size, agriculture stood out with a fatality rate of 7.87 deaths per 100,000 employees – making it the most dangerous sector.
- Looking at it from another angle, there has been an overall drop in the number of workplace accidents over time, from more than one million cases during 2000/01 to only 561 thousand observed in 2022/23.
You May Also Like To Read
- Employee Engagement Statistics
- Wasting Time At Workplace Statistics
- Work From Home Statistics
- Employee Recognition Statistics
- Workplace Romance Statistics
- Remote Work Statistics
- Work Life Balance Statistics
- Paid Holidays Statistics
- Co-Working Statistics
- Employee Layoff Statistics
Workplace Injury Statistics By Industry Type
- In 2021, the transportation and material moving industry had the highest number of workplace injuries, leading to fatalities, with 1,523 deaths that accounted for 38.2% of all work-related deaths that year.
- Construction and extraction jobs accounted for 370 of these fatalities resulting from falls, slips, and trips, an increase of 7.2% from 2020.
- Driver/sales workers and truck drivers also reported 1,032 fatal injuries in 2021.
- The construction and extraction industry was the second highest in terms of fatal work injuries, recording 951 deaths within the same year.
- Protective service workers such as firefighters, law enforcement, and police officers had 302 deaths related to their jobs, with 45% being homicide/suicide cases. At the same time, transportation incidents contributed to about 33% of other cases.
- In addition to this, there were 475 fatalities due to installation maintenance and repair occupations, almost 30% involving vehicle mechanics installers or repairers.
- The fishing industry’s fatality rate was 75.2 per 100k full-time equivalents, which is lower than the previous year’s figure of 132 per 100k workers.
- Among all industries, 53% of restaurant injury claims were filed by first-year employees, the highest proportion among them.
- During the time of this study, we noted that about 47% of all claims were made by first-year employees in the construction industry, while claims made through transportation ranked third with 40%.
- An injury in the construction sector would result in an average loss of more workdays than any other sector.
- At 453,200 cases, the highest number of non-fatal workplace injuries in 2023 were reported in health services.
- Retail trade followed closely with 352,800 non-fatal injuries, and manufacturing was a close third with 334,500.
- Other industries with considerable numbers of non-fatal injuries in 2023 included transportation and warehousing (235,200 injuries), accommodation and food services (182,500 injuries), and construction (162,500 injuries).
- On the basis of non-fatal injury rates calculated against total workforce size, the transportation and warehousing industries had similar figures to those recorded for agriculture, forestry, fishing, or hunting, at 4.3 incidences per every 100 full-time equivalent employees.
- The arts, entertainment, and recreation sector came in second with 3.4, while the health sector, together with social assistance and retail trade, was reported to have 3.1.
- The manufacturing industry reported a rate of 2.8 injuries for every 100 full-time equivalent employees.
- Workplace injury statistics show that from 2021/2022, there were 68 deaths in work-related accidents; services accounted for 87% of these cases, considering that they include trade, transport, public administration, accommodation, and food services.
Prevention Strategies For Reducing Workplace Injuries.
- By adhering to its hazard communication standards as set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace injuries can be prevented.
- Over the past five decades, preventive measures have decreased the daily occupational deadly incidents from 38 to 15.
- In relation to Workplace injury statistics, the material safety data sheets for chemicals should be readily available, while individual protective gear should be given priority.
- In 2021, Prevention Services issued 55,385 inspection reports, 32,368 health and safety orders, and 359 fines, totaling $7,895,572 in British Columbia.
- This outreach program served more than 500,000 workplaces across 263,292 registered employers and 2.49 million workers.
- Employers liked such prevention strategies, and their experience was rated as 81% “good” or “very good”.
- At West Virginia University, engineers are using camera robots to detect and notify workers about floor hazards that may lead to slips and falls.
- AI-powered tools employed by companies like Nationwide, Swiss Re Reinsurance Solutions, and Comp Science analyze work-related videos to find undeclared dangers and avoid workplace injuries.
- Chubb has introduced smartphone applications, wearables, and drones to ensure workplace safety, offer advice on hazardous substances, and evaluate risk factors.
- According to Australian health officials, there has been a general decline in deaths due to accidents at work since 2007.
Impact On Businesses And The Economy
- Workplace injury statistics have a serious effect on companies, as they result in direct expenses and decreased employee output and morale.
- Workplace injury statistics show that in 2023, businesses in the United States lost around 104 million days of work due to workplace injuries.
- It is anticipated to decline to about 100 million workdays in 2024 as a result of adherence to stricter safety measures and the adoption of technological advancements aimed at minimizing the need for manual labor.
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are likely to suffer significantly from such accidents.
- In 2023, it was predicted that SMEs would incur an average medical cost, legal fees, and productivity losses totaling $30,000 US dollars for each incident of injury.
- Small businesses with low margins may find this financial burden hard to bear, resulting in cash flow difficulties that could lead to eventual closure.
Conclusion
The workplace injury statistics for 2023 and 2024 indicated that businesses continue to face challenges in creating a safe working environment. While optimism exists that 2024 will have fewer injuries, its financial implications on companies are expected to remain considerable. Workplace injury statistics show that, globally, millions of employees are victims of workplace injuries and illnesses.
Every day, about 6000 deaths occur from occupational accidents, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). Amongst them, overexertion, which is accountable for 20-30% of all cases, is the leading cause among others, such as slips and falls in road accidents, including cars crashing into whatever and being knocked down by objects.
To minimize the economic consequences of job-related incidents, employee safety should be given priority by employers who must invest in training, equipment, and technology designed specifically for that purpose.
FAQ.
The most common causes of workplace injuries include overexertion, slips and falls, motor vehicle accidents, and getting hit by objects. Between 20% and 30% of all work-related injuries result from overexertion.
The construction and manufacturing industries are particularly hard hit, contributing nearly 45% of all reported cases of occupational accidents. Other risky sectors include the transport industry, material moving, and fishing.
Occupational accidents lead to large economic losses that include lost work days and medical bills. For example, in the year 2023, businesses in the USA lost almost 104 million workdays due to them. This figure is expected to slightly decline in 2024 as a result of better safety measures.
Both younger and older employees are more vulnerable to workplace injuries. Workers aged 55-64 typically experience longer recovery times, averaging 14 days off, compared to 5 days for those aged 16-24. Men are generally 17.3% more likely to be injured than women, with women at higher risk for injuries from hazardous exposures and roadway accidents.
Adopting safety standards and protocols is crucial to preventing workplace injuries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends implementing hazard communication standards, providing readily available material safety data sheets for chemicals, and prioritizing protective equipment.
Ketaki Joshi is a professional medical writer with extensive experience in scientific research on illness, health, and healthcare. Her work includes creating feature articles for newsletters and websites, as well as research news stories for doctors and researchers. With a lifelong passion for reading, Ketaki transitioned from a career at a French multinational company to pursue writing professionally. Her dedication to the craft has culminated in the recent release of her first Amazon-published short story, "The Envelope That Changed Our Lives."
