Top 10 causes of the most disabling workplace injuries

The cost of the most serious workplace injuries is rising. Where should employers focus their safety resources to target the most disabling and expensive employee injuries? 

The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index identifies the top 10 causes of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries by their direct costs to U.S. businesses each year.

According to the 2018 Index, serious, nonfatal workplace injuries amounted to $58.5 billion in direct U.S. workers’ compensation costs. Put another way: It costs U.S. business more than $1 billion a week.

Here are the top 10 causes, their cost per year and the percentage of total injury costs:

1. Overexertion involving outside sources, $13.7 billion, 23.4%
2. Falls on same level, $11.2 billion, 19.2%
3. Falls to lower level, $5.9 billion, 10.0%
4. Struck by object or equipment, $5.3 billion, 9.1%
5. Other exertions or bodily reactions, $4.2 billion, 7.2%
6. Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle, $3.2 billion, 5.5%
7. Slip or trip without fall, $2.3 billion, 3.9%
8. Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, $2.1 billion, 3.6%
9. Struck against object or equipment, $2.0 billion, 3.5%, and
10. Repetitive motions involving microtasks, $1.5 billion, 2.6%.

Falls account for a growing proportion of the losses.

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