Published 04/15/2020
The top 10 causes of workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses over $1 billion per week. What are these workplace injuries, and how much could they cost you?
The 2020 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (WSI) is now available, exposing the most costly causes of disabling workplace injuries in the U.S.
We’ve researched the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries — those that cause employees to miss work for more than five days — and ranked those causes by their direct cost to employers, based on medical and lost-wage expenses.
For the second year, we have also drilled down into WSI data for eight industry-specific reports. These companion documents show the most costly causes of injuries for each industry sector:
Team up with your insurance broker and carrier to examine workplace injuries in your own business, and how you can effectively mitigate those risks. Because a safer workplace isn’t just good for employees; it’s good for the bottom line.
1. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Overexertion involving outside sources” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
2. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Struck by object or equipment” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
3. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Other exertions or bodily reactions” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
4. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
5. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Struck against object or equipment” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
6. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for “Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects” See BLS definitions manual for further detail.
Study Methodology: The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index is based on information from Liberty Mutual Insurance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Academy of Social Insurance. Liberty Mutual and BLS injury data are analyzed to determine which events caused employees to miss more than five days of work. The index then ranks those events by total workers compensation costs, which include medical and lost-wage payments. To capture accurate injury cost data, each index is based on data three years prior. Accordingly, the 2020 index reflects 2017 data.
