Surviving the Daily Grind: Useful Insights of Workplace Injuries
Many companies mostly neglect workplace injuries, which result in consequences as serious as fatal accidents and amputation. Conversely, proactive site safety practices and appropriate work safety awareness lead to fewer accidents, incidents, and OSHA violations. This blog will make you understand how crucial yet common mistakes can result in significant workplace injuries and how to take useful preventive measures against workplace hazards through credible facts and figures.
Most Common Construction Injury statistics According to OSHA
What are OSHA Construction Injuries?
Within workplace safety statistics, OSHA recognizes two categories of incidents: injuries and illnesses. These categories distinguish between incidents that harm employees and those that result in long-term or chronic health effects.
Injuries
Stated down below are some most common injuries which are stated by OSHA:
A cut
Fracture
Sprain
Amputation
Illness
Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses stated by OSHA:
Skin disease
Respiratory Disease
Poisning
Disorder
Workplace injuries may seem very general, but it's one of the most ignored issues. Unfortunately, failing to address this issue could lead to accidents and incidents that jeopardize employees' safety and well-being. As such, this matter must be given due attention and consideration to ensure a safe and secure work environment.
Listed down below are some of the causes of workplace injuries and OSHA Violations which an employee and employer should keep in mind:
General violations
$7,000 per violation
Serious violations
$25,000 per violation
Willful or repeat violations
$70,000 per violation
Failure to abate
Up to $15,000 per day
Failure to report
$5,000 minimum per violation
OSHA General Violations
$15,600 for 30 days
OSHA Statistics 2023
$5.82
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
1,850
Total number of OSHA inspectors OSHA has employeed.
8 Million
Total inspectors employed at sites around the United States.
42,063
Total number of Official OSHA State Plan inspections conducted.
20%
United States Worker fatalities in construction industry.
65,000
Total number of deaths every year caused by hazardous substances.
How to Prevent Workplace Injuries and OSHA Violations
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations and workplace injuries can result in severe consequences, including penalties. However, employers and employees can opt for a valuable solution to prevent such violations: OSHA Outreach Courses. These courses, known as OSHA 30-Hour and OSHA 10-Hour courses, are available for both the General and Construction Industries and can help individuals avoid potential OSHA violations through maintaining workplace safety by preventing workplace injuries.
These courses are meant to target different degrees of employees, such as OSHA 10-Hour courses are for candidates who are new or starting their career in the Construction or General Industry. In contrast, OSHA 30-Hour courses are for candidates at a supervisory or managerial level of employment.
Moreover, the OSHA courses are designed to make candidates meet OSHA and their company's requirements by dispensing useful yet practical site safety knowledge and safety measures.
Workplace Injuries Statistics and Cost
$167.0
billion
The total cost of work injuries in 2021.
$47.4
billion
Figure of wage and productivity losses.
$36.6
billion
Cost of medical expenses.
$57.5
billion
Cost of administrative expenses.
5 MYTHS
About Workplace Injuries and OSHA
You Need to be Doing Your Job When You Get Injured
Always seek medical health and leave whatever you are doing, your life is the most important asset you have
OSHA Prioritizes Large Companies
OSHA is so vital that it has hands on every small and large company, you never know when an inspector pays a visit.
You Need to be at a Jobsite When You Get Injured
Site injury doesn't mean you have to show that you are working. Any injury or illness is self-descriptive
OSHA Inspectors Will Enforce Our Written Safety Policy
Employees and employers should be responsible for the enforcement as well.
If OSHA Comes to Inspect You, Employees Should Stop Working
Employees should never stop working and give false impressions to the inspector.
Top 6 Facts About Workplace Injuries
- 80-90 percent of serious injuries are caused by human error which can be prevented by giving site safety training
- The OSHA 300 Log requires employers to check one of 6 boxes to categorize the injury/illness: (1) injury (2) skin disorder (3) respiratory condition (4) poisoning (5) hearing loss (6) all other illnesses
- Over 99 percent of all accidents are preventable
- #1 cause of injury in any job is slips, trips, and falls
- Manufacturing industry workers not only have the highest fatality rate, they are at increased risk of serious injury compared to other industries.
- There are about 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses annually
Preventable Workplace Injuries and Accidents by Industry
Impact of Workplace Injuries on Business
Accidents or incidents at a workplace lead to some significant impacts which can clash with the business operations and sometimes even with the ultimate vision of a business. Shown below are some primary impacts of accidents and incidents at a workplace at any company:
Loss of productivity
Reduction of sales
Low staff morale
Loss of reputation
Conclusion
Above mentioned construction injury statistics and workplace injuries statistics demonstrate the number of incidents and accidents that impact or affect the worksite operations, which can ultimately result in many downfalls and harsh OSHA penalties and citations. Remember, preventing injuries requires a proactive approach that involves everyone in the organization. Prioritize safety, empower employees, and foster a culture of continuous improvement to create a truly safe and healthy workplace.
CEO of OSHAOutreachCourses, a platform that provides online workplace safety training. Passionate about the integration of technologies in making worksites safer for manual workers.
