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Business leaders face numerous responsibilities each day when running a successful and profitable company. One essential duty employers have is keeping their valuable employees safe from injury and illness, which is not a simple one-time-only task. It is an ongoing task that features many moving parts, including identifying risks, working to correct hazards, and informing employees of dangers that they can avoid when aware and alert.
Workplace injuries can erode employee confidence in an employer's concern for their well-being since they must know all the risks in and around their facilities and provide awareness. That said, it is also vital that workplace safety operates as a dynamic partnership between employers and employees. To that end, an increasing number of employers are adopting and implementing highly effective safety incentive programs to create and nurture a culture of safety in the workplace. Employers ask employees to become part of the safety process and offer various rewards to show appreciation for keeping everyone safe.
Workplace Injuries Come with Extensive Costs
In 2018, the total cost of work injuries reached $170.8 billion, according to Injury Facts. The associated costs include:
- Medical expenses
- Wage and productivity losses
- Time lost by workers
- Administrative expenses
- Employers' uninsured costs
- Resources used to investigate incidents and injuries
- Documenting incidents and injuries
- Damages to motor vehicles
- Fire losses
Nearly 300 employees did not survive their injuries in 2020. The average cost per death in a workplace injury comes to $1,190,000, depending on estimates of several variables, such as wage losses, employer costs, administrative expenses, and medical expenses.
Top 5 most common workplace injuries in 2020
The most common workplace incidents that lead to injuries, illnesses, and sometimes death can occur in any work environment. Hazards are present in offices and retail stores and they are even more common in construction, manufacturing, warehouse, and transportation accidents.
Take a moment to look at the five most common workplace accidents and injuries in 2020.
1. Slip and Fall Injuries
Falls in the workplace account for more than 33% of injuries and fatalities. Somehow many people do not think of slip and fall accidents as serious until they have one or know someone who has had one. Many of these incidents can cause lasting, irreparable damage that compromises the victim's quality of life if they survive. Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) cites a few common risks that contribute to these accidents:
- Inadequate or insufficient lighting
- Hidden or misplaced cords
- Uneven floor coverings and surfaces
- Wet or slippery flooring
- Faulty railing and other untended issues on stairways and in stairwells
- Obstacles in pathways
2. Struck By an Object
Also known as traumatic injuries, object strike injuries are more common in industries like construction, mining, and manufacturing and distribution centers, but can happen anywhere. These incidents happen most frequently when a heavy object falls or swings from a great height and hits the worker. Workers struck by a heavy object experience a critical injury that can result in their disablement, facing treatments such as:
- Expensive exams
- Surgeries
- Medicines and long periods of rehabilitative therapy
3. LIFTING, CARRYING, AND HANDLING OBJECTS
Injuries involving the regular work with objects that are sharp, heavy, or unusually shaped and difficult to manage can result in lower back strain and cuts and bruises. These incidents are not often fatal, but they can cause the most lasting pain for employees who might struggle with back issues for years following the incident.
4. Repetitive stress Injuries
Employees performing computer or assembly line tasks are at risk for repetitive stress injuries. These injuries are often mild in terms of acute severity.
Still, they can inhibit employees' ability and comfort in performing essential daily duties to the point where they need to take time off for disability. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common result of unchecked repetitive motion, causing pain and weakness. Employees suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome often undergo a long stint of rehabilitative therapy.
5. Vehicle Crashes
Professional drivers of delivery and transport vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and taxis, must remain vigilant since the road is paved with distracted drivers. Such injuries frequently result in serious and disabling injuries where employees face extensive medical and rehabilitative treatment.
How to Reduce and Avoid Workplace Injuries Using a Safety Program
Employers have many tools available to help keep employees safe. The most vital step is to design and implement effective safety plans that include everyone from the executive and safety management teams to every employee to develop a workplace safety culture.
Here are some essential ways to reduce and avoid workplace injuries.
Implement a Proper Training Protocol
Once the safety management team has identified the various workplace site risks, it is time to ensure that managers, supervisors, and employees are aware of them. Safety training in the workplace is the key to inviting all employees to become part of the safety culture, working as a valuable safety incentive.
Evaluate Worksite Safety Risks
The safety management team or task force must continually remain aware of all potential risks, from slippery-prone areas to poor keyboard designs. Leadership relies on employees to alert them of issues that only reveal themselves in real-time and, without recording and addressing the matters, can result in a spectrum of injuries. The consistent and effective evaluation of safety risks relies on the active attention and participation of engaged employees.
Provide Employees with the Right Tools
Employees need the right equipment for performing their tasks, whether typing all day at their desks or lifting heavy objects. Employers and safety leaders must ensure safety by providing employees with safe tools for their respective responsibilities. Some tools to consider include:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as safety goggles, hard hats or helmets, harnesses, and masks
- Ergonomic chairs, keyboards, and mouse devices
Provide Ongoing Training for All Employees - Not Just New Employees
Safety issues never remain static and should always maintain a high level of importance in any organization. All managers, supervisors, and staff need periodic workplace safety training to stay alert and engaged for everyone's well-being. Ongoing training is valuable for everyone, not only new employees.
C.A. Short Company helps businesses create effective safety incentive programs to ensure the health and well-being for everyone. We comply with OSHA standards to develop innovative safety incentive programs that can help you identify the leading safety indicators vital to your business. Contact us to learn more about helping your company thrive through meaningful safety incentive programs.
