Boston, MA – The 10 causes of the most serious workplace accidents cost employers more than $58 billion in annual medical costs and lost wage payments, according to the latest Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index.
The Index examines the top 10 causes of the most serious disabling workplace injuries – those leading to more than five missed workdays – ranked by their direct cost to employers based on medical expenses and lost wages.
Here’s this year’s ranking:
- Overexertion involving outside sources
- Falls on same level
- Falls to lower level
- Struck by object or equipment
- Other exertions or bodily reactions (awkward postures)
- Exposure to other harmful substances
- Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles (vehicle crashes)
- Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects (running equipment or machines)
- Slip or trip without fall
- Pedestrian vehicular incidents
How has the WSI changed over time?
Liberty Mutual analyzed data trends from the past five WSIs. While overexertion, slips, trips, and falls are still leading causes of workplace injuries, some 2023 trends may surprise you. Exposure to other harmful substances and pedestrian vehicular accidents joined the index for the first time in 2023.
- Moving up to sixth place is exposure to other harmful substances. Without COVID-19 data, our 2022 WSI ranked this injury in 18th place.
- Falls to lower level moved up from fourth to third place, costing U.S. businesses $6.09B.
- Pedestrian vehicular incidents made its debut in the 2023 WSI, costing U.S. businesses $1.61B.
- Pedestrian vehicular incidents were most evident in occupations such as sales and truck drivers, material movers, food service, distribution managers, retail salespersons, building cleaning and maintenance, and protective service. These occupations were likely to be impacted by the challenges that COVID-19 placed on the U.S. supply chain, as well as on industrial hygiene, security, and novel delivery or parking-lot operations.
View the index: Liberty Mutual 2023 Workplace Safety Index
Source: Liberty Mutual