One Billion Dollars Spent on Injuries a Week

Learn about general safety measures to take on the construction site that prevent big costs due to injuries.

One Billion Dollars Spent on Injuries a Week

Injuries on the job cost companies billions of dollars each year. When an employee endures an injury while working that disables them, it is a huge cost. Each year, it has been recorded by the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index in 2017, that there are $60 billion in worker’s compensation costs each year. When that is broken down, that equals out to be about $1 billion each week that is spent on these types of injuries.

Overview Of Ten Of The Top Injuries Cited

The study that the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index conducted in 2017 looked at the top ten incidents that occurred. The ones that caused the highest direct cost to companies overall. Here is a list of the top ten that were recorded from highest to lowest according to cost. The 5 following cases are responsible for 63.8% of the total cost responsibilities.

$13.79 billion (23% of the national burden) in direct costs of the incidents were from work-related tasks such as lifting, pulling, carrying, pushing, throwing, or holding objects.

$10.62 billion (17.7%) in direct costs of the incidents were from employees falling on the same level.

$5.50 billion (2%) in direct costs of the incidents were from employees falling from a higher level to a lower level.

$4.43 billion (7.4%) in direct costs of the incidents were from an employee being struck by an object or piece of heavy machinery.

$3.89 billion (6.5%) in direct costs of the incidents were from employees enduring other exertions or reactions.

The 5 following cases that were recorded are responsible for 19.5% of the total cost responsibilities.

Motorized vehicles causing roadway incidents

Individuals who slipped or tripped without a fall occurring

Incidents of individuals being caught-in or between equipment or objects

Incidents of individuals being struck by an object or piece of equipment

Microtasks that require employees to make repetitive motions

Worker’s Compensation

Worker’s compensation is what kicks in to help cover any expenses that amount during an injury that you endured while on the job. It will also cover any lost wages that you have during your process of healing. This does not mean that you are going to be compensated for the full wage that you would make if you were still working.

The estimated amount that you will receive from your worker’s compensation is about ⅔ of what your normal wages would be. You have a certain time frame in which you have to file your claims to get that coverage. The coverage that is available will cover just about all cases of injuries that occur while you are working.

What Is Not Covered By Worker’s Compensation

When you are injured on the job, you may be concerned that you are going to lose your job. While that is a possibility in some cases, the important thing to remember is that it will not cause you to lose your compensation if you do. There are very few things that can get you denied wages, the things that you shouldn’t be doing while working, such as:

Being intoxicated

Under the influence of illegal drugs

An injury that you purposely caused to yourself

If you are receiving worker’s comp, you are not to be working at all. That is the main reason that you are receiving the compensations, is because you are too injured to do your job. If you are caught working while receiving this benefit, you can get into a lot of trouble. It can result in prison time for committing fraud.

Safety First On The Job

It is important that everyone follows the protocols, regulations, and guidelines that have been set for them on the job. These rules are put in place to keep everyone as safe as possible while working. Some accidents and incidents can not be avoided and will happen by pure accident, even when following the rules.

But, if we make an effort to follow the protocol at all times, we can lessen the occurrence of unnecessary accidents. All of the guidelines that are set are to protect you and the others around you. Sometimes the negligence that we have to follow guidelines can result in injury to another employee.

Safety Rules To Follow

When you work on a construction site, there are many things that can occur. There is a numerous amount of heavy equipment, tools, materials, and hazards that can harm you at any given moment. That is why it is important to be familiar with the rules that apply and make sure that you follow them. It is for your safety and those around you as well. Some examples of rules and guidelines that should be followed are:

Risk management system- This is an essential step to creating a safe environment for everyone who is involved on the construction site. Making everyone aware of all the risks that apply within the job. This way it is clear to everyone where they need to be more careful.

Personal protective equipment- Everyone should know what PPE is expected of them to wear. It is designed to be a protection to whatever task it is that they are performing. A way to reduce injury and keep them safe. Some examples of different types of protection are gloves, eye goggles, ear protection, safety vests, steel toe boots, and hard hats.

Setup of equipment- Make sure that the location placement of all equipment is in a safe place. Securing all other areas of concern as well such as stairways, scaffolding, and more. Construction sites can get muddy and cause some slippery conditions. Providing the right safety measures to create a safe environment is essential.

Create a safe environment- There are enclosed areas that are created within construction, and keeping those areas clear of debris is important for safety. The dust, dirt, fumes, and different hazardous particles that can be created on-site can cause harm when they enter these interior locations. Taking the correct measures to ensure that the areas are protected and well ventilated is ideal.

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