Workplace accidents are far too common and happen in every industry. Even workers in seemingly non-hazardous positions, like office administration, can suffer severe injuries that require medical attention, force them to take time off work, and live with other physical and financial consequences.
According to workplace injury statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, there were nearly 2.8 million recordable nonfatal injury and illness cases across all job industries in a recent year. Among those cases, over 1.8 million required a job transfer, days away from work, or caused work-related restrictions.
How Many Workplace Accidents Occur Each Year?
According to the National Safety Council, one worker is injured every seven seconds in the United States. That works out to 12,600 per day or roughly 4.6 million per year.
Some of the most common nonfatal injuries and illnesses in a recent year include:
- Strains, sprains, and tears – 295,180 cases
- Pain/soreness – 157,440 cases
- Fractures – 85,710 cases
- Punctures, cuts, and lacerations – 72,110 cases
- Thermal burns – 14,890 cases
- Amputations – 6,020 cases
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – 4,180 cases
Some job-related accidents also prove to be fatal. In one current year, 5,333 employees died at work. That’s equivalent to 15 fatalities every day. Around 20 percent of those deaths were construction workers.
The most dangerous industries based on that year’s fatality rate included:
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting
- Mining
- Transportation and warehousing
- Construction
- Wholesale trade
- Other services
- Leisure and hospitality
- Retail trade
- Utilities
- Government
- Financial activities
- Education and health services
Most Common Workplace Accidents
Workplace injury statistics show the top three causes of on-the-job injuries in a year are slips, trips, and falls, overexertion, and contact with equipment and objects. They account for over 84 percent of all nonfatal occupational injuries requiring time off from work.
Other common factors leading to nonfatal injuries include:
- Transportation incidents – 49,430 injuries
- Violence and other injuries by animal or person – 44,480 injuries
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments – 36,840 injuries
- Explosions and fires – 1,700 injuries
The same events also resulted in fatal occupational injuries. In just one year, American workers died in:
- Transportation incidents – 2,122 deaths
- Falls, slips, and trips – 880 deaths
- Violence and other injuries by animals or persons – 841 deaths
- Contact with object and equipment – 732 deaths
- Exposure to harmful environments or substances – 642 deaths
- Fires and explosions – 99 deaths
Injured at Work? Here’s How a Pennsylvania Workplace Accident Attorney Can Help
If you were injured in an accident at work, contact the Pennsylvania workplace accident lawyers of Calhoon & Kaminsky, P.C. Depending on the circumstances, you might be eligible to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits from your employer’s policy or pursue a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent third party.
Call or reach out to us online for a free consultation today.
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For more than 20 years, our attorneys have been helping injured workers navigate the complex Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. We empower workers with the information and the representation they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families’ future.
