Workplace safety should be among the biggest concerns of every company on the planet. If an individual is going to work for a company for thousands of hours a year, the least that company can do is protect them. Despite that, it is still common for workplace injuries to occur.
While it has improved a lot when compared to the past, it isn’t perfect. In fact, there are some pretty surprising and shocking statistics around workplace safety and the accidents that can occur. This article will take a closer look at 4 of them, and the things we can do to prevent these accidents from occurring.
Nearly All Construction Workers Will Have at Least One Disabling Injury in Their Career
While a lot of different types of jobs can be dangerous in their own right, there are very few more dangerous than being a construction worker. These people often are high up, have to carry heavy items, and even deal with power tools. These can all be a recipe for disaster.
In fact, statistics show that over their entire career, a construction worker has a 75% chance of getting a disabling industry, and they actually have a 1 in 200 chance of dying on the job. In order to bring these stats down, we should ensure that everyone is wearing the correct equipment and is being careful when they are high up or using tools.
14 American Workers Die on the Job Every Day
Despite all of the precautions most companies take and the strict safety guidelines in effect at most types of jobs, there are still (on average) 14 people that die on the job every single day. That equals out to over 5,000 a year, which is without a doubt a huge and shocking amount
While these look bad, this number is less than half of what it was even a few decades ago. So we have made progress, but we need to continue finding ways and implementing new methods to stop injuries and accidents from taking place. We also need to eliminate the risky practices that still occur in many different workplaces.
Workplace Injuries Cause Companies Billions Every Year
That’s right, workplace injuries aren’t only bad for the injured employee, but they can also wreak havoc on the company themselves. This is largely in the form of lost man hours and the fact that many employees must pay the injured employee while they heal. In total, workplace injuries and pain caused by them causes companies to lose hundreds of millions of dollars.
Also, in addition to lost productivity hours, these injuries can potentially cost companies more if an injured employee seeks legal action. If you have been injured on the job and want to seek legal action, be sure to visit https://www.thedoanlawfirm.com/Explosion-Accident-Lawyer.aspx
Almost Half of Workplace Injuries Happen to New Employees
According to stats, if you are a new worker, you have a much higher chance of being injured on the job than a seasoned veteran. Workers with less than 5 years of experience account for 43% of workplace injuries and workers with 5-10 years of experience account for another 34%.
This type of statistic shows that companies need to do a better job at ensuring everyone is well-trained before sending them out to work, especially at dangerous or risky jobs. While injuries do happen to people that have been working longer, they usually know all the necessary ins and outs of a company or job.
In conclusion, we know these statistics are harrowing, but it is important to be aware of them so we can all take the necessary steps and precautions to reduce these accidents.