In the world of workers comp claims, there is both good news and bad news. On the good side, rates of on-the-job illness and injury have fallen for the last 13 years according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the bad side, many industries continue to sustain rates of injury that are inherently alarming, and these same industries are often ignoring safety practices that would otherwise lead to a decrease in workers comp claims.
When companies view safety as a cost to be avoided rather than an investment into their people and business, corners get cut and workers get unnecessarily hurt. The Bureau’s most recent statistics show that last year around 3 million employees in the private sector suffered illness or injury reported by their employer. Half of these incidents resulted in significant time away from work, restrictions on work activities, or job transfers.
Certain industries are decidedly more injury-prone than others. These are the industries most in need of continued and advanced safety processes to protect their employees in inherently dangerous employment situations. When employers skimp on safety, the results for employees and their families can be devastating. While an experienced Southern California injury lawyer can often help these families to receive fair compensation afterwards, nothing takes the place of employer-mandated safety precautions that prevent injuries in the first place.
Here are the top five industries for on-the-job injuries according to the Bureau’s latest report. Injuries are reported per year and per 100 workers:
1. Nursing care and residential care facilities. Workers in this industry experience an extraordinary rate of injuries. In the private sector, there are about 6.5 injuries per 100 workers, however, in government-run facilities the injury rate skyrockets to 11.7 per 100 workers. When the two sectors are averaged, this industry has the highest rate of injuries.
2. Animal production. Workers responsible for raising and feeding animals for slaughter have the second-highest rate of injuries, with 6.6 injuries per 100 workers.
3. Couriers. Professional messengers, while a relatively small industry, experience 6.4 injuries per 100 workers.
4. Wood product manufacturing. Workers in plants and factories that assemble wood products originating as logs have an injury rate of 5.9 per 100 workers.
5. Air transportation. This industry includes workers that pilot aircraft, work on aircraft mechanics, and also work in supporting positions such as cargo and freight agents. Workers in this industry suffer 5.8 injuries per 100 workers.
If you or someone you love has been injured on the job, you should not wait to get an experienced Southern California injury lawyer involved from the very beginning. Steinberg Injury Lawyers can provide you with a free, no-strings-attached consultation. Just call us at 1-800-350-8888 and find out more about how we can help.
