Liberty Mutual Releases Top 10 Causes of Most Serious Workplace Injuries

The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index documents the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries – those causing an employee to miss five or more days from work – and ranks them by their direct cost to employers, which consists of medical and lost-wage payments.

The insurer’s report also identifies the top causes of serious workplace injuries by key industries.

According to the 2019 Liberty Mutual index, the 10 most costly causes of workplace injuries and illnesses are:

Injury Cause:	Cost (billions):	Percentage:
Overexertion involving outside sources	$13.11	23.65%
Falls on same level	$10.38	18.72%
Struck by object or equipment	$5.22	9.42%
Falls to lower level	$4.98	8.99%
Other exertions or bodily reactions	$3.69	6.65%
Roadway incidents involving motorized vehicle	$2.70	4.88%
Slip or trip without falling	$2.18	3.93%
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	$1.93	3.48%
Repetitive motions involving microtasks	$1.59	2.87%
Struck against object or equipment	$1.15	2.07%
*Cost of the top 10 most disabling workplace injuries*	*$46.93*	*84.66%*
*Total cost of the most disabling workplace injuries*	*$55.43*	*100%*

The 2019 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index is the first to also report the causes and costs of the most serious workplace injuries for eight specific industries that account for a high proportion of all workplace injuries: Manufacturing, Healthcare, Construction, Professional Services, Retail, Wholesale, Transportation & Warehousing, Leisure & Hospitality.

The top causes by key industries:

Industry	Ranking of Cause of Loss
Industry	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
All Industries	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Struck by object or equipment	Falls, to lower level	Other exertions or bodily reactions
Construction	Falls, to lower level	Struck by object or equipment	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Slip or trip without a fall
Prof. Services	Falls, same level	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, to lower level	Roadway incidents	Struck by object or equipment
Manufacturing	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Struck by object or equipment	Caught in, compressed by equipment	Repetitive motions, micro tasks
Healthcare	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Intentional injury by person	Roadway incidents	Other exertions or bodily reactions
Retail	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Struck by object or equipment	Other exertions or bodily reactions	Falls, to lower level
Transport & Warehousing	Overexertion, outside sources	Falls, same level	Roadway incidents	Other exertions or bodily reactions	Falls, to lower level
Wholesale	Overexertion, outside sources	Struck by object or equipment	Falls, to lower level	Falls, same level	Other exertions or bodily reactions
Leisure & Hospitality	Falls, same level	Overexertion, outside sources	Struck by object or equipment	Struck against object or equipment	Other exertions or bodily reactions

James Merendino, general manager, Risk Control, National Insurance, Liberty Mutual, said the index helps employers understand the root causes of the most serious workplace injuries they face. “Only then can they effectively mitigate and manage these through work design, system controls, technology, training, and strategic risk management. Insurance companies and brokers can be a key ally in these efforts,” he said.

The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index is based on information from Liberty Mutual, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Academy of Social Insurance. The 2019 index is based on non-fatal 2016 injury data, with more than five days away from work. To allow for cost development, every index has been based on claims data three years prior to publication.

Source: Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index

*This story ran previously in our sister publication Insurance Journal