Work-related injuries and illnesses cost US businesses a combined $163.9 billion in losses, the latest data from the National Safety Council (NSC), the country’s leading non-profit public health and safety service organization, has revealed.
Broken down, the figure – which reflects 2020 data – consists of:
The NSC’s 2020 Injury Facts report also showed that the average cost per worker was $1,100. The council pointed out, however, that this amount represents the value of goods and services each employee must produce to offset the cost of a job-related injury and is not the average cost of a workplace injury.
The cost per medically consulted injury, meanwhile, was at $44,000, while the cost for incidents resulting in death averaged $1.31 million. These figures include estimates of lost wages, medical and administrative expenses, employer costs, and motor vehicle damage. Other types of property damage are excluded.
“These cost estimates are a measure of the economic impact of preventable injuries and may be compared to other economic measures, such as gross domestic product, per capita income, and personal consumption expenditures,” the council noted. “The costs reflect the impact to society, not specifically to employers.”
The coronavirus outbreak has propelled “exposure to harmful substances or environments” atop the list of the most common causes of “nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries involving days away from work” after ranking just number six before the onset of the pandemic in 2019. According to NSC, this category also covers “other diseases due to viruses.”
Overexertion and bodily reaction, and slips, trips, and falls are the next biggest categories. These three groups account for three-fourths of all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses recorded by the council.
Here’s a breakdown of the five most common causes of work-related injuries and illnesses, according to NSC’s latest data.
Number of incidents: 424,360
Overall share: 36.1%
Industry most at-risk: Health care and social assistance
Because of the pandemic, the number of nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries that resulted in at least one missed day shot up significantly from 36,840 to 424,360, an astounding 1,052% rise. Unsurprisingly, “other diseases due to viruses, not elsewhere classified” was the most common case type. According to the NSC, the category, which led to an average of 13 days lost, includes the following incidents:
Number of incidents: 255,490
Overall share: 21.7%
Industry most at-risk: Transportation and warehousing
This type of injury consists of two categories:
According to the report, the back is the most frequent body hurt during such incidents, which results in an average of 14 days of missed work. Reported cases of overexertion decreased 7.3% from 275,590, dropping the category from first to second place in the list.
Number of incidents: 211,640
Overall share: 18%
Industry most at-risk: Transportation and warehousing; agriculture
Incidents of slips, trips, and falls declined about 13% from 244,000 in 2019, causing the category to slide to the third spot. Sprains, strains, and tears are the most common injury type, affecting primarily the 55 and above age group.
The NSC classified the following incidents under falls, slips, and trips:
Number of incidents: 196,140
Overall share: 16.7%
This category includes:
The number of workplace injuries resulting from contact with objects and equipment dropped 34% from 299,410 in 2019. More than half, or 56%, of all incidents under the category involved being struck by an object or equipment.
Number of incidents: 41,010
Overall share: 3.5%
The NSC classified the following under this category:
The volume of transportation-related workplace injuries dipped 17% in 2020 from 49,430 in the previous year. Roadway accidents accounted for almost two-thirds (63%) of incidents under the category.
The combined average cost for workplace illness and injury claims in 2019 and 2020 was $41,353, according to data from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the country’s workers’ compensation insurance rating and data collection bureau.
To get a complete picture of how much compensation different work-related illnesses and injuries received, the council calculated medical and indemnity costs based on three major categories – cause of injury, nature of the injury, and part of the body.
The tables below reveal which occupational injuries and illnesses from these categories offer the most compensation based on NCCI’s data.
Workers’ compensation cost by cause |
|||
Cause of injury |
Medical |
Indemnity |
Total |
Motor vehicle |
$47,500 |
$37,811 |
$85,311 |
Burn |
$36,477 |
$17,696 |
$54,173 |
Fall/slip |
$27,225 |
$21,350 |
$48,575 |
Caught |
$26,188 |
$18,400 |
$44,588 |
Struck by |
$22,093 |
$17,884 |
$39,977 |
Strain |
$17,421 |
$17,870 |
$35,291 |
Cumulative injuries |
$15,492 |
$17,253 |
$32,745 |
Striking against |
$16,107 |
$14,310 |
$30,417 |
Miscellaneous cause |
$12,557 |
$12,938 |
$25,495 |
Cut/punch/scrape |
$14,530 |
$9,845 |
$24,375 |
Source: NCCI Workers’ Compensation Statistical Plan
Workers’ compensation cost by nature |
|||
Nature of injury |
Medical |
Indemnity |
Total |
Amputation |
$85,810 |
$33,027 |
$118,837 |
Fracture/crush/dislocation |
$36,555 |
$24,379 |
$60,934 |
Other trauma |
$32,086 |
$28,202 |
$60,288 |
Burn |
$34,753 |
$13,918 |
$48,671 |
Infection/inflammation |
$18,826 |
$18,672 |
$37,498 |
Sprain/strain |
$16,215 |
$17,374 |
$33,589 |
Carpal tunnel |
$16,131 |
$17,346 |
$33,477 |
Lacerate/puncture/rupture |
$19,270 |
$14,078 |
$33,348 |
Contusion/concussion |
$18,013 |
$15,138 |
$33,151 |
Occ. disease/cumulative injury |
$7,387 |
$9,309 |
$16,696 |
Source: NCCI Workers’ Compensation Statistical Plan
Workers’ compensation cost by part |
|||
Part of the body |
Medical |
Indemnity |
Total |
Head/CNS |
$60,875 |
$33,067 |
$93,942 |
Multiple body parts |
$32,647 |
$30,212 |
$62,859 |
Hip/thigh/pelvis |
$36,553 |
$23,205 |
$59,758 |
Leg |
$38,049 |
$21,699 |
$59,748 |
Neck |
$30,404 |
$28,987 |
$59,391 |
Arms/shoulders |
$26,088 |
$23,028 |
$49,116 |
Lower back |
$17,486 |
$20,480 |
$37,966 |
Upper back |
$17,799 |
$18,955 |
$36,754 |
Knee |
$18,239 |
$126,639 |
$34,932 |
Face |
$18,435 |
$14,646 |
$33,081 |
Source: NCCI Workers’ Compensation Statistical Plan