October 11, 2022
By Brad Berkowitz, CSP, ARM
Senior Risk Consultant, Property & Casualty Environmental
A worker with clothing and extremities caught in machinery: $44,588. A slip-and-fall injury: $48,575. A vehicle crash involving an employee conducting company business: $85,311. These are the average costs to an organization should just one employee be injured on the job.
Those figures may not take into account the indirect costs of a workplace injury, such as lost time, lost productivity, job retraining, additional accommodation, loss of key employee due to injury, ongoing medical expenses, and the emotional toll on the employee that could be impacting productivity.
According to the National Safety Council, a worker in the U.S. is injured on the job every 7 seconds. Workplace injuries, no matter how minimal they may seem, are the driving force behind one of the biggest, unexpected expenses an organization will face. One workers compensation claim can average $41,353 per claimant though, depending on the injury, costs can escalate quickly.
Businesses of all sizes are vulnerable to the escalating costs of worker injuries and workers compensation claim costs. Exacerbating the issue is the ongoing worker shortage, which could be forcing employers to hire more untrained workers. Lacking adequate training, workers are susceptible to performing tasks incorrectly – poor lifting techniques, not keeping work areas clean and free of debris, or not following proper equipment use procedures and becoming caught in machinery or pinned under heavy materials or equipment. Lack of experience and/or adequate training increases the potential for serious injury.
This increased potential for injury makes it imperative that organizations focus on ways to protect employees and reduce costs. This is particularly significant at environmental facilities, where contractors, consultants and employees are handling hazardous materials and heavy equipment. Understanding the risks and lapses in safety measures at these sites is crucial to implementing better training and a more secure work environment.
The first step to preventing injury is to understand how the injury is occurring. We have outlined some of the more common oversights and root causes that have led to accident or injury.
There are some frequent worker accident claims types that can occur within all organizations and require prevention strategies to help reduce exposures and improve worker safety. While these are not the only risks an organization will face – the nature of the work, the skill level of the workforce, the materials handled, features of the job site, and many other factors can vary widely from organization to organization – AXA XL claims data reveal some of the most common exposures that organizations can face. This includes strains & sprains, slips & falls, and crushing injuries.
The first step to preventing injury is to understand how the injury is occurring. We have outlined some of the more common oversights and root causes that have led to accident or injury. For each injury type, we offer prevention tips in the form of manageable steps, such as eliminating certain conditions in work areas or retraining employees in proper handling or other safety measures.
AXA XL’s environmental risk consulting team, claims team, and technology partners offer clients the support and resources necessary to ensure enhanced workplace safety. Download our latest Environmental Risk Bulletin — Worker injuries: Prevention tips for the most frequent claims — for helpful guidance. This bulletin is designed to help organizations better identify and mitigate risks to keep employees safe and claim costs in check.
About the Author
Brad Berkowitz CSP, ARM is a senior risk consultant with AXA XL’s environmental insurance business. He can be reached at brad.berkowitz@axaxl.com.
