Most Common Injuries in the Workplace: Causes and Prevention Strategies

Unfortunately, workplace injuries are a reality for many businesses. And while workplace safety has a direct impact on both employees’ well-being and organizational efficiency, work-related injuries continue to happen—especially in high-risk industries.

However, every industry is unique, with distinct safety issues in the workplace that must be addressed to improve employee satisfaction, reduce the financial impact of injuries, and improve the overall workplace environment.

While there are several strategies that businesses can implement to improve safety, evaluating the most common injuries in the workplace is a great starting point.

Dive into this topic with us, where we’ll take an in-depth look into common workplace injuries, their causes, and some effective prevention strategies. 

Overview of Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries have long-lasting effects on both employees and businesses, causing disruptions in operations, lowering employee morale, and driving up insurance premiums.

Around the globe, 2.93 million workers die each year because of work-related factors, 395 million sustain non-fatal work injuries each year. These statistics highlight the widespread impact of workplace injuries, with industries like construction, manufacturing, and healthcare being particularly vulnerable due to hazardous environments. 

Workplace injuries and illnesses also affect a business’ profitability, with direct and indirect costs that include medical expenses, costs for legal services, lost productivity, repairs of damaged equipment and property, and more. Just for direct workers’ compensation costs alone, employers in the U.S. pay an estimated almost $1 billion per week. 

10 Most Common Injuries in the Workplace

What are the most common work-related injuries?

From slips and falls to hearing loss, here are the 10 most common workplace injuries:

1. Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common injuries in the workplace, often caused by wet floors, poor lighting, uneven surfaces, or obstacles in walkways. These incidents can result in sprains, fractures, or even head injuries, therefore impacting employee health and reducing a business’ productivity. While these accidents could happen anywhere, the construction industry is particularly affected, accounting for close to half of all fatal falls, slips, and trips in 2022.

2. Overexertion and Muscle Strains

Overexertion and bodily reaction account for 31 percent of total work injury cases, with repetitive lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects being common causes of these injuries. Overexertion can lead to strained muscles and chronic pain, resulting in medical bills, physical therapy, and missed time at work. These injuries are common in industries where physical labor or repetitive tasks are frequent, such as construction, manufacturing, and healthcare.

3. Struck by Objects

Being struck by an object, whether it fell from above or was thrown by a person or a machine, is another common workplace injury. These accidents can result in bruises, fractures, or severe trauma, with workers in the agriculture, construction, and manufacturing industries being at the highest risk of these injuries. In construction, struck-by objects are among the leading causes of deaths, with approximately 75% of struck-by fatalities involving heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes.

4. Caught in or Between Machinery

OSHA defines caught-in or -between hazards as injuries resulting from a person being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched, or compressed between two or more objects or between parts of an object. These kinds of on-job accidents often occur in manufacturing or industrial environments and can lead to serious injuries, such as amputations or broken bones. They are often caused by negligence, improper procedures, and a lack of safety awareness.

5. Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI)

Repetitive stress injuries are caused by the repeated use of a body part, typically affecting areas like the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers. For that reason, jobs like hairdressing, typing, or assembly line work have a higher risk of these types of injuries, potentially leading to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Since this can have a long-term impact on employee productivity, ergonomic solutions—such as adjustable workstations and proper tool design—are key to improving workplace efficiency.

6. Vehicle-Related Accidents

Vehicles in the workplace can lead to a number of accidents, such as workers being knocked down, run over, crushed against fixed parts by vehicles, or falling from vehicles. These accidents, which can occur from a lack of training and safety measures or complacency in the workplace, can cause minor bruises or even life-threatening trauma.

7. Fire and Explosion Injuries

Fire and explosion accidents can cause burns, respiratory damage, traumatic brain injuries, and fatalities. There are many reasons why these incidents in the workplace exist, such as faulty electrical wiring, improperly stored flammable materials, friction from machinery, and more. To prevent these accidents and increase workplace fire safety, proper storage and safety training are essential.

8. Slips on Ice or Outdoor Surfaces

Outdoor workers are at risk of slipping on icy or uneven ground, particularly during winter months. Since this can lead to injuries such as sprains, bruises, cuts, fractures, and head trauma, companies should implement weather-specific safety measures. This helps reduce lost time injuries and increase workplace productivity.

9. Workplace Violence

Workplace violence, such as physical altercations or harassment, can lead to injuries ranging from minor cuts to severe trauma. In fact, assaults are the fifth leading cause of work-related deaths, highlighting the need for employee training, increased mental health awareness, and a supportive workplace culture to mitigate these risks. Not only will reducing workplace violence enhance productivity, but it will also help workers feel more comfortable and satisfied with their company.

10. Hearing Loss from Noise Exposure

Prolonged exposure to loud machinery or work environments can result in permanent hearing loss. While occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses, it can nearly always be prevented. That said, companies should prioritize personal protective equipment and routine hearing tests to address this issue.

Essential Strategies to Prevent Workplace Injuries

Now that we know the 10 most common injuries in the workplace, let’s look at some effective strategies to prevent them:

Implement Regular Safety Training

All workers should be trained to recognize workplace hazards, use equipment safely, and perform first aid in the workplace. Since every company has unique processes and industry-specific requirements, each worker should receive tailored, job-specific training and regular refreshers. This ensures they’re up to date with new safety protocols and can respond effectively to potential risks.

Perform Routine Risk Assessments

Regular workplace inspections help identify unsafe working conditions, such as slip risks, poor lighting, ergonomic challenges, or equipment malfunctions. By identifying hazards early on, companies can implement proactive measures to reduce the number of accidents in a workplace, therefore minimizing the costs of workplace injuries and improving employee satisfaction.

Provide and Maintain Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Organizations are responsible for providing essential safety gear tailored to specific job roles, such as helmets, gloves, or goggles. As an employer, you should also ensure PPE fits properly, is inspected regularly, and is replaced when needed. This helps minimize incidents in the workplace and sets the standard for safety and protection.

Ensure Proper Equipment Maintenance

To reduce machine-related injuries, all machinery, tools, and vehicles should regularly undergo inspection and maintenance. In addition to setting a structured maintenance schedule, employers should train workers on how to identify faulty equipment and encourage them to report any machine issues promptly.

Foster a Safety-First Workplace Culture

Collaboration from both employers and employees is key to creating an environment that prioritizes workplace injury prevention. To promote a safety-first work culture, employers can involve employees in safety discussions, encourage hazard reporting, and reward adherence to safety protocols.

Workplace Injury Management Challenges & How to Overcome Them

Employers must know how to prevent work-related injuries and provide effective injury management in the event of an accident. However, these responsibilities come with multiple challenges, such as providing workers with medical care in remote workplaces, knowing how to identify risks and implement preventive measures, and more.

That said, here are a few tips for improving proactive injury prevention and responsive injury management:

• Timely Access to Medical Expertise: To minimize the severity of injuries, speed up recovery, and reduce long-term impact on both employees and employers, companies should provide workers with 24/7 access to licensed physicians. At JobSiteCare, we leverage occupational telemedicine to provide on-site support, ensuring workers receive reliable care no matter where they are.
• Comprehensive Injury Management: As an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure employees receive the care they need to return to work quickly and safely. However, navigating the complexities of healthcare can be difficult, particularly when it comes to care coordination. By working with an expert in workplace injury management, your team can receive advanced injury management solutions, guaranteeing they receive proper care from the moment an injury occurs until the employee’s full recovery.
• Proactive Onsite Employee Health Support: Identifying risks and implementing preventative measures is key to reducing incidents in the workplace. Since this is a complex process that requires careful planning and continuous training, companies can partner with onsite medical personnel and safety consultants to streamline processes and create a safer work environment.
• Data-Driven Insights for Prevention: Companies can leverage injury data and reporting to identify patterns and risk factors. By creating data-driven strategies, they can proactively address hazards and reduce future incidents, resulting in long-term benefits for both the company and employees.
• Business Continuity and Cost Control: One area that companies must focus on is minimizing operational disruption, which requires timely recovery and return-to-work processes. At JobSiteCare, we understand the importance of keeping projects and productivity on track, which is why we provide comprehensive injury support to reduce workers’ compensation costs and litigated claims, control associated expenses, and improve overall workplace safety.

Conclusion

From overexertion to vehicle-related accidents and workplace violence, there are a range of on job accidentsthat can cause disruptions in operations, reduce employee morale, and lead to financial consequences. 

That said, companies must create a comprehensive workplace safety program—focusing both on prevention and effective injury management—to ensure the health and well-being of employees.

At JobSiteCare, we specialize in managing workplace injuries, providing end-to-end case management and 24/7 physician-led telemedicine support. Since every company has unique requirements, processes, and goals, we’ll create a tailored solution to ensure the best possible outcomes for both employees and employers.

To learn more about JobSiteCare’s expertise in workplace injury management, contact us today.

FAQs About Common Workplace Injuries