The National Safety Council (NSC) compiled a work accident report using recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), analyzing the top causes of on-the-job injuries nationwide. According to the report, the most common workplace accidents resulting in time away from work are transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motor vehicles, falls, slips, and trips, contact incidents, violent acts, and exposure to harmful substances.
Let’s dive deeper into the numbers to better understand these risks and what injured workers can do after a job-related accident.
Struck-By-Object Accidents
Contact incidents often involve struck-by-object accidents, in which a worker is hit by a moving, falling, flying, or swinging object. These accidents can happen in many workplaces, from construction sites and warehouses to offices and retail environments. Some examples include:
- Tools or materials that fall from shelves
- Objects dropped from overhead work areas
- Debris propelled by machinery
- Employees struck by moving equipment or loads
Depending on the force and object involved, injuries can range from cuts and bruises to fractures, brain injuries, amputations, crush injuries or other serious trauma.
The recent NSC report notes that there were about 250,000 injury cases resulting in restricted activity, job transfers, or missed work days as a result of being struck by an object. Nationally, there were over 350 fatalities caused by struck-by accidents in a recent year, 13 of which occurred in North Carolina.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents
Slips, trips, and falls in the workplace involve different scenarios that can cause harm to workers, including:
- Slips often occur when floors are wet, oily, or otherwise slick, such as after a spill or rain.
- Trips can be caused by clutter, loose cords, uneven flooring, poor lighting, or objects left in walkways.
- Falls may happen on the same level or from heights such as ladders, stairs, platforms, and loading areas.
Even a seemingly minor slip and fall accident can lead to sprains, fractures, back injuries, head injuries, or missed work.
According to the BLS data, slips, trips, and falls collectively accounted for 24 percent of all workplace injuries, resulting in over 700,000 cases involving days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfers. With almost 900 fatalities, these accidents made up 17 percent of the nation’s workplace deaths in a recent data period, while North Carolina similarly reported 38 deaths.
Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals
Workers in many industries can be exposed to hazardous chemicals, particularly factory workers, healthcare professionals, construction workers, and laboratory technicians. Exposure can occur through skin or eye contact, ingestion of a hazardous substance, or inhalation of harmful fumes, gases, or dust. Frequently involved hazards include:
- Solvents
- Acids
- Cleaning products
- Pesticides
- Fuels
- Other industrial chemicals
Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the fourth-leading cause of on-the-job injuries and diseases, with almost 700 fatalities and over 225,000 cases of days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfers. 20 of those deaths were in North Carolina.
Forklift and Heavy Equipment Accidents
Forklifts and other types of heavy equipment are essential in many warehouses, construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and industrial workplaces. However, they can also create serious safety risks.
Accidents may occur when equipment overturns, collides with workers or other vehicles, drops a load, or is operated in areas with limited visibility. Common contributing factors include:
- Excessive speed
- Improper loading
- Distracted operation
- Inadequate training
- Poor communication
The NSC found that there were more than 25,000 cases involving days of missed work, restricted activity, or job transfers as a result of forklift accidents across the country in a recent year, as well as over 65 fatalities.
Vehicle and Transportation Accidents
Vehicle and transportation collisions are a significant risk for employees who drive or work around cars, trucks, delivery vehicles, and other commercial vehicles. These motor vehicle accidents are frequently caused by:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Fatigue
- Poor weather
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Unsafe loading practices
Transportation incidents resulted in over 120,000 cases of workers missing work or requiring job transfers or restrictions. They are also the leading cause of work-related fatalities, accounting for nearly 2,000 deaths nationally and 77 here in North Carolina.
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Machinery Accidents
Machinery accidents can occur in manufacturing facilities, construction sites, warehouses, and other workplaces where employees operate or work near powered equipment. Workers are often injured in these accidents because of:
- Missing or inadequate machine guards
- Equipment malfunctions
- Improper use
- Insufficient training
- Failure to shut down machinery before performing maintenance or repairs
The BLS recorded numbers for workers who were injured after being struck, caught, or crushed by running power equipment. There were about 85,000 cases involving days away from work, restricted work activity, or job transfers and over 200 deaths.
Electrical Accidents
Electrical accidents can happen whenever employees work with or around energized equipment, wiring, power tools, or electrical systems. Common hazards include:
- Exposed wires
- Damaged cords
- Overloaded circuits
- Faulty equipment
- Improper grounding
- Contact with overhead or underground power lines
- Inadequate training
- Inadequate enforcement of safety rules
Electrical incidents can cause shocks, burns, falls, fires, and electrocution.
Electrical accidents resulted in over 6,000 injured employees who had to miss work, transfer jobs, or work under restrictions, as well as 130 deaths.
How North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Applies After a Workplace Accident
North Carolina requires most employers with three or more employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance, which provides no-fault benefits to employees who are injured in accidents that arise in the course and scope of their employment. These benefits include:
- Medical benefits, which pay for reasonably necessary treatment, hospitalization, medication, rehabilitation, and related medical care (C.G.S. §§ 97-2, 97-25)
- Temporary total disability (TTD), which covers two-thirds of a worker’s average weekly wage when they cannot work at all because of an injury, subject to a state maximum (N.C.G.S. § 97-29)
- Temporary partial disability (TPD), which applies when an injured employee returns to work in a reduced role and earns less than before because of the injury (C.G.S. § 97-30)
- Permanent partial disability benefits for qualifying permanent impairments or loss of use of certain body parts (N.C.G.S. §§ 97-29, 97-31)
- Total permanent disability benefits for workers who cannot work at all in any job for the rest of their lives (N.C.G.S. § 97-29).
- Vocational rehabilitation, which retrains an injured worker who can’t return to their previous position (N.C.G.S. § 97-32.2)
Getting these benefits is not always as easy as it should be, though. Injured workers should consider getting help from an experienced North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer to guide them through the process.
