What causes 90% of all workplace injuries?
According to recent studies, 80-90 percent of serious injuries are caused by human error. Today, employers emphasize the importance of safety and accident prevention and yet every year, many workers are seriously injured or die while on the job.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year, and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries or illnesses.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Back injuries account for one out of every five injuries that occur in the workplace.” Out of the 80% of lower back injuries that occur, it's almost always caused by manual materials handling tasks (slip, trip, twist or extended reach).
Liberty Mutual found that overexertion is the leading cause of workplace injuries, followed by injuries related to falling. Knowing the most common workplace injuries and how to prevent them can have a significant impact on the safety of your employees and the longevity of your business.
- Hit by a moving object. ...
- Fall from height. ...
- Manual Handling. ...
- Struck by moving vehicle. ...
- Slips and trips.
The three leading causes of work-related injuries treated in an emergency department were contact with objects and equipment, overexertion and bodily reaction, and falls, slips and trips without a fall.
8 out of 10 people in the United States experience back problems at least one or more times. 50% of all Americans that are employed, about 80 million workers, claim to have back pain every year.
Nearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back pain. Some 16 million adults — 8 percent of all adults — experience persistent or chronic back pain, and as a result are limited in certain everyday activities. Back pain is the sixth most costly condition in the United States.
- Trips, Slips And Falls. ...
- Being Struck By Or Caught In Moving Machinery. ...
- Vehicle Related Accidents. ...
- Fire And Explosions. ...
- Repetitive Stress and Overexertion Injuries.
Avoid A Painful Back!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), back injuries account for one of every five injuries and illnesses in the workplace. Eighty percent of these injuries occur to the lower back and are associated with manual materials handling tasks.
What percentage of manual handling injuries are back injuries?
Sites of injury caused by incorrect handling are: 45 percent back. 16 percent finger/thumb. 13 percent arm.
Back injuries were reported in 20% of worker accidents, but only 5% of non-worker accidents.

The top three leading causes of preventable injury-related death – poisoning, motor vehicle, and falls – account for over 86% of all preventable deaths. No other preventable cause of death—including suffocation, drowning, fire and burns, and natural or environmental disasters—accounts for more than 5% of the total.
The second most common cause of injury at work is from handling, lifting, or carrying an object. These accidents cause one in five of all workplace injuries, yet they are easily preventable through adequate training and safeguarding.
Strains. One of the most common workplace injuries is employees straining their back or neck. Strains typically occur when employees try to lift supplies or a delivery without the proper technique or equipment.
- #1 Slips, Trips and Falls. ...
- #2 Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) ...
- #3 Mental Injuries. ...
- #4 Muscular Handling Injuries. ...
- #5 Machinery and Equipment Injuries. ...
- Look for Patterns.
Poor housekeeping, failure to wear personal protective equipment or bypassing established procedures are all common causes of injuries. Your workers should already know shortcuts are unacceptable, and they also need to know there are consequences for sloppiness. That's where safety audits can help.
- Drowning. ...
- Unspecified. ...
- Suffocation. ...
- Fall. ...
- Motor vehicle traffic (eg, motor vehicle, motorcycle, or pedestrian death) ...
- Poisoning. ...
- Injury prevention. ...
- Practice points.
- Construction– experienced the most workplace deaths.
- Education and health services– experienced the most nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work.
- Rear-End Collisions. Rear-end collisions are by far the most common type of car accident. ...
- Sideswipe Collisions. ...
- “T-Bone” Collisions.
What are the statistics of back pain?
Back pain is widespread in the adult population. Some studies have shown that up to 23% of the world's adults suffer from chronic low back pain. This population has also shown a one-year recurrence rate of 24% to 80% [10][11]. Some estimates of lifetime prevalence are as high as 84% in the adult population [12].
The percentage of adults with back pain increased with age, from 28.4% for those aged 18–29 and 35.2% for those aged 30–44 to 44.3% for those aged 45–64 and 45.6% for those aged 65 and over (Figure 2). Women (40.6%) were more likely to experience back pain than men (37.2%).
Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the lower back pain market which was USD 8,812.01 million in 2021, would rocket up to USD 13421.46 million by 2029, and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 5.40% during the forecast period 2022 to 2029.
The pooled estimate for the occurrence of work absence in workers with back pain was 15.5% in studies with follow-up period of up to 6 months. The pooled estimate for the proportion of people with back pain returning to work was 68.2% at 1 month, 85.6% at 1–6 months and 93.3% at ≥6 months.
A common cause of back pain is injury to a muscle or ligament. These strains and sprains can occur for many reasons, including improper lifting, poor posture and lack of regular exercise. Being overweight may increase the risk of back strains and sprains.
Around 4 in 5 adults (that's a whopping 80 per cent) of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetimes. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days.
#1 Slips, Trips and Falls
Slips, trips and falls cause musculoskeletal injuries, cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations.
- Trips, Slips And Falls. ...
- Being Struck By Or Caught In Moving Machinery. ...
- Vehicle Related Accidents. ...
- Fire And Explosions. ...
- Repetitive Stress and Overexertion Injuries.
- Poor Lifting Techniques. ...
- Low Light Conditions. ...
- Trips and Falls. ...
- Workplace Accidents and Fatigue. ...
- Contact with Moving Objects. ...
- Messy Workplace Environment. ...
- Lack of Necessary Equipment. ...
- Too Many Distractions.
- Lifting. ...
- Fatigue. ...
- Dehydration. ...
- Poor Lighting. ...
- Hazardous Materials. ...
- Acts of Workplace Violence. ...
- Trips and Falls. ...
- Stress.
What is the number one accidental death in America?
The top three leading causes of accidental death in the USA are motor vehicle crashes, poisoning, drowning, and falls. Motor vehicle crashes remain to be the leading cause of death among Americans aged between 5 and 34 years.
1. Distracted Driving. Undoubtedly, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents. A distracted driver does not have their complete attention on the road, and they may be paying closer attention to a mobile device, passengers, or even a cheeseburger.