More than two million employees sustained a workplace injury in 2020. While some workplaces may involve a greater risk of injury than others, any employee may sustain injuries during their work day.
Industries with high fatality rates
While all workplace injuries may cause pain and an interruption in your daily life, some may be fatal. In 2020, more than 4,700 people died because of workplace injuries.
The industries with the greatest number of fatal injuries include:
- Logging
- Fishing
- Aircraft industries
- Roofing
- Trash collectors
- Truck drivers
- Iron workers
- Steel workers
- Construction
- Agriculture
Most common injuries
Regardless of the industry that you work in, some injuries occur repeatedly. Even when the employer takes proper precaution and the employee remains safe, the following injuries still occur frequently:
- Slips and falls
- Overexertion
- Muscle strains
- Struck by other objects
- Caught in moving machinery
- Fire-related injuries
- Crashes and collisions
- Harmful chemicals or substance exposure
Reasons for workplace accidents
Some accidents may occur due to industry-specific reasons. For example, truckers may experience crashes on slippery and icy roads. But many accidents occur in the workplace because of these common reasons:
- Exhaustion
- Distractions
- Unclean work environments
- Cutting safety corners
Workers’ compensation
Any California company with at least one full or part-time employee must carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you sustain an injury at work, workers’ compensation must offer you benefits, regardless of whether the accident was your fault. The only exception involves people who purposefully injure themselves so that they can claim workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation benefits help injured workers with medical bills, disability payments and death benefits.
Don’t minimize your injury
If you sustained an injury at work, your employer may try to make you believe you were at fault. Fortunately, even if your actions caused the accident, state and federal law still protects your right to compensation. Never allow the employer to minimize your rights or the severity of your injury.
