Liberty Mutual’s Annual Report summarizing their research institute’s findings related to reducing injuries and disability came out recently. A very interesting report to those of us working to reduce injuries in workplaces. Unfortunately, the findings of their annual Safety Index for 2014 didn’t show anything surprising – overexertion injuries still lead the way in workers compensation costs.

From page 5 of the report: “Each year, LMRIS produces the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, which ranks the leading causes of serious, nonfatal work-related injuries in terms of direct workers compensation costs.

The Index is based on information from Liberty Mutual Insurance, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Academy of Social Insurance. According to the 2014 Index, the top 10 injury causes amounted to $59.58 billion in direct U.S. workers compensation costs in 2012. Overexertion involving outside sources, which includes injuries related to lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying or throwing, remained the leading cause of disabling injury. This event category cost businesses $15.1 billion in direct costs and accounted for more than one-quarter of the overall national burden.”

We have a long way to go in the fight to reduce workplace injuries and improve basic ergonomics. For more information, please see the full report here.

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