2017 Safety Index ranks overexertion as number one cause of disabling injuries
Posted January 23, 2017
The Liberty Mutual Research Institute has released its 2017 Safety Index, ranking the leading causes of serious, nonfatal work-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, and the National Academy of Social Insurance.
According to the 2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, the total cost of the most disabling workplace injuries, based on 2014 injury data, was $59.87 billion. The cost of the top 10 most disabling workplace injuries added up to $49.92 billion.
The top ten leading causes of disabling injury, as reported by the Safety Index:
| Rank | Category | Percent of the overall national burden | Direct costs to business (in billions) |
| 1. | Overexertion involving outside sources | 23% | $13.79 billion |
| 2. | Falls on the same level | 17.7% | $10.62 |
| 3. | Falls to lower level | 9.2% | $5.5 |
| 4. | Struck by object or equipment | 7.4% | $4.43 |
| 5. | Other exertions or bodily reactions | 6.5% | $3.89 |
| 6. | Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle | 6.2% | $3.7 |
| 7, | Slip or trip without fall | 3.8% | $2.3 |
| 8. | Caught in/compressed by equipment or objects | 3.3% | $1.95 |
| 9. | Struck against object or equipment | 3.2% | $1.94 |
| 10. | Repetitive motions involving micro-tasks | 3.0% | $1.81 |
Overexertion involving outside sources topped the list as the leading cause of disabling injuries. This category includes injuries related to lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying, or throwing objects.
Reproduced with permission from Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. Source: www.libertymutualgroup.com/researchinstitute.
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