Reports Reveal New Injury and Fatality Data

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there was a 5.7% increase in workplace fatalities from 2021 to 2022. Although other reports have highlighted some positive workplace safety trends, like a significant downturn in work-related amputations that same calendar year, the BLS’ most up-to-date data indicates some highly problematic developments in the face of workplace safety. In addition to the high fatality rate, the agency also observed a 7.5% growth in the number of injuries and illnesses reported by employers; altogether, there were 2.8 million. Luckily, we can use the BLS’s recent reports to guide us on ways to better keep workers safe.

The BLS’ Data

Here are some of the key findings from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent injury, illness and fatality reports:

• Private industry employers reported a total of 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021. The increase is driven both by the rise of injuries, which went up 4.5% to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses, which increased by 26.1%, or up to 460,700 total cases
• The higher illness rate is largely due to the rise in respiratory illness rates, which grew by more than 35% overall
• 2 million cases from 2021 to 2022 involved days away from work, job restriction (DJTR), or transfer (DART). On average, injured or ill employees had to take a median of 10 days away from work. During that same period, there were 1.1 million cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

The BLS also focused on certain case characteristics and worker demographics, including occupation and the event or exposure that resulted in the illness or injury. Here are some examples of what the agency found for the 2021-2022 period:

• 6% of DART (transfer) cases among healthcare practitioners and individuals in technical occupations resulted in at least one day away from work, while the remaining 21.4% resulted in one or more days of job transfer or restriction
• Transportation and material moving occupations sustained the highest number of DART cases among all other major occupation groups, with 838,040 injuries and illnesses. Of these cases, more than 60% required at least one day away from work and nearly 40% resulted in one or more days of job transfer or restriction
• Overexertion and bodily reaction events or exposures resulted in the largest number of DART cases. Contact with objects and/or equipment resulted in the second-highest number of DART cases. Another top contributing factor to occupational injuries and illnesses was exposure to harmful substances and/or environments

To read other highlights and data from the BLS’ report, you can click here: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh.nr0.htm.

Improving Occupational Health and Safety

Different jobs come with different hazards – but no matter how dangerous a job or specific industry may be, employers of every kind are equally obligated to safeguard employees and to uphold lifesaving safety and health standards in the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tasks employers with providing a workplace free from serious recognized hazards and complying with standards, rules and regulations as prescribed by the OSH, or Occupational Safety and Health, Act.

When you sustain a job-related injury or illness, it is a good idea to file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides medical benefits and wage replacement to injured workers. In addition to filing a workers’ compensation claim, you may also want to consider filing a third-party liability claim. An injured worker must file a third-party liability claim to seek compensation to which they are entitled from other responsible parties (not their employer). One of the most common types of third-party liability claims involves a design, manufacturing or marketing defect of a product or equipment used at work. Here are some examples of our firm’s third-party and workers’ compensation recoveries on behalf of injured clients:

• Our attorney recovered $36 million for our clients, who were victims of a fatal workplace explosion. The accident occurred when a large steel producing machine exploded, fatally injuring one worker and inflicting severe burns on two others. You can read more about this recovery at: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/products-liability/36-million-recovery-fatal-workplace-explosion/
• A worker was killed in a workplace accident when an 1800-pound paper roll fell on top of him from a railcar. Our team successfully obtained a $5 million recovery for the victim’s family. To read more about this recovery, visit: https://www.galfandberger.com/verdicts/workers-compensation/5-million-recovery-for-fatal-workplace-accident/

If you were injured at work and you have a question about filing a workers’ compensation or third-party liability claim, someone at our firm can help. To learn more, please contact a representative online now.

Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP, Representing Injured Victims Since 1947

If you have questions about filing a claim for injuries you sustained, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP today. Call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or fill out our online form for a free consultation. Located in Philadelphia, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and Reading, we serve clients throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Allentown and Harrisburg.