What do fall statistics look like across industries?

Pennsylvania workers like you deserve a safe working environment where the emphasis is on your health and well-being. Unfortunately, company policies promising safety are not always fool-proof. 

This is the case for circumstances around fall incidents and injuries. You may feel surprised to know exactly how prevalent this issue is among workers of all sorts. 

Primary causes of falls

The National Safety Council takes a look at fall statistics within a single year (2016) between industries. While the level of fatalities and injuries differ from industry to industry, one thing remains the same: falls happen. And on top of that, almost every fall happens for a preventable reason. 

According to studies, some of the top causes for fall incidents include: 

• A lack of safety equipment or gear 
• A lack of proper safety training or updated training 
• Employers making employees feel rushed 
• Using tools for unintended purposes 
• Using broken/damaged/old tools that have not gotten fixed or replaced 

Where do these issues stem from?

These issues often stem from upper management and trickle down. In many cases, it is a result of employers wanting to cut costs and corners. They do so at your personal expense, putting you and your fellow workers at risk. 

You may face a higher risk for injury or even death in certain industries, though. For example, the construction field has the highest rate of fatalities with 384 people dying in 2016. However, government has the highest rate of injuries with 63,350 people suffering from fall-related injury. Meanwhile, education and health services had the lowest fatalities at 18 deaths. Wholesale trade had the fewest injuries at 10,250. Because of the variations, it is sometimes hard to predict your own chances of getting injured in a fall.