Report FindsMost Frequent Employee Injury Averages 57 Days
Away from Work
HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV),
the country’s largest workers compensation carrier, today released its
Injury Impact Report, which identifies the most common causes of
workplace accidents and injuries. The company analyzed more than 1.5
million workers compensation claims filed between 2010 and 2014 from a
variety of business sizes and industries.
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Travelers Outlines Most Common Workplace Injuries (Graphic: Travelers)
The most frequent causes of workplace injuries included:
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Material handling (32 percent of total claims);
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Slips, trips and falls (16 percent);
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Being struck by or colliding with an object (10 percent);
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Accidents involving tools (7 percent); and
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Traumas occurring over time, for example when a part of the body is
injured by overuse or strain (4 percent).
The above incidents most often resulted in strains, sprains, cuts,
punctures, contusions, inflammation, fractures or chronic sicknesses
resulting from a type of work (e.g., a skin disease caused by chemical
exposure). On average, strains and sprains resulted in 57 missed work
days, followed by cuts and punctures at 24 days. Of the most
commonly-resulting injuries, inflammation and fractures caused the most
time away from work at 91 and 78 days, respectively.
“Even seemingly minor injuries, such as strains or sprains, can
substantially impact an employee and slow a business’s operations and
productivity,” said Woody Dwyer, Second Vice President, Workers
Compensation, Risk Control, Travelers. “The most common injuries we see
can often be prevented if the proper safety measures are in place, if
safety issues are promptly addressed and if leaders continuously
emphasize a culture of safety with employees.”
Industry-Specific Findings
Analysis of the workers compensation claim data revealed that certain
causes of accidents and resulting injuries were more prevalent in some
industries than others:
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While material handling accidents were the top cause of injuries
overall, these were especially common in the manufacturing and retail
industries, causing nearly 40 percent of injuries in both sectors.
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Falling from height was among the top causes of injuries in both the
construction and retail industries.
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The oil and gas industry was the only segment in which motor vehicle
accidents were one of the most frequent causes of injury.
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Eye injuries were one of the most frequent types of injuries in
manufacturing and construction.
Additional industry-specific information can be found in the full Travelers
Injury Impact Report.
The Costliest Injuries
The injuries with the highest average incurred costs included
amputations, dislocations, electric shock, crushing and multiple trauma
injuries, such as breaking multiple bones at once. These severe injuries
have typically occurred less frequently overall.
Protecting the Workforce
Travelers has developed an approach called Travelers
Workforce AdvantageSM to help businesses establish a
safer workplace and to help prevent employee injuries. The approach
begins with the development of safety programs that focus on the
employee and highlights three key areas: attracting and hiring the right
candidates; onboarding and training; and supporting and engaging the
current workforce.
Helping Employees Recover
Despite best efforts to develop a robust safety culture, accidents can
still happen. Travelers ConciergeCLAIM
Nurse ® – a patented workers compensation claim program
that simplifies the claim process for injured employees and helps them
recover and return to work as soon as medically appropriate – reduces
days out of work by an average of 41 percent and the amount of time it
takes to close a claim by 31 percent. The program, which was recently
expanded and is now available in more than 60 locations across the
United States, is part of Travelers’ patented TravComp workers
compensation claim process which consistently outperforms industry
benchmarks for successful return to work and claim outcomes.
To learn more about Travelers’ workers compensation products and
services, visit www.travelers.com.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV)
is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto,
home
and business.
A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has
approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately
$27 billion in 2015. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160516005965/en/
Media:
The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Nicole Guzzardi,
860-277-0836
or
Bob DeMallie, 860-277-9026
Source: The Travelers Companies, Inc.