The National Safety Council (NSC) has released its analysis of workplace injury statistics from 2017. Published on its website, the study was informative reading, but at the same time, it was not great news for women in the workplace.
Workplace assault disproportionately high
One of the most troubling finding was that women suffer from 70% of all assault-related injuries in the workplace that were not fatal. This adds up to 12,820 such events in 2017 and is also a 60% rise from 2011. Men, on the other hand, suffered from 5,530 assault-related injuries in the workplace that were not fatal.
Common reasons women are injured
There were several reasons for why women were injured. The most common were:
- Women make up 61% of repetitive motion-related injuries
- Women make up 59% of non-fatal injuries accidently caused by another person
- Women make up 57% of injuries from falls on the same level
Professions more dangerous for women
Many would assume that traditionally dangerous fields like manufacturing or construction would top the list, but in actuality it is:
- Women make up 80% of workplace illnesses or injuries in the healthcare industry
- Women make up 61% of workplace illnesses or injuries in education
- Women make up 60% of illnesses or injuries when performing office work
Everyone deserves a safe workplace
New York State is the third safest for workers, but these national numbers nonetheless point out some areas where employers can improve. Training, education and evaluating the workplace for trouble spots are in the interests of the employers and the workers.
Those injured should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. It is also recommended that employers or managers also be notified. Those with long-term injuries may need to file a workers’ compensation claim to help with lost income, medical bills and other expenses. While the injured can file their claim, attorneys can be beneficial, particularly if the injured needs to appear before a judge at a board panel hearing.