Fontana: Understanding workplace accidents helps prevent them

Workplace injuries are costing U.S. businesses billions of dollars annually.

The sheer number of injuries is staggering. According to a report from the National Safety Council, The Importance of Musculoskeletal Disorder and Related Injury Surveillance: An Organizational Approach, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said there were 2.6 million workplace injuries in 2023. Of those injuries, musculoskeletal disorders are the most common.

The Centers for Diesel Control and Prevention’s defines MSD as “disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage, or spinal discs that are caused by sudden or sustained force, vibration, repetitive motion, or awkward postures and that are not the result of any instantaneous non-exertion event (e.g., slips, trips, or falls).”

The report further states, “Accurate injury categorization and injury surveillance are vital to ensure that risks and injuries are properly understood and that the right resources and solutions are provided.”

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The paper provides ways for fleets to identify risks that could lead to MSDs to help them take corrective action. One of the things that hinders this process is the lack of reliable data collection and recordkeeping surrounding these types of injuries.

NSC contends that “if organizations are unaware of the impact of ergonomic injuries and risks within their workplace, leadership may not invest in ergonomics solutions and programs.”

That really resonated with me because if you don’t know the full extent of a problem, it is difficult to prevent it from recurring. If you have not reviewed your workplace accident and injury reporting system in a while, now might be a good time to do so using this new paper as a guide.

Make sure you have clear definitions of the various types of accidents and injuries that can occur at your facilities and with your employees, and then focus your efforts on actions that can prevent the most common accidents and injuries.

Since no two fleets are alike, I cannot offer a one-size-fits-all solution to preventing accidents and injuries. However, I have to agree with NSC that knowing the extent of the problem is the first step in solving it.