Workplace Accidents Happen More to New Employees

Research shows that employees in their first year are involved in one-third of workplace injuries

Construction Workers Climbing Scaffolding

Photo courtesy of Oranat Taesuwan via iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection

Insurance provider Travelers has released its 2023 Injury Impact Report, and it reveals that first-year employees account for 34 percent of workplace injuries, reported DC Velocity. The report also showed that construction was among the industries with the most injuries, along with the restaurant and transportation industries.

Employees in their first year are also responsible for one-third of workers compensation costs. This data continues a trend from Travelers’ 2022 report.

The report is based on Travelers’ workers compensation claims, with researchers looking at over 1.2 million claims between 2016 and 2020. The report also analyzed more than just first-year employees.

According to the report, the most common cause of workplace injury is overexertion (29 percent), with slips, trips and falls (23 percent) not far behind. Overexertion covers injuries caused by twisting, reaching, lifting, jumping or using tools/machinery. Slips, trips and falls had the highest cost per claim and kept workers sidelined for an average of 83 days. Motor vehicle accidents had the second-highest cost per claim and kept workers sidelined for an average of 79 days.