Of approximately 3 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses reported in 2012, more than 2.9 million (94.8%) were workplace injuries. Among the reported injuries 75.2% occurred in service-producing industries, while the remaining 24.8% occurred in goods-producing industries. A preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2013, which is down from the reported 4,628 fatal work injuries recorded in 2012 according to the Census of fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The number of work injuries among occupations such as construction, extraction, transportation, farming , fishing and forestry related occupations reported in 2013 were higher than those of 2012 in occupations such as resident military personnel, firefighters, government workers, and prevention workers.
Workplace injuries can include falls, exposure to dangerous substances such as potential explosive/flammable materials, and equipment accidents. Other victims of work related injuries are faced with injuries that can range from minimal to serious and even fatal. Injuries occurring on the job can result in time away from work, transfer, or restriction on what activities a person is able to participate in.
There are direct and indirect costs associated with workplace injuries. Direct costs are costs that are most expected and include emergency care, medical bills, rehabilitation and medication costs. Indirect costs are less obvious. These hidden costs, that many might not initially recognize, include unwanted media attention, increased costs of insurance, lost wages, etc. In some incidents the indirect costs can outweigh the direct costs related to an injury.
Often employees who fall victim to workplace injuries are forced to bring suit to recover compensation for their injuries, lost wages, or the negligence on the part of their employers.
