J Safety Res. 2015 Dec;55:53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2015.07.002. Epub 2015 Aug 4.

The direct cost burden of 13years of disabling workplace injuries in the U.S. (1998-2010): Findings from the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index.

Marucci-Wellman HR¹, Courtney TK², Corns HL³, Sorock GS³, Webster BS⁴, Wasiak R⁵, Noy YI², Matz S³, Leamon TB⁶.

Author information

1: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA, USA. Electronic address: helen.wellman@libertymutual.com.
2: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
3: Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA, USA.
4: Center for Disability Research, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA, USA.
5: Evidera, London, UK.
6: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Although occupational injuries are among the leading causes of death and disability around the world, the burden due to occupational injuries has historically been under-recognized, obscuring the need to address a major public health problem.

METHODS:

We established the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index (LMWSI) to provide a reliable annual metric of the leading causes of the most serious workplace injuries in the United States based on direct workers compensation (WC) costs.

RESULTS:

More than $600 billion in direct WC costs were spent on the most disabling compensable non-fatal injuries and illnesses in the United States from 1998 to 2010. The burden in 2010 remained similar to the burden in 1998 in real terms. The categories of overexertion ($13.6B, 2010) and fall on same level ($8.6B, 2010) were consistently ranked 1st and 2nd.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

The LMWSI was created to establish the relative burdens of events leading to work-related injury so they could be better recognized and prioritized. Such a ranking might be used to develop research goals and interventions to reduce the burden of workplace injury in the United States.