Trust In The Process: Workplace Injuries And Illnesses Fall To Lowest Rate Since 2003

Trust In The Process: Workplace Injuries And Illnesses Fall To Lowest Rate Since 2003

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has announced that there were 2.6 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023, representing an 8.4% drop from the previous year. The key driver behind this was the 56.6% fall in illnesses to 200,100 cases - the lowest since 2019. Broken down further, respiratory cases had the sharpest decline at 72.6%, down to 100,200. Moreover, the incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) was 2.4 per 100 full-time equivalent workers. This is the lowest TRC rate since the Bureau's records began in 2003.

Many industries that typically suffer from a high number of incidents - such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail and transportation all achieved decreases in both total cases and equivalent rates. Although the battle is not over, these statistics show positive signs that EHS functions are heading in the right direction. Small budgets have traditionally constrained EHS teams, as organizations usually place greater importance on other aspects of the business, such as finance and HR. A number of factors, such as an increase in sustainability awareness and changing attitudes to worker health and rights, may have contributed to the improvements in the statistics for 2023.

One major issue that EHS functions face is creating a safety-conscious workforce. Safety-related tasks and workflows are often deemed unimportant in day-to-day activities. Frontline workers fail to provide data on incidents and near-misses, creating a limited view into performance and the potential risks on site for EHS managers. These risks expose workers to serious injuries, illnesses or even fatalities if mitigation strategies are not implemented.

To overcome this, senior EHS leaders can engage with frontline workers to help them understand the importance of safety, educate them through training courses, and provide mobile tools that enable them to record data in real time. Streamlined processes supported by a strong user interface will encourage more frontline workers to engage with mobile tools. An increase in available EHS data enables managers to conduct deep-dive analysis into safety information. They can then establish leading indicators and help identify and mitigate potential safety incidents.

The falling incident rates can also be linked to an uptake in EHS software solutions. There are certain industries that will always be susceptible to injuries and illnesses due to the conditions and nature of the job. Nonetheless, providing frontline workers and EHS leads with the right tools and education can help reduce the likelihood of these events occurring. To read more about workplace illness and injury, head to the Verdantix research portal.