WINNING THE LOTTERY 

The majority of employees go to work every day thinking an injury will never happen to them. Many of these same people play the lottery from time to time when they stop at the local gas station. We do not play the lottery because we think we are going to waste those dollars trying, we play because we have the chance to win.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING THE LOTTERY?

More than a third of Americans believe winning the lottery is the only way they will ever retire comfortably. But the odds of winning either the Powerball or Mega Millions are roughly 1 in 292.2 million and 1 in 302.5 million, respectively.

The Powerball is arguably the most well-known lottery in the United States. Every time we buy a ticket, we dream about what we will do with the millions we will win. After all, there is a chance to win right? If you buy one ticket for the Powerball, you have a 1 in 292,201,338 chance to win according to their website. Even if you played the Powerball every week for a lifetime, the odds of winning are still extremely slim. So, if we play the lottery thinking we have the possibility to win then why do many of us think an injury at work will never occur?

WORKPLACE INJURY STATISTICS

In 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers. That works out to 3 cases per every 100 full-time workers or 1 case for every 33 full-time workers. Obviously, a few industries experience a majority of workplace injuries and illnesses, but overall the chance of you getting hurt on the job is much greater than winning the Powerball.

THE ODDS OF DYING

What are your odds of death by a particular event? The following statistics (2008) from the National Safety Council show the odds of dying within a lifetime from certain selected causes.

• Motor vehicle incidents: 1 in 98
• Unintentional poisoning by exposure to noxious substances: 1 in 126
• Falls: 1 in 163
• Assault by firearm: 1 in 321
• Car occupant: 1 in 368
• Pedestrian: 1 in 701
• Accidental drowning and submersion: 1 in 1,103
• Exposure to smoke, fire, and flames: 1 in 1,344
• Air and space transport incidents: 1 in 7,178
• Exposure to electric current, radiation, temperature, and pressure: 1 in 12,420
• Exposure to excessive natural heat: 1 in 13,217
• Contact with hornets, wasps, and bees: 1 in 79,842
• Lightning: 1 in 134,906
• Bitten or struck by dog 1 in 144,899
• Flood 1 in 558,896
  

Takeaway

Many of these statistics indicate the odds of dying from events that you have no control over. But when you are at work, you can greatly improve the odds for life by taking control of the work environment and ensuring employees perform the job the right way every time. Beat the odds — make the right choices when it comes to being safe at work and at home.

TOP 5 MOST COMMON WORKPLACE INJURIES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM.

1. Trips, Slips and Falls: Slips, trips, and falls account for one third of all personal injuries in the workplace. The types of injuries incurred include head, back and neck injuries, broken bones, cuts, sprains and pulled muscles.

The most common reasons for falls in the workplace are:

Slips: Occasional spills, wet or oily surfaces, weather hazards like icy steps or walkway, and loose rugs.

Trips: Poor lighting, clutter, wrinkled carpeting, or mats, uncovered cables, and uneven walking surfaces.

2. Being Struck By Or Caught In Moving Machinery: Machinery that’s not properly guarded is a safety hazard. When body parts get caught in or struck by exposed moving parts or flying objects from machines without protective guards, the results are often times disastrous. The horrifying list of machinery related injuries includes crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness and even worse.

3. Vehicle Related Accidents: Where there are vehicles of any kind, there’s the potential for accidents. These include being struck or run over by a moving vehicle, falling from a vehicle, being struck by objects falling from a vehicle and getting crushed by or stuck under an overturned vehicle.

4. Fire And Explosions: Explosions and fires in the workplace are frequently caused by risk factors such as faulty gas lines, improperly stored combustible materials or open flames. The resulting injuries incurred include damage to the respiratory system, varying degrees of burns and even potential disfigurement. Explosions and fires account for 3 percent of workplace injuries and have the highest casualty rate of all probable workplace accidents.

5. Repetitive Stress and Overexertion Injuries: Musculoskeletal disorders are the costliest workplace injuries. Complaints of back pain alone cost employers more than 7 billion dollars annually and lead to more than 100 million lost workdays annually. These kinds of injuries contribute to loss of productivity and millions in annual health benefit payout costs.

Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs) are the fasting growing category of workplace injury and comprise more than 100 different types of job-induced injuries, and they’re severe enough to inhibit simple activities with crippling and debilitating pain. They could even eventually permanently impair a worker’s ability to perform his or her job.

OVERVIEW 

The best way to protect your employees and help prevent injuries in your workplace is to take a holistic approach to workplace safety. This means ensuring your employees have the proper protective equipment, adequate training to perform their jobs, and making sure your facility is compliant with federal and environmental regulations.

FINAL WORD

As humans we tend to overestimate the chance of good things happening to us and downplay bad things occurring in our life. While having a positive attitude and outlook on life is important, it is also important to not let it put blinders on you while dealing with the hazards of your work. Take the hazards of a work task seriously. Having the “it won’t happen to me” mindset will not protect you from an injury whether that is in the workplace or off the job.