Insurance companies estimate that more than $61 billion per year is spent on disability claims in America with $15.57 billion, or 25.1 percent, resulting from falls (16.4 percent of falls to same level, 8.7 percent falls to a lower level).

1. Insurance companies estimate that more than $61 billion per year is spent on disability claims in America with $15.57 billion, or 25.1 percent, resulting from falls (16.4 percent of falls to same level, 8.7 percent falls to a lower level). http://ehstoday.com/safety/workplace-falls-pose-danger-economy-well-workers
   
2. Over 60% of all elevated falls are from a height of less than 10 feet and accidents involving slips, trips and falls send 9 million people to the hospital each year. Most slip and fall injuries result in relatively minor soft tissue injuries, such as sprained tendons, ligaments and muscles, minor contusions and abrasions, small gashes, and minor burns. But many result in much more serious injuries such as, head trauma, herniated disks, fractures, amputations, and deep gashes degree burns. http://www.injuryclaimcoach.com/work-accident-claim.html#
   
3. In the industrial sector, (manufacturing plants, offices and warehouses) 70% of the fall-related lost time injuries are due to slips/trips on the same level, 30% are from height. The main causes of slips, trips and falls in the workplace are:
   • Uneven floor surfaces
   • Unsuitable floor coverings
   • Wet floors
   • Aisle and path obstructions – cables, cords, wires
   • Poor lighting
   • Poor housekeeping
   • Damaged stairs
     http://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/falls_at_work_why_do_they_happen/
     
4. The opposite is true in construction, where 70% of falls are from a height while 30% are due to slips/trips on the same level. Falls from height are usually much more severe than a fall on the same level. Many falls from height occur where personal protective equipment wouldn’t be typically used such as falls through an unguarded opening in the floor or scaffold, a missing guardrail, and falls from ladders (30% of falls from a height). http://simplifiedsafety.com/blog/falls_at_work_why_do_they_happen/
   
5. In Canada over 42,000 workers get injured annually due to fall accidents. This number represents about 17% of the “time-loss injuries” that were accepted by workers’ compensation boards or commissions across Canada (based on statistics from Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 2011). https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html
   
6. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, slips, trips and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents, which account for:
   • 15 percent of all accidental deaths per year, the second-leading cause behind motor vehicles.
   • About 25 percent of all reported injury claims per fiscal year.
   • More than 95 million lost work days per year – about 65 percent of all work days lost.
7. Citing the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a study by The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) Data Center points out that falls account for 76 percent of fatalities in the roofing industry, and workers in the roofing industry are three times more likely to experience fatal work-related injuries than other construction workers. The findings suggest that workers employed by small establishments, residential construction workers, Hispanic workers and immigrant workers may face disproportionately high risks of roof fatalities. http://ehstoday.com/construction/falls-roofs-account-one-third-construction-fall-fatalities