Washington — Nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses in the U.S private sector, as well as the nonfatal injury and illness rate, decreased slightly in 2020. However, estimated injuries and illnesses that resulted in at least one day of lost work soared by nearly a third amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

Washington — The number of reported workplace injuries in the U.S. private sector increased in 2021, but a decline in respiratory illnesses – including COVID-19 – helped drive down the combined number of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, data released Nov. 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

Washington — The number of reported workplace injuries and illnesses in the U.S. private sector increased in 2022, data released Nov. 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

Needlestick and sharps injuries occur when needles or other sharp objects inadvertently puncture a person’s skin, and can happen “when people use, disassemble or dispose of needles,” according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, musculoskeletal disorders accounted for 33 percent of all workplace injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2011.

San Francisco – Ninety percent of on-the-job eye injuries could be avoided if workers wore eye protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

The need and value of personal protective equipment and worker safety have surged over the past two years. More than ever, it is imperative that organizations ensure they mitigate the risk of workplace hazards for their employees as well as their business’s sustainability.

Every day in the United States, roughly 2,000 workers experience an eye injury serious enough to require medical attention, according to NIOSH.

Eye injuries on the job are not uncommon. In 2012, 20,300 eye injuries involving days away from work occurred, according to the National Safety Council chartbook “Injury Facts.” What can workers do to help reduce this number?

Orlando, FL — OSHA is seeking to harness the power of employers as a “force multiplier” to improve worker safety and health, according to agency leader Doug Parker.

Columbus, OH — Three out of 10 law enforcement officers have experienced a work-related head injury, putting them at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, according to a recent study.

Aurora, CO — Anxiety, depression and fatigue increase women’s risk of getting hurt at work, according to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Work and Environment.

Washington — The White House Office of Management and Budget has launched an initiative designed to enhance workplace safety and health – and, in turn, reduce injuries – among federal employees.

Olympia, WA — Legislation that would restore Washington state regulations requiring employers to establish practices intended to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders was approved by the state House on Feb. 15.

Palma, Spain — Hotel beds with lifting systems can help reduce injuries among housekeepers by at least half, results of a recent study by a safety agency in Spain’s Balearic Islands suggest.

Corvallis, OR — A device designed by crab fishers can effectively limit injuries associated with lifting and dumping crab pots on commercial fishing vessels, results of a recent study show.

People who work on or around roller-compactors are at risk for rollover or struck-by injuries, according to NIOSH. Although rollover injuries and fatalities can be reduced by increased use of safety belts and rollover protective structures, the agency stresses that a safe work space and appropriate training are vital to preventing injuries related to rollers.

Nail guns are helpful tools, but they also have the potential to cause injury. NIOSH notes that nail gun injuries result in an estimated 37,000 emergency department visits every year, with 68 percent of these visits involving workers.

Washington – Dog bites, falls and vehicle collisions were the leading causes of injuries among U.S. Postal Service employees in 2012, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Sept. 26.

Washington – Certain patient-moving devices and policies can help nurses avoid injuries, according to a report released June 16 by advocacy group Public Citizen.

Nearly half of all work-related injuries involving mechanical power presses result in amputation, statistics compiled by OSHA show. Around 60% of amputations involve a worker’s fingers or arm getting caught or compressed by a press or other machinery such as a conveyer, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Severed fingers and toes are injuries commonly associated with using truck liftgates. So are crushed feet.

Are you confused about the requirements in OSHA’s new reporting rule? Here’s a handy chart that may help clear things up.

Columbus, OH — Golf cart users, be “FORE!”-warned: The zippy means of transportation – no longer limited to golf courses – carries “considerable risk of injury and morbidity” to drivers and passengers of all ages, especially kids and older adults, say researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Denver — Deaths and serious injuries resulting from falls in the construction industry in recent years have prompted OSHA to launch an initiative to inspect worksites across Colorado’s Front Range, Montana and South Dakota on weekends, “when many employers typically do not monitor their jobsites well.”

Exposure to vibration or being required to make repetitive motions can lead to significant wear and tear on the body. The resulting injuries are known as cumulative trauma disorders.

Equipment such as adjustable chairs and ergonomic mouse pads can help prevent strain among workers sitting at a desk. But workers required to stand for long periods of time are subject to strain injuries that cannot be prevented with such equipment.

If reaching, grabbing, clenching, twisting or bending causes pain, you may have a repetitive strain injury.

What’s one way workers can cut their risk of a back injury in half? “Store it off the floor,” the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says.

Download this white paper from Soter Analytics to learn how wearable technologies can automate ergonomic training processes, motivate workers and drive down injury rates as much as 55%.

Construction workers: Do you often perform the same task at work over and over again? Do you experience pain afterward? What starts as a minor ache or pain can quickly turn into a more serious condition – a repetitive stress injury.

Is your shoulder stiff after a day at work? Can you rotate your arm? Do you feel as though it’s not operating at full strength?

With the holiday season upon us, delivery drivers are likely to see an increase in work. Now is a good time to review safety measures these workers can take to avoid on-the-job injuries.

Arlington, VA — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, a new study has found.

Morgantown, WV — A recent study of work-related sharps injuries shows that health care workers had a sixfold higher risk than all other workers – but other workers are at risk, too.

Waltham, MA — The higher outdoor temperatures climb, the more likely it is that a worker will be injured, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

New York — Although deaths at New York City building construction sites fell to their lowest level in nearly a decade in 2023, work-related injuries rose 25%, reports the city’s Department of Buildings.

Lifting objects or manually handling materials puts workers at risk for back injuries. More than 111,000 such injuries requiring days away from work were recorded in 2017, according to Injury Facts, an online database created by the National Safety Council.

Montreal — A work-related injury followed by a mental health issue, or the other way around: Which is more likely? Two Canadian researchers wanted to find out.

Washington — Workers in private industry experienced fewer injuries and illnesses on the job last year than in 2022, according to Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses data released Nov. 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — A new hazard alert from OSHA is aimed at increasing awareness and ensuring actions are being taken to reduce the “alarming number” of serious, preventable injuries in poultry, meat and other food processing establishments.

Washington — Musculoskeletal disorders are overwhelmingly the No. 1 cause of injuries among warehousing and “last-mile delivery” workers, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Oct. 8.

Job-related foot pain and injuries can vary from mild, such as a blister caused by a work boot, to severe, such as the amputation of toes after a crushing injury.

Robots in picking, packing and palletizing applications have performed some new feats—thanks to clever system integrators who have given them sensitive touch, better grips and keen vision.

By eliminating the need for high-impact knee kickers, the tool allows professionals to achieve a precise and even stretch while significantly reducing wear and tear on their bodies. 

People distracted by their cellphones are tripping, falling and hurting their heads and necks more often, with such injuries increasing “steeply” over a 20-year period, a new analysis has found.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety reminds workers that repetitive strain injuries are serious workplace hazards and encourages them to take action to prevent these injuries.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) says it is “encouraged” after seeing newly released data that shows a continued decrease in occupational injuries and illnesses, but thinks even more can be done to protect workers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Nov. 9 that workplace injuries and illnesses at private industry employers were down by 48,500 cases in 2016 compared to the previous year.

Workers in the oil and gas industry, whether they work with pipelines, on oil rigs, as drivers or at well sites, face higher incidence and mortality rates.