Researchers found that Maine had the highest rate of nonfatal work injuries and illnesses in the country, with a rate that is more than 67% higher than average.
Research conducted by experts at High Rise Financial analyzed the most recent data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and revealed that Maine topped the list of states with a high rate of nonfatal work injuries and illnesses.
The study found that Maine had the highest nonfatal work injuries and illnesses rate of 4.7 out of every 100 full-time workers.
The national average rate is 2.8 workers out of every 100, meaning that Maine’s rate is 67.8% higher than the yearly average.
Maine also had the highest injury or illness rate, leading to restricted work or job transfer, involving 1.4 of every 100 workers. Job transfers are often the result of work restrictions leading to a temporary change in an injured worker’s routine job functions.
Oregon and Vermont placed next in the rankings, with an accident rate of 3.8 out of 100 full-time workers.
Oregon also ranked high for the rate of cases resulting in days away from work, with 1.7 of every 100 workers taking one or more days off due to workplace injuries.
Washington ranks fourth for the highest workplace accidents, while Montana follows in fifth place. The top ten is rounded out by Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada, all coming out with a total of 3.3 out of 100 recordable cases per 100 workers.
Generally, Northern states have higher percentages of people working in health and personal care, nursing, and heavy tractor/truck drivers. According to researchers, healthcare is known to be one of the most dangerous professions.
These types of professions tend to have higher risk factors, such as environmental hazards, burnout, and even violence. Nearly 2 million American workers report being victims of workplace violence each year.
In Maine, most recent data shows 15,890 people out of 592,000 registered employees (2.68%) are Home Health and Personal Care Aides, and 14,380 people out of 592,000 (2.43%) are Registered Nurses. These professions are the second and third most popular in the state.
“Not only can workplace accidents directly impact workers’ health and safety, but also the workforce as a whole, losing team members and potentially incurring financial losses if cases are taken to court,” said a company representative in a release. “Slips, trips, and falls are the top cause of all workers’ compensation claims, incurring injuries such as broken bones, sprains, cuts, pulled muscles, and damage to the back, head, and neck. Whilst these types of injuries are described as ‘nonfatal’, they can result in hospitalization and missed workdays, often resulting in financial losses.”
Photo 110921217 / Person © Baramee Thaweesombat | Dreamstime.com
