By the numbers: Workplace injuries
The population of the Denver metro area keeps growing. According to federal government figures, we have more than 2,800,000 residents, with more expected in coming years. If current trends hold steady, we should top 3 million in population in less than 4 years.
As large as our city has become, it is dwarfed by a population growing even faster: the number of American workers who are injured on the job annually. The National Safety Council says that every 7 seconds, a worker is injured on the job somewhere in the U.S. That adds up to nearly 13,000 per day and more than 90,000 injured workers every year. And when the math is applied to a year’s time, it adds up to about 4,700,000 workers injured on the job annually, or nearly 2 million more than live in the Denver metro.
The Safety Council also points out that the three most common types of workplace injuries are overexertion (lifting or lowering items or engaging in repetitive motion), contact with objects and equipment (being struck by equipment or caught in equipment) and slips, trips and falls.
The top 5 occupations with the most injuries annually:
- Service jobs: these include police and firefighting work.
- Transportation and shipping
- Manufacturing and production
- Installation, maintenance and repair
- Construction
Clearly, all of those occupations have a presence here in the area. Fortunately, the vast majority of injured Colorado workers are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits that provide medical care and wage replacement. If your claim has been rejected, speak with an attorney experienced in workers’ comp appeals.
