FACTS
- Hand injuries are both expensive and tragic. A hand injury can cost anywhere from $540 to $26,000, according to the National Safety Council. Injuries to the hand are the second most common type of workplace injury, so they also have a big impact on workers’ compensation claims.
- While hand injuries aren’t the deadliest, they can certainly make your day-to-day work much harder. Injuries to the hand can also be more difficult to heal because of the way the hand moves, the wound can open up.
- You’re most at risk for cuts and lacerations. These injuries are sustained by everything from nicks and scrapes to knives and heavy machinery. While some of these can be fixed with Neosporin and a Band-Aid, others require medical attention.
- Your organization may already have gloves available for employees, but a quick look at OSHA’s hand injury stats reveals that you probably aren’t wearing them. Get a barrier between your hands and whatever the work is that you do. The glove doesn’t have to be the most expensive, technologically advanced piece of PPE, but it does need to address the hazards that you face on a daily basis.
- The most common types of hand injuries are bruises, pinches, lacerations, abrasions, strains, amputations, dislocations, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, and Raynaud’s Disease. The non-dominant hand is the most vulnerable to injury.
STATS
- Of the 286,810 non-fatal occupational injuries to upper extremities in 2018 involving days away from work in private industry, 123,990 involved hands, which is more than 43 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- As of the 2012-2013 fiscal year, the average total incurred cost per claim in the United States for hand, finger and wrist injuries was $22,384 according to the National Safety Council. This includes missed days, hospital visits and shut down time for investigations by OSHA or your local workplace safety bureau.
- The National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc., found that “the preliminary 2018 average indemnity accident year claim severity increased by three percent relative to the corresponding 2017 value. Medical lost-time claim severity increased by one percent.”2.
- The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has reported that 70.9 percent of hand and arm injuries could have been prevented with personal protective equipment, specifically safety gloves. Yet, 70 percent of workers don’t wear hand protection, and of those who do, 30 percent don’t wear the right kind of glove for the task.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported over 143,000 hand-related workplace injuries in 2015, these types of injuries were second only to back injuries (191,450).
- According to a 2012 hand injury prevention training PPT by Telcom Insurance Group, 75 percent of U.S. industrial injuries that cause partial disability involve hands. Not only that, but every 32 seconds there’s a hand injury at work.