Leading cause of injury-related employer costs? Overexertion, report says

Hopkinton, MA – Overexertion involving outside sources – which includes lifting, pushing and pulling – was the leading cause of disabling injuries in 2012, costing employers $15.1 billion in direct costs, according to a new report from the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety.

Overexertion involving outside sources accounted for more than a quarter of the United States’ total injury cost burden in 2012.

The report, released Jan. 6, ranks the top 10 causes of serious, nonfatal occupational injuries based on data from several sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Other top causes of injuries in 2012 include:

• Falls on the same level, costing $9.19 billion
• Struck by object or equipment, costing $5.3 billion
• Falls to lower level, costing $5.12 billion

Combined, the top 10 causes of serious, nonfatal injuries in 2012 cost employers nearly $60 billion and accounted for more than 80 percent of all direct injury costs, according to the report.