Worker injuries at food production sites have been dropping
Strains continue to be not only the most common type of injury, but also the most expensive.
Strains, cuts and falls, the most common injuries seen at food manufacturing sites, were reduced by 13% in 2022 when compared with pre-pandemic levels, according to a review by AmTrust Financial.
Diving further into the data reveals that strains declined by more than 27% in the final quarter of 2022 since hitting a peak in the third quarter of 2019. Punctures, cuts and scrapes were reduced by more than 34% since Q4 2020, while injuries caused by slips and falls have been reduced by more than 54% in Q4 2022 after hitting a peak in the final quarter of 2019, AmTrust reported.
“Post-pandemic has been a very volatile time for the food manufacturing industry due to labor shortages, supply chain issues and inflationary costs,” Matt Zender, senior vice president, workers’ compensation product manager, at AmTrust. “In general, though, workplace injuries were down in 2020, 2021 and 2022 compared to 2019.”
Strains continue to be not only the most common, but also the most expensive type of injury at food production sites, AmTrust reported. Strains account for 27% of all claims and more than 31% of all dollars paid out.
Driving up the cost of strain injuries is the fact that they often impact multiple body parts, which results in the biggest percentage of workers’ comp claims paid out. Injuries to the lower back result in the second most expensive claims.
“Food manufacturing involves various forms of manual material handling which could involve lifting and moving objects, and pushing and pulling equipment — all actions that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders and strain/sprain injuries,” said Woody Dwyer, director of loss control for AmTrust and a certified professional ergonomist.
Dwyer noted that some food companies are testing occupational exoskeletons, which could help reduce incidents of strains.
Falls are the second most expensive type of injury and account for around 17% of food manufacturing workers’ comp claims. Rounding out the top four most common types of injuries are cuts and being struck by an object, which account for 11.6% and 7.2% of workers’ comp claims, respectively.
To further reduce injuries at food production sites, AmTrust recommends that training is conducted regularly, equipment is cleaned and maintained and harmful materials are stored properly.
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