January 30, 2023

2022 incident trends: Construction, miscellaneous injuries and summer hazards

As a service to our policyholders, Texas Mutual shares serious workplace injury trends based on catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to our claims department. Not all of these reported injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, but our goal is to help you ensure these types of incidents do not happen in your workplace. Find safety tips below to help keep your employees safe on the job.

If you have questions, we encourage you to contact our safety services support center at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.

2022 incident trends

In this article, we’re looking back on workplace injury trends among the more serious claims reported to Texas Mutual in 2022. We’re sharing this information to help spread awareness about common safety hazards and assist employers in preventing similar incidents. Serious claims data includes catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to us, some of which may have been deemed as non-compensable at a later date and were not covered by workers’ compensation.

The chart to the right shows a breakdown of serious reported claims by industry. Overall, there were nearly 5% more severe injuries and fatalities reported to Texas Mutual compared to the previous year. Here are a few takeaways:

• The construction industry remained at the top of the list with more than double the reported claims of any other industry.
• The oil and gas industry experienced more injuries in 2022, causing it to surpass manufacturing and administrative, support, waste management and remediation services from the previous year.
• The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry moved up two spots on the list, replacing the other services industry within the top six.

Construction industry trends

Looking more closely at the construction industry’s reported claims, three specific industries reported the most:

• Roofing contractors (14%)
• Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (8%)
• Structural steel and precast concrete contractors (7%)

The top three causes of injury included slips, trips and falls, driving and miscellaneous causes.

• Ensure that new employees are fully trained on all hazards, controls and safe procedures before they begin working.
• Enlist employees’ help with walk-through inspections and hazard identification.
• Keep up with safe driving training and driver monitoring for any fleet employees.
• Maintain fall protection any time employees are working 6 feet or more above a lower level.

Miscellaneous causes

Among reported serious claims from 2021 to 2022, miscellaneous causes surpassed slips, trips and falls and was virtually tied with motor vehicle crashes as the number one cause of injury. There are some important trends among these claims.

• Strokes and heart attacks. Even if it’s determined not to be work-related, many strokes and heart attacks occur on the clock. First-aid interventions can save lives so it’s important your employees are prepared and have access to equipment such as a well-stocked first-aid kit and automated external defibrillator (AED).
• Mental health. Serious claims have resulted from employees witnessing injuries, fatalities and instances of workplace violence. Support employees’ mental health by discussing available resources through health care and other company programs.
• Burns. During 2022, employees were burned in many facilities including kitchens, welding shops and while working with tanks. Ensure employees are trained on controls, follow the proper procedures and utilize the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Summer hazards

More serious claims were reported in June than any other month, with August trailing closely behind. There are many potential reasons for increased workers’ comp claims during the summer, including more construction projects during longer days, a rise in the temporary and teenage workforce and heat illness hazards. Common injury causes over the summer months included:

• Driving. More vehicles and roadway construction projects increase driving hazards. Review safe driving habits with your employees and monitor their activity as part of your driving program.
• Miscellaneous causes. Miscellaneous claims primarily occurred from burns, heart attacks and heat illness. Train all employees in the hazards they’ll face on the job and proper controls.
• Slips, trips and falls. The vast majority of falls were in the construction industry and occurred while the employee was working from a ladder, roof or unguarded edge. Focus on fall hazards with any employees that work from heights and ensure fall protection is always in place.

Get free safety resources

Texas Mutual policyholders have access to thousands of free training materials in our multimedia safety resource center, including our safety catalog with up-to-date resources.

To access the free materials, log in to your texasmutual.com account and select Safety. If you need help accessing the safety resource center or you have a workplace safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (748KB) version of the January Safety Alert.