Over 170,000 cases of work injury or illness were reported in Pennsylvania in the most recent annual report, according to the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI).
The most common injuries were sprains and strains, often caused by overexertion or impact by a foreign object.
More than 50 percent of the reports occurred in two business sectors — Trade, Transportation and Utilities and Education and Health Services. Workplace injuries also occurred in significant numbers in other work environments, such as Leisure and Hospitality, Public Administration, and Professional and Business Services.
In the Philadelphia area, most work-related injuries occurred in trade and transportation, with nearly 19,000 reports of strains and sprains. The median age of injured workers in this sector is 41. Statewide, the average age for those injured at work is 25-29 and men suffer about 52% of the cases, vs. 48% for women.
Overexertion
About a third of the Philadelphia victims reported injuries to their upper torso and limbs. Overexertion is the reported cause in the majority of those cases.
Philadelphia also leads Pennsylvania in injuries to public administration and service jobs, for a combined 15,000 injuries in the most recent annual study.
Statewide, nearly 100,000 workplace injuries occurred in education and health services and transportation and utility jobs. The median age of the injured in these work sectors ranged from 41 to 43.
According to the DLI report, “sprain/strain injuries (63,646 cases) accounted for 36.8 percent of total cases,” followed by contusions and bruising injuries and cuts, lacerations, and punctures. Four percent involved fractures.
The majority of these PA work injuries impacted the upper extremities, such as shoulders, arms, fingers, and hands, followed closely by injuries to the back, chest, knees, and ankles. About 17,000 work injury victims suffered injuries to multiple parts of their bodies.
Regarding the cause of the injury, DLI reported that overexertion caused 26% of the work injuries while being struck by an object caused 21%. Falls accounted for about 12%, and work-related motor accidents accounted for about 3%.
The Department of Labor and Industry releases this report annually and files it with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
At Tri County Pain Management Centers, we provide diagnosis and treatment of workplace injuries and other painful conditions. Our team of pain physicians includes a neurologist specializing in head trauma or concussions and pain doctors skilled in treating all types of pain and injury to help patients recover from accidents.
For more information, visit our home page.
