Some California workers face high risks for being injured on the job as part of their day-to-day responsibilities. However, many California workers saw a record-low rate when it came to job-related illnesses, as well as injuries suffered on the job. The rate for workers injured on the job in 2014 was the lowest it has been in 13 years.
In total, 460,700 injuries and illnesses were reported in 2014. This is a decline from the previous year, which was 468,400, according to the most recent Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, which was performed by the California Department of Industrial Relations and the U.S. Board of Labor Statistics.
Taken as a whole, authorities believe that the lower rates reflect California’s focus and commitment to providing on-the-job safety and health. Still, officials warned that some employees in certain industry sectors had a disproportionate share of injured workers. These workers’ employers must continue to focus on key elements of prevention in order to protect not only the health but also the safety of their employees.
For example, in construction, mining, manufacturing and natural resources, every three out of four injured workers who lost work days were Latino. Additionally, young workers — aged 16 to 19 years — incurred the highest occurrence of the most days spent away from work when compared to all of the other age groups. However, no matter ethnicity or age, California workers deserve to work in safe environments, and, when injured workers are forced to miss work due to injuries suffered on the job, they are typically entitled to submit a workers’ compensation claim to help defray some of the costs of being out of work due to a work-related injury. These individuals typically choose to consult an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to assist them in submitting their claims.
Source: businessinsurance.com, “California on-the-job injury rate reaches 13-year low“, Gloria Gonzalez, Nov. 24, 2015