The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index documents the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries – those causing an employee to miss five or more days from work – and ranks them by their direct cost to employers, which consists of medical and lost-wage payments.

According to the Index, the 10 most costly causes of workplace injuries and illnesses are:

Injury Cause:

Cost (billions):

Percentage:

Overexertion involving outside sources

$13.11

23.65%

Falls on same level

$10.38

18.72%

Struck by object or equipment

$5.22

9.42%

Falls to lower level

$4.98

8.99%

Other exertions or bodily reactions

$3.69

6.65%

Roadway incidents involving motorized vehicle

$2.70

4.88%

Slip or trip without falling

$2.18

3.93%

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

$1.93

3.48%

Repetitive motions involving microtasks

$1.59

2.87%

Struck against object or equipment

$1.15

2.07%

Cost of the top 10 most disabling workplace injuries

$46.93

84.66%

Total cost of the most disabling workplace injuries

$55.43

100%