Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12E I G H T THE RISK IS OFTEN RIGHT UNDER YOUR FEET When people think about injuries in the traffic control industry, they are most likely considering major safety hazards like being struck by a vehicle or construction equipment, or high-voltage contact. While these hazards do occur, in reality it’s the everyday incidents like soft tissue injuries (i.e., injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.), caused by commonplace occurrences such as slips, trips, and falls, that cost companies the most injuries, work time, and money. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over one third of work place injuries that require lost days of work are soft tissue injuries. The median lost time for these cases was 13 days higher than any other injury category. Not surprisingly, the construction industry, of which traffic control is part of, experiences very high numbers of these injuries -- on average 50% more than all other industries. The National Council on Compensation Insurance, a U.S. insurance rating and data collection bureau, reports that the costs associated with these injuries are significant with average cost per claim for strains and sprains to be over $26,000 and $27,000, respectively. Zurich Insurance Company data has shown 70% of construction companies workers compensation costs are derived through soft tissue injuries. KNEE SPRAINS BACK & NECK STRAINS ANKLE SPRAINS RIGHT UNDER OUR FEET MEDIAN LOST TIME FOR SOFT INJURY CASES IS 13 DAYS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER INJURY CATEGORY OTHER INJURIES 70% OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES’ WORKERS COMPENSATION COSTS COMES FROM SOFT TISSUE INJURIES S O F T T I S S U E I N J U R I E S I N T H E C O N S T R U C T I O N I N D U S T R Y T H A N OTHER INDUSTRIES T H E R E A R E M O R E 50%