March, 2025- Q: What have you seen in workplace injury data that might be surprising or alarming?
A: On average, the number of days a manufacturing worker misses due to a workplace injury is 67. That’s according to the most recent Travelers Injury Impact Report, an analysis of five years of our workers’ compensation claims data. In a five-day workweek, those 67 days equate to more than 13 weeks—and that’s lost time for just one employee.
Now, think about how that could affect a company’s ability to operate. A reduction in headcount could lead to an operational slowdown or, in some cases, a halt to production. Healthy workers might need to work overtime, which could then lead to fatigue and more injuries.
The role of the injured employee is a factor, too. What if the injured person is the one responsible for training or the only one who knows how to operate a particular piece of machinery? Even if there is someone else who can step in, the added responsibility can significantly affect that employee’s workload and training can fall behind.
While one injured employee doesn’t necessarily create a worst-case scenario, which is often the type of situation companies plan for in advance, the effect of any single person’s absence in your work stream for that amount of time will be noticeable.
Just how much your organization feels the impact will vary based on several factors, but it could affect revenue, employee morale, your ability to deliver your component or product to market, and even your relationships with downstream partners.
Q: Given that an injured manufacturing worker misses an average of 67 days, how can companies mitigate this risk and prepare for any employee injuries?
A: Understanding the impact of any employee getting injured on the job really puts into perspective the importance of having a safety culture. Planning for key employees is a start, but what’s really going to make the difference is having a culture of safety, because it affects every facet of an operation.
By this, I mean a culture that’s centered around safety and employee engagement. It involves training and onboarding all employees, having management lead by example, and using consistent safety messaging throughout the organization.
There are significant benefits to having a strong safety culture in place. It can help reduce the occurrence and severity of workplace injuries, decrease downtime and manage workers’ compensation risks. When safety is ingrained from day one, it can also help direct the individual decisions each employee makes. If a company’s culture is one where employees are just as focused on removing boxes from the floor as they are at confirming machine clearance and light curtain functionality, that’s a good indicator that the workforce is mindful of safety and paying close attention to what’s going on around them.
A focus on safety communicates to employees that the organization prioritizes their well-being and can lead to higher morale. Higher morale means happier employees and can help with retention and productivity while reducing turnover. And, of course, a safety culture can help with operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
Q: You’ve talked about the payoff of having a safety culture in place. What are the steps a company can take to create one or improve an existing one?
A: Start by understanding and evaluating the risks your organization faces and then develop a plan that helps address them. Then, it’s time to act. Demonstrate management’s involvement in and commitment to a safety culture and communicate safety plans to all employees. Other steps could include establishing a safety committee made up of leaders and employees, and encouraging all employees— regardless of level— to offer insights into how the work environment can be improved.
If and when workplace injuries do occur, be prepared to support your injured employees all the way through their return to work. Investigate all incidents to understand the root cause and use those insights to revise and improve your safety program. Regularly revisiting the plan, adjusting when appropriate and recognizing success are all crucial for maintaining a safe workplace.
JON MEYER is manufacturing segment lead at Travelers travelers.com.
