US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2014 (the most recent year published) show that total recordable case rate for hospitals (injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers) is 6.2. The hospital injury rate is higher than in mining (3.8), hazardous waste treatment and disposal (4.6), and manufacturing (4.0). Now that should set off an alarm for health and safety professionals.
Surprisingly, though, the second highest cause of injury in hospitals is from slips, trips and falls (STF). In the United States, STF by hospital employees account for 25% of injuries; in the United Kingdom, SFTs account for almost half of the workplace injuries in healthcare. These STFs can, at minimum, result in a decrease in the healthcare worker’s ability to do his or her job effectively,
