And, while there is a continued decline in the total number of SIF cases year over year, a significant number of employees across all industries are still affected, a new report found, according to the Serious Injuries and Fatalities White Paper by ISN, a contractor and supplier information management provider.
That means there is still a need for a comprehensive process that helps ensure risks are managed and mitigated. To help meet this need, ISN continues to partner with its customers to navigate the challenging landscape of SIF prevention and elimination.
ISN released the white paper in an effort to show awareness of safety incidents in the workplace and to help create a safer work environment. In this paper, ISN analyzed more than 94,000 recordable incidents from 2017-2021 which showed more than 20,000 SIF cases consisting of more than 17,000 hospitalizations, 2,773 amputations and 677 fatalities.
Highlights from the SIFs white paper include:
- Across industries, the leading cause of SIFs over the past five years has consistently been contact with an object or equipment. 2021 shows amputations listed as a top three SIF event, making up 16 percent of all SIFs for that year, versus 13 percent in 2018.
- SIF rate heavily fluctuates, dropping significantly in 2021: Starting with a baseline in 2017, the SIF rate increased 12 percent in 2018, decreased 17 percent in 2019, spiked again in 2020, and sharply declined by 35 percent in 2021. 2021 showed a decline in overall count and rate for the first time since ISN has been analyzing SIF data.
- Upper extremities are the most affected body part: In the past, lower extremities were the most commonly affected body part. ISN’s most recent analysis shows upper extremities surpassed lower extremities as most affected over the last five years.
- A higher number of SIFs continue to be seen during the months of July and August as found in previous SIFs reports; however, the new data now includes the month of January as having elevated cases. This could be attributed to the return of workers after an extended holiday break, with possible factors such as low energy level and morale, lack of focus and busy schedules increasing injuries on the first days back at work.
- The Utilities sector has seen a significant and sustained decline of 72 percent in its SIF rate from 2017 to 2021. Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation and Warehousing, and Administrative Support & Waste Management and Remediation are the four industries with the highest SIF rates.
- COVID-19 led to minimal recorded SIFs incidents: COVID-19 related data collected from 2020 to 2021 shows only 37 COVID-19 related cases were classified as a SIF, which resulted in 25 cases involving days away from work and 12 total fatalities. The data shows COVID-19 did not have a widespread impact on SIF rates for many companies.
“As SIFs continue to impact workforces, companies and contractors must regularly collect and analyze SIF-related data and use insights to adjust their strategies to prevent future incidents,” said Brian Callahan, President and Chief Operating Officer at ISN. “Our analysis found that contractors who implemented a Process Safety Management or Hazard Communication Program experienced a 27-29% lower SIF rate, further illustrating the value of insights like these and the support that data-driven tools from ISN provide in helping workers return home safe each day.”
Click here to download a copy of the SIFs White Paper.