Cause of injury refers to the event and possible involved object that resulted in the workplace injury. The following charts display the top 10 “cause or injury” classifications found in the WC Division’s injury database for 1999, 2000 and 2001. You will note that, just as in construction, lifting ranks first in all three years for the most common cause of injury.
Complete Data
| Cause of Injury | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABNORMAL AIR PRESSURE | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| ABSORPTION, INGESTION, INHALATION (NOC) | 75 | 57 | 37 |
| ACID CHEMICALS | 50 | 51 | 56 |
| ANIMAL OR INSECT | 3 | 15 | 11 |
| BROKEN GLASS | 13 | 19 | 12 |
| CAUGHT IN, UNDER OR BETWEEN. NOC. | 322 | 305 | 251 |
| COLD OBJECTS OR SUBSTANCES | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| COLLAPSING MATERIALS (SLIDES OF EARTH) | 6 | 8 | 2 |
| COLLISION WITH A FIXED OBJECT | 5 | 11 | 7 |
| COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE | 38 | 42 | 41 |
| CONTACT WITH - NOC | 44 | 37 | 37 |
| CONTACT WITH HOT OBJECT | 80 | 70 | 52 |
| CONTINUAL NOISE | 153 | 149 | 165 |
| CRASH OF AIRPLANE | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CRASH OF RAIL VEHICLE | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| CRASH OF WATER VEHICLE | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| CUMULATIVE (ALL OTHER) | 753 | 592 | 401 |
| CUT, PUNCTURE, SCRAPE, NOC. | 256 | 317 | 228 |
| DUST, GASES, FUMES OR VAPORS | 51 | 20 | 17 |
| ELECTRICAL CURRENT | 19 | 5 | 11 |
| EXPLOSION OR FLARE BACK | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| FALL, SLIP OR TRIP NOC. | 808 | 652 | 512 |
| FALLING OR FLYING OBJECT | 485 | 354 | 255 |
| FIRE OR FLAME | 17 | 18 | 14 |
| FOREIGN BODY IN EYE | 53 | 43 | 38 |
| FROM DIFFERENT LEVEL | 201 | 157 | 149 |
| FROM LADDER OR SCAFFOLDING | 101 | 124 | 109 |
| FROM LIQUID OR GREASE SPILLS | 184 | 155 | 121 |
| HAND TOOL OR MACHINE IN USE | 141 | 161 | 114 |
| HAND TOOL, UTENSIL;NOT POWERED | 129 | 106 | 98 |
| HOLDING OR CARRYING | 524 | 312 | 225 |
| INTO OPENING | 21 | 30 | 20 |
| JUMPING | 83 | 57 | 45 |
| LIFTING | 2458 | 2287 | 1845 |
| MACHINE OR MACHINERY | 596 | 533 | 460 |
| MOTOR VEHICLE | 45 | 30 | 22 |
| MOTOR VEHICLE NOC. | 48 | 55 | 41 |
| MOVING PARTS OF MACHINE | 81 | 67 | 63 |
| OBJECT BEING LIFTED OR HANDLED | 729 | 649 | 483 |
| OBJECT HANDLED | 287 | 270 | 171 |
| OBJECT HANDLED BY OTHERS | 19 | 45 | 21 |
| ON ICE OR SNOW | 165 | 169 | 184 |
| ON SAME LEVEL | 221 | 251 | 231 |
| ON STAIRS | 96 | 66 | 84 |
| OTHER | 1241 | 1066 | 694 |
| OTHER THAN PHYSICAL CAUSE OF INJURY | 15 | 15 | 11 |
| PERSON - FELLOW WORKER/PATIENT (NOT IN ACT OF A CRIME) | 13 | 9 | 14 |
| PERSON IN THE ACT OF A CRIME (ROBBERY/CRIMINAL OR SEXUAL ASSAULT) | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| POWERED HAND TOOL, APPLIANCE | 209 | 172 | 134 |
| PUSHING OR PULLING | 1083 | 1050 | 816 |
| RADIATION | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| REACHING | 326 | 288 | 260 |
| REPETITIVE MOTION | 1370 | 1131 | 906 |
| RUBBED OR ABRADED. NOC. | 8 | 3 | 4 |
| SANDING, SCRAPING, CLEANING OPERATIONS | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| SLIPPED, DID NOT FALL | 153 | 153 | 103 |
| STATIONARY OBJECT | 197 | 216 | 172 |
| STEAM OR HOT FLUIDS | 57 | 39 | 36 |
| STEPPING ON SHARP OBJECT | 14 | 10 | 15 |
| STRAIN OR INJURY BY, NOC | 1830 | 1806 | 1336 |
| STRIKING AGAINST OR STEPPING ON, NOC. | 176 | 170 | 107 |
| STRUCK OR INJURED BY, NOC. | 158 | 149 | 114 |
| TEMPERATURE EXTREMES | 16 | 24 | 20 |
| TWISTING | 254 | 233 | 179 |
| USING TOOL OR MACHINE | 356 | 381 | 265 |
| VEHICLE UPSET | 26 | 13 | 13 |
| WELDING OPERATIONS | 52 | 82 | 53 |
| WIELDING OR THROWING | 29 | 46 | 29 |
| Total | 16970 | 15371 | 11936 |