Utility sector workers at higher risk of serious injuries: Study
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Employees in the utility sector are at higher risk for serious injuries and fatalities than workers in other industries such as construction, manufacturing and mining, according to a new study.
The utilities sector has a 32% SIF exposure rate, which is seven points higher than the all-industry SIF rate of 25%, according to the study conducted by workplace safety consultancy DEKRA North America Inc. that examined 1,060 incidents across 11 utility organizations and was released Thursday.
Water utilities have the highest SIF exposure rate at 42%, followed by electric utilities at 32% and gas utilities at 29%, according to the study.
Motor vehicle incidents were responsible for most hazards at 30%, followed by line of fire or struck by incidents at 28%, according to the study.
“The rate of on-the-job SIF is alarmingly high and affects all industries – not just the utilities sector,” said Don Martin, senior vice president for the Marietta, Georgia-based consultancy. “The bottom line is, there are steps organizations can and should be taking to reduce SIF rates and identifying and understanding the risk factors is step one.”
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