Injury report studies time of day, type, age, occupation

Muscle strains were the most common injury recorded among workers in Colorado from 2012 to 2017, according to data released Thursday by Pinnacol Assurance, a large workers compensation insurer in Colorado.

Denver-based Pinnacol examined injury claims from 2012 to 2017 in four industries, narrowing down when injuries are most likely to occur, the most common types of injuries and who is most likely to get hurt on the job.  

Forty-four percent of injuries in the construction industry happen in a worker’s first year on the job, with most injuries occurring among construction workers 30 to 39 years old, according to the data. Most construction injuries occur from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Health care followed construction for injuries recorded in the first year of work, with 38% of injured workers in their first year on the job. Also in health care, most injuries occur among workers 20 to 29 years old and at 10 a.m., according to the data.

For clerical workers in Colorado, on average seven workers are injured a day, with strains and falls among the most common type. The data also pointed to 2 p.m. as the most likely time for injury.

Pinnacol also examined data for service and hospitality workers, finding 9 p.m. to be the most likely time and September the most likely month for a worker to experience an expensive injury. As for time on the job, 35% of those workers are more likely to injure themselves within the first year of employment.