Punctures and Cuts Stats and Facts
FACTS
1. The most common causes for puncture wounds include:
- stepping on a sharp object, such as a nail
- getting bitten
- falling onto something sharp
2. The following are typical hazards and possible causes of cuts and lacerations in the workplace:
- Improper training
- Lack of established safety procedures
- Employees rushing or taking shortcuts
- Failure to wear proper hand protection
- Missing or improperly adjusted guarding equipment
STATS
- 44 % of workplace hand injuries fall into Cuts, Lacerations, and Punctures, accounting for over 60,000 injuries in 2018 alone.
- Approximately 30 % of all workplace injuries involve cuts, and about 70 % of those injuries are to the hands or fingers.
- There were 420,870 of these cases requiring days away from work to recuperate.
- Workers aged 16 to 19 report the largest proportion of cuts and punctures.