ISN white paper highlights leading causes, indicators of serious injuries, fatalities

ISN, a contractor and supplier information management company, released its latest serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) white paper to further its mission of creating safe worksites. The company leveraged its platform data to analyze more than 60,000 recordable incidents from 2018 to 2020. The findings aim to help organizations identify trends in recorded incidents and provide actions they can take to mitigate future SIFs.

“It’s critical for organizations to understand the context leading to SIFs in order to prevent future incidents and prioritize the health and safety of individuals,” said Brian Callahan, President and COO of ISN. “By thoroughly analyzing data on SIFs, as well as near-misses and potential SIFs, organizations can continue on their journeys to zero incidents and for all workers to return home safe every day.”

Highlights from the white paper include:

• Seasonal indicators of SIF occurrences: A higher number of SIFs are seen during the summer months, particularly July (average of 587 monthly incidents across the three years analyzed) and August (average of 579 monthly incidents). This may be the result of extended hours of sunlight that permit longer working hours, potentially resulting in fatigue among workers.
• Industry-specific trends: Due to the high-risk nature of the tasks performed, 42% of all SIFs in 2020 occurred among contractors in the construction industry, followed by contractors in the administrative support, waste management and remediation industry (29% of all SIFs).
• Leading causes of SIFs: The leading cause of SIFs over the past three years was contact with an object or equipment. The next most common causes of SIF events were falls, slips or trips, followed by overexertion.
• Body parts most commonly affected by SIFs: The most common body parts affected year after year were lower extremities, followed by the trunk and then upper extremities.
• Leading indicators correlated with higher SIF rates: The statistically significant leading indicators that had a strong correlation to higher SIF rates included operating a commercial vehicle, receiving a citation within the last three years, bringing chemicals on site, rigging material handling and working at heights of six feet or higher.