Age can certainly be a factor when looking at workplace injury statistics. One common way to sort these is by considering the number of days away from work (DAFW) that are triggered by workplace injuries. You can then consider how many days people miss in various age groups and the type of injuries they suffer, along with much more.
So, does this analysis tell us that older or younger workers get injured more often? It’s not quite that simple.
Younger workers miss more days
Employees who are teenagers, from 16 to 19 years old, are the age group with the highest rate of days away from work. This happens most often if they are exposed to harmful substances or if they have contact with equipment or other objects in the workplace, leading to injuries.
If you look at workers who are 65 years old or older, though, you will find that they have the lowest total for DAFW. At the same time, however, their rate of slip-and-fall accidents is the highest out of all age groups.
So this could indicate that younger workers are more likely to encounter dangerous or hazardous situations and have to miss time at work as a result. Older workers appear to be more dependable, or at least to get injured less often. However, there are certain physical limitations that mean specific injuries are much more common with older workers, whereas teenagers would be less likely to slip and fall – and/or less likely to suffer an injury even if they did fall.
Any worker who has been injured needs to know what rights they have. Whether you are more experienced worker or you were hurt at your first job, call our law office today if you are seeking workers’ compensation benefits. Having an experienced, certified specialist workers’ compensation attorney by your side can help ensure that you receive all of the benefits the law provides.