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Employees in small businesses less likely to get injured at work

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New research from AXA Insurance has revealed that small businesses (1-9 employees) have a significantly better record for work place accidents and injuries when compared with medium sized (10-249 employees) and large companies (250+).

The survey found that just 17% of small business employees have suffered injuries at work compared to 47% for those employed in large companies. This means that the level of work place injuries in small business is about one-third of that for large companies.

The study also revealed that as many as one in ten people have sustained an injury in the work place in the past five years. Whilst employee injuries are most likely to be caused by work-related accidents (81%), for example, using machinery and tripping over, a shocking eight per cent of work-related injuries sustained by employees resulted from a physical assault by either a customer or colleague.

Maybe even more surprising is the fact that the professional services industry, which includes lawyers, consultants and accountants, experienced the highest level of physical assault with as many as 15% of employees working in the sector being assaulted by a customer.

Key Survey Findings

• Eight per cent of workplace injuries are caused by physical assaults
• Employees in large companies almost twice as likely to suffer an injury at work
• Employees in the professional services sector almost twice as likely to be a victim of physical assault
• Most common accidents in the workplace are trips, slips and falls
• Employees aged over 50 are most likely to have a fall whilst doing their job (47%)

Workplace accidents account for the most injuries at work and one third of all injuries are the result of falls or trips. Strains and sprains are the most common result of an accident (34%).

Employees aged over 50 are most likely to have a fall whilst doing their job (47%) compared to 28% of 18-29 year olds and nearly one in ten of those injured UK employees (9%) complain of Repetitive Strain Inquiry (RSI) or other injuries caused by the working environment.

Douglas Barnett, Risk Control Strategy Manager, from AXA commented: "These findings should make worrying reading for the business community. Accidents and injuries sustained in the workplace can be extremely costly for companies – through employees having to take time off work to recover or because of compensation pay outs.

"In light of this, we are advising businesses, of all shapes and sizes, to assess the potential risks and dangers that the working environment may pose to their employees and ensure that they have stringent health and safety procedures in place."

Posted September 6, 2006