About · Slip & Fall Statistics
The scale of the
slip-and-fall problem.
Slip and fall is one of the largest sources of injury, cost and death in the country. Numbers like these are why floor safety deserves to be measured, not guessed.
Figures below are drawn from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Agencies update these periodically, so check the source for the latest figure before citing it in a formal document.
Estimated total cost of fall-related injuries in a single year — medical costs, work-loss costs and quality-of-life costs combined (CDC-attributed figure).
Slip and falls: the general picture
- Slip and falls account for an estimated 50% of all accidental deaths in the home.
- Over 9 million adults and children visited the emergency room in a recent year for fall-related injuries.
- Slip-and-fall incidents cause more severe injuries in the U.S. than motor-vehicle accidents.
- Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal medical treatment in the United States.
- Falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in seniors over 64.
- More traumatic brain injuries are caused by falls than by any other single factor.
- The National Safety Council ranks falling with the highest odds of dying (about 1 in 127) — the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S.
- 60% of all fall-related deaths occur to individuals 75 years and older.
- More than 44,000 people died in falls in the U.S. in a recent year (CDC).
Slip and falls in the workplace
- OSHA reported nearly 230,000 non-fatal workplace slip-and-fall accidents in a recent year.
- Nearly 900 fatal work-related slips, trips and falls were reported across all sectors.
- More than 60% of workplace slip-and-fall accidents occurred in retail trade, wholesale and services.
- Slip-and-fall accidents accounted for more than 25% of reported work injuries.
- Nearly 25% of employee slip-and-fall injuries required 31+ days of recovery before returning to work.
- Over 85% of workers’ compensation claims involved employees falling on slippery surfaces (Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets).
- 16% of all workers’ compensation benefits are associated with slip-and-fall accidents, representing over 25% of costs.
- Slip and falls are the leading cause of compensable injuries in the trucking industry (American Trucking Association).
- Approximately 48,000 individuals required days off from work in a recent year due to severe fall injuries.
Each bar is a share of a different total — the base is named under each label. Read them one at a time, not against each other.
Workers’ comp claims involving a fall on a slippery surfaceShare of all workers’ compensation claims
Slip-and-fall share of workers’ comp costsShare of total workers’ compensation costs
Slip-and-fall share of reported work injuriesShare of all reported workplace injuries
Slip-and-fall share of workers’ comp benefitsShare of total workers’ compensation benefits paid
Show the data
| Measure | Base | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Comp claims involving a fall on a slippery surface | All workers’ comp claims | 85% |
| Slip-and-fall share of comp costs | Total comp costs | 25% |
| Slip-and-fall share of reported work injuries | All reported work injuries | 25% |
| Slip-and-fall share of comp benefits | Total comp benefits | 16% |
Sources: Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets; OSHA; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures are “over” or “nearly” the value shown in the underlying reporting.
Sources
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · American Trucking Association · National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · National Safety Council · Consumer Product Safety Commission · National Institute on Aging · Industrial Safety & Occupational Health Markets.