Work-Related Fractures and Falls

While the overall number of work-related hand injuries has been steadily decreasing due to greater attention on occupational safety, there has been an increase in hand injuries in those over 60 years of age, mainly female workers. Over 25% of hand injury claims in female workers older than age 60 are due to hand and wrist fractures, and the most common cause of injury is a low-impact fall.

A 2007 study showed that falls from a standing height (same-level falls) that were associated with pushing, pulling, tripping, or outdoors resulted in:
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• 1/4 of women 45 years of age and older sustaining wrist fractures
• 35% of these wrist fractures occurred in workers in the service industry
• 18% in the manufacturing industry
• 17% in the retail industry
  
•  2/3 who fell did not sustain a fracture but suffered contusions, strains, sprains, lacerations, and inflammation
  

Falls from a standing height make up 13% of all lost work time due to work-related injuries. Common risks associated with falls included pushing, pulling, tripping, winter, outdoors, increased work time spent sitting, and manual handling of heavy objects. In addition, increasing age is correlated with an increased risk of low-impact falls and an increased risk of sustaining a fracture because of the fall.