Missouri Workers Comp Statistics

Workers’ compensation statistics can offer quite a bit of insight for us to better understand workplace safety trends, common job-related injuries and workplace violations. Missouri is home to a wide range of industries including construction, transportation, manufacturing healthcare and agriculture. A number of these industries can have a heightened risk of injuries and illnesses. Missouri processes thousands of workers’ comp claims each year – from minor injuries to those that can have long-term impact on workers and their families.

This article compiles data from state and federal agencies such as those published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is also important to note that workers’ compensation statistics typically lag by one or two years. This delay happens because claims that are reported must be verified and fully processed before they are included in the official datasets.

Missouri Workers’ Comp Statistics at a Glance

Total nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses: 52,000 private industry cases (2023)

Injury incident rate (TRC): 2.6 cases per 100 full-time workers

Total workers’ comp injuries filed: 90,041 First Reports of Injury (FROIS) filed in 2023

Fatal workplace injuries: 114 worker deaths (2023)

DART (Days Away, Restricted or Transferred) cases: 28,300 private industry DART cases; 1.4 incidence rate per 100 workers

Most dangerous industries: Natural resources and mining; Education and health services; Manufacturing; Trade/Transportation/Utilities; Construction

Missouri vs. U.S. injury rate: 2.6 vs. 2.4 cases per 100-full-time workers (Missouri is higher than national average)

Most common injury types: Sprains and strains, overexertion, slips/trips/falls, contact with objects/equipment, transportation incidents

How Many Workers’ Compensation Claims Are Filed in Missouri?

Each year, Missouri gets tens of thousands of workers’ comp filings resulting from on-the-job injuries. But, not every injury on the job becomes a formal workers’ comp claim. The Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) made a distinction between First Reports of Injury (FROIs), which basically document the workplace injuries and Claims for Compensation, which are the legal filings an injured worker makes when he or she seeks benefits or disputes an employer’s or insurance company’s decision.

Annual Workers’ Compensation Claims

The Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation processed 90,041 FROIs during the year 2023, which means those workers reported on-the-job injuries and illnesses that year. However, only 12,997 Claims for Compensation were filed during the same year, which shows that a vast majority of injuries are resolved any formal type of litigation or adjudication.

Recent data from the 2024 annual report of the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation shows the following trends:

Year	First Reports of Injury (FROIs)	Claims for Compensation
2021	91,855	12,670
2022	91,681	13,028
2023	90,041	12,997
2024	90,815	12,784

The numbers show that while the annual injury reporting has consistently stayed around 90,000 reports, the formal claims are only about 13,000 per year. The reason for this gap is that a significant number of injured workers get medical treatment and wage-loss benefits voluntarily through their employers’ workers’ comp insurer. This removes their need to file a disputed claim. A worker only needs to file a Claim for Compensation when his or her benefits are denied, delayed or disputed.

What Counts as a Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Missouri recognizes different types of workers’ compensation claims including:

· Injury claims: Cover sudden workplace incidents resulting in physical injuries such as falls, accidents involving machinery, burn injuries or struck-by incidents.

· Occupational disease claims: This is when a worker develops a disease or health condition because of exposure to hazardous conditions in the workplace. Examples include respiratory illnesses, hearing loss, chemical exposure, asbestos exposure, etc.

· Repetitive trauma claims: These cover injuries that happen because workers are repeating tasks over a period of time. Examples of such injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. Missouri law views repetitive trauma as a type of occupational illness because it is acquired in the workplace, on the job.

Missouri Workplace Injury Statistics

Total Nonfatal Workplace Injuries

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) data show that workers in Missouri suffered about 52,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses that didn’t result in death in the private sector during 2023. This amounts to a Total Recordable Case incidence rate of 2.6 injuries per 100 full-time workers. What this means is that that about 2.6 out of every 100 workers were injured or became ill on the job.

When we compare these numbers with the national average of 2.4 cases per 100 workers, Missouri’s injury rate was a little higher. This suggests that workers in Missouri face slightly more risk of job-related injuries compared to the workers nationwide. Industries like construction, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and mining account for a large share of the reported injuries because they are physically more demanding and expose workers to more injury risks.

Injury Trends

Missouri has seen a slight drop in job-related injuries that did not result in death, over the last five years. While there are variations in the number of injuries from year to year, the long-term trend shows that we’re seeing fewer injuries in Missouri over the last five years compared to the time before the coronavirus pandemic.

A number of factors have led to this trend:

· Improved safety: More employers are investing now in safety training and OSHA standards, which has made workplaces safer than before.

· Automation: We’re also seeing an increase in automation where more and more companies are using robotics and other automated systems, particularly in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. This has reduced workers’ exposure not just to high-risk situations, but also to repetitive tasks that might result in injuries.

· Workforce changes: Hybrid work arrangements have taken workers away from workplaces that were traditionally riskier. An increase in service-sector jobs has also caused this trend.

· Reporting changes: Post-pandemic reporting practices also influence annual injury totals, making year-to-year comparisons more challenging.

Injury Severity

Any type of injury can affect workers and their ability to do their jobs. Understanding the extent of an injury help evaluate the losses and damages that the worker has sustained:

· Days away from work (DAFW): Injuries or illnesses that force a worker to take one or more days off work mean that the worker has been injured seriously enough that they have to miss work days.

· Restricted duty: These are cases where an injured employee is able to come back to work, but can’t perform all of their regular job duties. Sometimes, workers may have work reduced hours because of medical restrictions.

· Other recordable injuries: These are work-related injuries or illnesses that must be recorded under the law, but where the worker does not take days off and is not on restricted duty. An example is a case where a worker was injured, but was able to get back to work after getting first aid.

Most Common Workplace Injuries in Missouri

Some of the most common injuries in Missouri workplaces include:

Sprains and strains: These are the most frequently reporting workplace injuries often accounting for about 30% to 35% of recordable injuries nationwide, according to OSHA. In construction, warehousing and healthcare, for example, these injuries typically occur as a result of lifting heavy things, falls or sudden awkward movements.

Overexertion injuries: These are the leading cause of “days away from work” cases, accounting for roughly one-third of such injuries. They may occur when workers exceed what they’re able to do physically. Examples include lifting heavy loads, pushing equipment or performing repetitive tasks without sufficient time to recover.

Slips, trips and falls: These consistently rank as the second or third most common category, making up about 20% to 25% of nonfatal injuries. They most commonly happen in construction sites, retail spaces and healthcare facilities where workers encounter wet floors, uneven surfaces or cluttered walkways.

Repetitive motion injuries: These injuries account for around 5% to 10% of reported cases. Those who work in an office environment, manufacturing or in assembly are likely to be at greater risk.

Machinery and equipment injuries: These types of injuries, which account for 5% to 8% of nonfatal injuries, can be severe. Workers can get crushed or caught in/between machinery, which could result in permanently disabling injuries like amputations.

Missouri Workplace Fatality Statistics

Job-related deaths in Missouri are more or less in line with national trends.

How Many Workers Die on the Job Each Year?

Each year, in Missouri, between 80 and 110 workers are killed on the job. While these numbers include all industries combined in Missouri, fatal incidents in construction, transportation and agriculture account for most deaths. Overall, this trend has remained steady with slight declines over the last 10 years even as employment levels have increased. While safety training has improved, high-risk fields like construction still see more fatalities.

Leading Causes of Fatal Work Injuries

Fatal workplace injuries in Missouri are dominated by a small number of causes:

Transportation incidents (35% to 40%): These incidents include traffic accidents involving trucks, delivery vehicles and workers who need to travel for their jobs.

Accidental contact with equipment (15% to 20%): This includes workers getting struck by machinery, caught in/between incidents and injuries involving malfunctioning equipment. We particularly see a number of these incidents in construction and manufacturing.

Falls (10% to 15%): Workers falling from ladders, roofs, scaffolding, etc. particularly at construction sites.

Exposure to harmful substances: Exposure to chemicals, gases and other toxins — most often in agricultural and industrial settings — lead to a number of workplace deaths.

Workplace violence: This includes assaults, homicides, etc., which can happen in the healthcare and retail industries.

Which Missouri Industries Have the Highest Injury Rates?

BLS data show that some occupations have higher injury rates than others.

Industry	Approximate Injury Rate (cases per 100 full-time workers)	Common Injuries	Injury risks
Healthcare	4.5-6.0	Musculoskeletal injuries, slips, violence-related injuries	Frequent lifting, repetitive movements, exposure to infectious diseases and workplace violence.
Manufacturing	3.5-4.5	Cuts, crush injuries, sprains, burn injuries, amputations	Heavy machinery handing, repetitive tasks, material handling
Transportation & Warehousing	4.5-6.5	Overexertion, falls, slip-and-falls, struck-by incidents	Heavy lifting, loading and unloading, long driving hours, vehicle operation
Construction	2.5-3.5	Falls, electrocutions, struck by objects, caught in/between	Working at heights, operating heavy equipment, working near power lines
Agriculture	3.0-5.0	Machinery injuries, falls, heat illnesses, animal-related injuries	Farm machinery, livestock handling, extreme weather
Public Sector	4.0-5.5	Sprains, assaults, vehicle accidents	Law enforcement, firefighting, public works, jail

Healthcare: Hospitals and nursing care facilities experience higher rates of injuries caused by lifting and repositioning patients. Some of the other injury risks healthcare workers face include slips and falls and workplace violence from patients or visitors.

Manufacturing: Employees often suffer sprains and strains from handling materials long with cuts, burns and machinery-related injuries. Repetitive tasks also lead to repetitive stress injuries.

Transportation and warehousing: Overexertion from lifting goods, auto accidents, slips and falls and struck-by incidents are among the leading causes of injuries. The rapid growth of warehousing and logistics has significantly increased workers’ exposure to injuries in these job sites.

Construction: While construction may have a lower injury rate compared to some other industries, the rate of severe injuries and fatalities is still disproportionately high. Falls from roofs and heights remain the leading cause of serious injuries followed by electrocutions and struck-by and caught in/between incidents.

Agriculture: Those in this industry face unique hazards such as working with tractors, livestock, handling grain, pesticides and prolonged work outdoors. Injuries are often severe and even catastrophic such as amputations, heat stress, chemical exposure, etc.

Public sector employees: Workers in the public sector such as police officers, firefighters, those who manage jails and prisons, sanitation workers and emergency medical personnel – all face heightened risks because of the dangerous environment in which they operate. Sprains, strains and violence-related injuries are most common.

Missouri Occupational Illness Statistics

Unlike traumatic workplace injuries, occupational illnesses develop over time because of repeated exposure to hazardous workplaces. While traumatic injuries happen suddenly, illnesses may take months or even years to become apparent, making them more difficult to diagnose. While they account for about 5% to 7% of recordable cases, workplace illnesses can have long-lasting effects on workers including:

Hearing loss: This represents about 10% of all occupational illness cases reported each year. Workers in manufacturing, construction, agriculture and transportation face the greatest risk since they are continuously exposed to noise above 85 decibels.

Respiratory illnesses: Examples are asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease and illnesses caused by exposure to silica, asbestos, welding fumes, etc. These account for about 8% to 12% of reported occupational illnesses. Construction, mining, manufacturing and agriculture pose the greatest risks.

Repetitive stress injuries: These types of injuries account for about one-third of all cases where workers need to take time off work. Examples of such injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.

Chemical exposure: When workers are exposed to dangerous chemicals such as those found in pesticides, cleaning agents, etc. they could become very sick. Each year, thousands of workers become ill due to chemical exposure that can cause severe health effects from neurological damage to cancers.

Occupational skin disorders: These represent about 10% to 15% of all reported occupational illnesses, affecting healthcare workers, mechanics as well as workers in agriculture and manufacturing. These result from repeated exposure to irritants, allergens and chemicals.

Missouri Compared to the National Average

Missouri’s workplace safety performance is not far from the national average, but the state has a higher occupational fatality rate because of industries that present more risks. However, Missouri’s nonfatal injury and illness rates are comparable to or even slightly below the U.S. average, according to BLS reports.

Statistic	Missouri	United States
Total Recordable Case Rate (per 100 full-time workers)	2.5	2.4
DART Rate	1.5	1.5
Nonfatal Injury and Illness Rate (Cases per 100 full-time workers)	2.5	2.4
Fatality Rate	About 90-100	About 5,200-5,500

Source: BLS, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)

What Missouri Workers’ Comp Statistics Mean for Employees

The state’s workplace injury statistics tell us that even if overall safety may have improved for workers over time, thousands of employees are still injured on the job each year. That hasn’t changed. We also learn from data that the risk of injury is not the same for all industries.

When a workplace occurs, reporting it promptly is important. This helps ensure that the incident workers receive prompt medical treatment, the case is investigated promptly, evidence is preserved and the workers’ comp claim is filed. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve recovery for workers and also create documentation that could play an important part in workplace injury claims. Since Missouri’s workers’ comp system is a no-fault insurance program, workers may be eligible for benefits regardless of who caused the accident as long as they suffered the injury on the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many workers’ compensation claims are filed in Missouri each year?

Missouri records about 40,000 to 50,000 workers’ comp claims a year. The total caries from year to year depending on employment levels, the state’s economy and workplace injury trends.

How many workplace injuries occur in Missouri annually?

According to BLS, about 50,000 to 60,000 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses are reported each year. These cases include injuries that call for medical treatment, job restrictions and days away from work.

Which Missouri industry has the highest injury rate?

The healthcare industry consistently reports the highest injury rates among Missouri’s major industries. Transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, construction and agriculture also have above-average injury rates.

How many workers die on the job in Missouri?

About 90 to 100 people die in workplace accidents each year, according to BLS’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Transportation incidents are the leading cause of workers dying on the job followed by contact with equipment, falls, exposure to harmful substances and workplace violence.

Are workplace injuries increasing or decreasing?

Data show that workplace injury rates in Missouri have decreased over the past decade. This may be because of improvements in safety training, equipment and workplace regulations. Regardless, high-risk industries continue to see elevated injury rates.

Where can I find official Missouri workers’ compensation statistics?

Official Missouri workers’ compensation data are available from the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, while national and state workplace injury and fatality statistics are published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).

The numbers and statistics show us that thousands of Missouri workers are injured on the job each year. While overall injury rates have improved over time, some of the industries that have always presented riskier environments for workers, continue to see higher injury rates. Having reliable workplace injury and workers’ comp statistics helps workers, employers and policymakers develop more effective workplace safety initiatives, which works to everybody’s advantage.

Workplace injury and workers’ comp claim statistics change from year to year. So, it is important that you review the most recent data from reliable sources mentioned this article. Staying informed with the most current statistics can help everyone make better decisions, which will hopefully move Missouri toward reducing on-the-job injuries and fatalities.