What Are the Most Dangerous Days for Workers?

According to a recent investigation, serious workplace injuries are most likely to happen on Thursdays in the month of August.  The U.S. Workplace Accident Report analyzed 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by health experts from nicerx.com. According to Safety and Health Magazine, “Thursday was the most deadly day of the week in terms of work-related injuries, with 922 fatalities recorded. Wednesday trailed close behind with 906, followed by Monday and Tuesday (852 each), Friday (826), Saturday (551), and Sunday (341). 

August proved to be the most deadly month of the year, accounting for 493 fatal injuries. July was second with 488, followed by May (475) and June (472). February (369) and December (353) were the only months with fewer than 400 fatal injuries recorded.” 

According to Safety and Health Magazine, other key findings in the report were as follows: 

• Construction led all industries with 1,008 fatal injuries, followed by transportation and warehousing (874); natural resources and mining (704); and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (574). 
• The head (992) and trunk (826) were the most commonly affected body parts in the fatal incidents. 
• The 45-54 and 55-64 age groups had the most fatal injuries, with 1,114 and 1,104, respectively. Together, they accounted for more than 42% of all of the fatal injuries. 
• Men made up 92.1% of the fatal injuries. 

The Monday Effect 

With all these stats considered, let’s not forget that Mondays have long been recorded as the most dangerous day of the week when statistically, many workplace accidents occur. According to workplace accident data from the US Bureau of Labor from 2007-2013, on a weekly basis, Monday was statistically the most dangerous day of the week for workplace accidents. 

Why are workplace accidents more likely to occur on Mondays? 

Lower energy levels: Excluding holidays, Mondays are the first day back at work after the weekend for most people.  Workers often have lower energy levels after returning to work from weekend activities and are therefore more likely to make mistakes. 

Busy time of the week: For many businesses, Mondays are the busiest day of the week (particularly in the early hours), which can contribute to workers having to move more quickly or juggle a higher stress load than on other days of the week. 

Home or personal issues: If workers are experiencing personal issues, including marital or family problems, longer hours at home are more likely to highlight these issues.  Therefore, workers are more likely to take these personal stresses to work on Mondays and this can become a distraction if their mind is elsewhere as opposed to focusing on the job.   

Mondays suck: I think most of us can agree that Mondays are not our favorite day of the week.  For this reason, workers may feel less motivated, have a harder time focusing on tasks or slack off on details, which can contribute to accidents.   

How can I lower the likelihood of worker injuries? 

Review training: Ensure workers receive proper training for the job. Have them review this training regularly.   

Hold Safety Meetings on Mondays: Starting out each week with a safety meeting can function as a great reminder for workers and a good tool to combat the occurrence of workplace injuries.  

Create a positive association with Mondays: Start off Mondays slow. Offer a team meal or start the day more slowly with a weekly general meeting. This can help to create a more positive association for the first day back at work each week.   

Review policies and procedures: Have workers review important policies and procedures around specific tasks regularly. 

Communication: Openly share safety information and statistics with workers.  Let them know which days and times of the year are known to be the highest for injuries so that they are aware of the risks that contribute to such accidents.  This can be done in safety meetings, with workplace posters or with the use of bulletins.   

Hot weather risks: Ensure workers are aware of the risks of working in hot weather.  As the warmer weather approaches, make sure that your organization is prepared.  Review hot weather safety information regularly with workers over the summer months.