New Workers’ Comp Data Reveals Pennsylvania’s Most Injury-Prone Industries

The Industries, Counties, and Causes Behind Thousands of Workplace Injuries

The 2024 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation and Workplace Safety Annual Report offers a detailed and at times sobering look at where workers in the Commonwealth are most at risk. From manufacturing plants to construction sites to mining operations, the data shows not only which jobs cause the most injuries, but also where in the state they are most likely to occur, and what types of injuries are taking people off the job.

If you’ve ever wondered which industries are truly the most dangerous, or why certain counties rack up far more claims than others, the numbers tell the story, and they paint a clear picture of the hazards that Pennsylvania workers face every day.

The Injury Landscape in Pennsylvania

In 2024, Pennsylvania recorded tens of thousands of work-related injuries across every sector of its economy. While injuries can happen anywhere, some patterns emerge:

• Certain types of injuries occur across nearly every industry.
• Some counties bear a disproportionate share of the total injury burden.
• A small group of industries accounts for the bulk of the severe injuries, including amputations and serious burns.

The state’s workers’ compensation data allows us to break down these trends, making it easier to see where prevention efforts could make the biggest difference.

Most Common Injury Types

Across all industries, sprains and strains remain the most frequently reported injuries, and they’re not just a nuisance. They account for a significant portion of lost workdays and can lead to chronic problems if not treated properly.

Upper Extremities Take the Biggest Hit

• Upper extremity injuries, meaning those covering shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, and fingers, made up 37.7% of all workplace injuries in 2024.
• In raw numbers, that’s 62,653 cases.
• Finger injuries alone accounted for 12.1% of all injuries. This is a striking figure when you consider the range of jobs from assembly line work to food service, where finger hazards are more commonplace.

Other Frequently Injured Areas

• Lower extremities, especially the knees, made up a large share of injuries. These are often linked to slips, trips, and falls, or strain from repetitive bending and lifting.
• Trunk injuries, particularly to the back, remain a persistent problem in jobs that require heavy lifting, awkward postures, or repetitive motion.

The Most Severe Workplace Injuries

While sprains, strains, and bruises make up the majority of claims, this report also shows a smaller number of far more serious incidents:

• 339 amputations statewide in 2024.
• 3,030 burns, which often occur in manufacturing, construction, and food processing settings.
• 5,839 fractures, many from falls or being struck by equipment or materials.

These numbers matter because severe injuries have a disproportionate impact on both the worker and the employer, leading to longer recovery times, higher medical costs, and in some cases, permanent disability.

Top Causes of Workplace Injuries

The data reveals that the most dangerous cause of injury in Pennsylvania isn’t dramatic accidents – it’s overexertion.

• 40,666 injuries (24.5% of all cases) were caused by lifting, pushing, or pulling beyond a safe limit.
• Overexertion injuries often affect the back, shoulders, and knees, and they can occur in jobs as varied as warehouse work, nursing, and construction.

Other Leading Causes of Workplace Injuries

• Struck-by-object injuries accounted for 22.2% of cases. These happen when tools, materials, or equipment fall or swing out unexpectedly.
• Striking against objects accounted for 11.4% of all injuries. These can include anything from bumping into sharp edges to hitting into machinery during a task.

While less common, burns, fractures, and amputations usually result from higher-risk environments, including industrial machinery, electrical work, and hazardous chemical handling.

The Industries with the Highest Risk

Looking at both total injury numbers and the rate of severe injuries reveals a clear pattern: manufacturing, construction, and mining are the sectors where workers face the greatest danger.

Manufacturing

• 21,453 total injuries in 2024, more than any other single industry.
• The most common cause was overexertion, but finger and hand injuries were also high, reflecting the constant use of tools and machinery.
• Montgomery County reported the most manufacturing injuries, likely reflecting the county’s dense cluster of industrial and food production facilities.

Within manufacturing, food manufacturing stands out with an injury rate of 57.1 per 1,000 workers, one of the highest in the state. These workplaces often combine repetitive motion, sharp tools, and hot surfaces, creating multiple injury risks.

Construction

• 7,973 injuries statewide in 2024.
• Allegheny County led in construction-related injuries, likely tied to the region’s ongoing commercial development and infrastructure projects.
• Construction saw higher-than-average rates of fractures and burns, often linked to falls, electrical hazards, and welding operations.

Mining

• While mining reported only 626 total injuries, the rate of severe injuries, especially amputations and burns, was higher than in most other industries.
• Washington County led in mining-related injury reports, consistent with its active coal and gas extraction sites.

Where Injuries Are Concentrated: Pennsylvania’s Hotspot Counties

The report shows that over 40% of all workplace injuries in 2024 came from just 10 counties:

1. Philadelphia: 14,041 cases (8.5% of all injuries)
2. Allegheny: 11,320 cases (6.8%)
3. Dauphin: 8,341 cases (5.0%)
4. Montgomery: 7,122 cases (4.3%)
5. Lancaster: 4,973 cases (3.0%)
6. York: 4,181 cases (2.5%)
7. Berks: 4,071 cases (2.5%)
8. Lehigh: 3,939 cases (2.4%)
9. Delaware: 3,781 cases (2.3%)
10. Chester: 3,515 cases (2.1%)

These counties combine population density with concentrations of industrial, construction, and service-sector jobs. For example:

• Philadelphia’s numbers are fueled by construction, health care, and transportation-related injuries.
• Allegheny County has a mix of industrial operations, construction projects, and health care facilities.
• Dauphin County’s high ranking may be linked to distribution centers and state government facilities with large maintenance and custodial staffs.

Patterns Worth Noticing

Several patterns stand out in the data:

1. Manual labor dominates injury reports, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, and repetitive motion, are common threads across industries.
2. Industrial and construction-heavy counties almost always rank near the top.
3. Severe injuries cluster in specific industries, like manufacturing, mining, and construction, and account for a disproportionate share of amputations and burns.

Why This Data Matters for Workers

For workers, knowing which industries and tasks carry higher risk can help you take precautions:

• Use mechanical lifting aids when available.
• Wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), especially in manufacturing, construction, and mining.
• Speak up about unsafe conditions. Pennsylvania law protects workers from retaliation when they report hazards.

Why This Data Matters for Employers

For employers, the report is more than just a compliance document; it’s a roadmap for targeted injury prevention:

• If you’re in manufacturing or construction, focus on ergonomics and machine safety to prevent overexertion and hand injuries.
• If you operate in one of the top 10 counties, you may face higher workers’ compensation premiums unless injury rates drop.
• Small improvements in training and safety procedures can lead to large reductions in claims.

Potential for Targeted Safety Initiatives

The numbers suggest several opportunities for targeted safety campaigns:

• Overexertion prevention programs in warehouses, factories, and construction sites.
• Machine guarding and lockout/tagout training in manufacturing to reduce amputations.
• Burn prevention protocols in food manufacturing, welding, and chemical processing.
• Fall prevention measures in construction, especially on high-rise and roofing projects.

The 2024 data makes one thing clear: workplace injuries in Pennsylvania are highly concentrated, both in terms of the industries where they happen and the counties where they occur most often. Preventing these injuries isn’t just about general safety awareness. It’s about using the data to focus resources where they’re needed most:

• In manufacturing plants in Montgomery County.
• On construction sites in Allegheny County.
• In mining operations in Washington County.

By targeting prevention efforts in these high-risk zones, Pennsylvania could significantly reduce its injury count in the years ahead.

If You’ve Been Injured in a Workplace Accident in Pennsylvania, a Lawyer Can Help You

The team at Pond Lehocky has experience helping clients nationwide file workers’ comp cases and appeal denied claims. If you were injured at work due to your employer’s negligence, you may be able to sue for damages. Contact our team today to get started.