7
strain with a direct cost in the 75th percentile, a company
would need to have additional sales of $2,269,867—which
is calculated by dividing the total cost of the hand and fin-
ger fracture by the profit margin ($265,574 ÷ 0.117). Any
one of these common injuries could cost a company at least
over $82,000 and require over $700,000 in additional sales
to recoup those injury costs.
How Can a Company Spend Savings from Preventing
Injury?
To put these costs into perspective, or into different terms
besides dollars, one could think of ways a company could
spend money if an injury is prevented. Table 8 displays the
common mining injuries and uses the total costs shown in
Table 7 to give examples of what a company could spend
money on if an injury was prevented. If an eye injury was
prevented, instead of paying the costs associated with that
injury, a company could pay one employee for a year, enroll
480 employees in a hearing loss prevention program for
one year, purchase 822 pairs of safety boots, or purchase
2,400 hard hats.
DISCUSSION
Listing the most common injuries and the worker activities
performed during injuries by commodity can help mines
identify which possible hazardous activities and injuries are
occurring in similar mining commodities. A stone mine
might not have had a shoulder injury in the past, but it
is helpful to be aware that shoulder injuries are the fifth
most common injury in that industry. If they are occurring
at other stone mines, it is likely they could also occur at
any stone mine. Compared to the injuries reported in the
Table 7. Most common lost-time mining injuries from 2022, their estimated total costs, the total cost as a percentage of
$14.98 million in annual sales, and the additional sales needed to pay for the injury cost with a 11.7% profit margin
Common Injuries Total Cost
Total Cost as Percentage of
Annual Sales
Additional Sales Needed to
Pay for Injury Cost
Hand (excluding fingers) $132,731 0.89% $1,134,453
Finger(s) (excluding thumbs) $82,065 0.55% $701,413
Cumulative lower back strain $137,767 0.92% $1,144,493
Lower back strain $223,467 1.49% $1,909,973
Lower leg $273,630 1.83% $2,338,720
Upper leg $227,551 1.52% $1,944,880
Shoulder strain $265,574 1.77% $2,269,867
Shoulder strain by lifting $269,156 1.80% $2,300,480
Shoulder strain by pushing or pulling $222,200 1.48% $1,899,147
Ankle $118,716 0.79% $1,014,667
Eyes $144,010 0.96% $1,230,853
Table 8. Most common lost-time mining injuries and examples of how savings from preventing these lost-time injuries could
be spent by a company
Common Injuries
Additional
Employees
Company Could
Employ for One
Year
Employees that
Could Enroll in
Hearing Loss
Prevention Program
Pairs of MSHA-
Suitable Safety
Boots
Number of MSHA-
Suitable Hard Hats
Hand (excluding fingers) 1 442 758 2,212
Finger(s) (excluding thumbs) 0 273 468 1,367
Cumulative lower back strain 1 459 787 2,296
Lower back strain 2 744 1,276 3,724
Lower leg 3 912 1,563 4,560
Upper leg 2 758 1,300 3,792
Shoulder strain 2 885 1,517 4,426
Shoulder strain by lifting 2 897 1,538 4,485
Shoulder strain by pushing or pulling 2 740 1,269 3,703
Ankle 1 395 678 1,978
Eyes 1 480 822 2,400
strain with a direct cost in the 75th percentile, a company
would need to have additional sales of $2,269,867—which
is calculated by dividing the total cost of the hand and fin-
ger fracture by the profit margin ($265,574 ÷ 0.117). Any
one of these common injuries could cost a company at least
over $82,000 and require over $700,000 in additional sales
to recoup those injury costs.
How Can a Company Spend Savings from Preventing
Injury?
To put these costs into perspective, or into different terms
besides dollars, one could think of ways a company could
spend money if an injury is prevented. Table 8 displays the
common mining injuries and uses the total costs shown in
Table 7 to give examples of what a company could spend
money on if an injury was prevented. If an eye injury was
prevented, instead of paying the costs associated with that
injury, a company could pay one employee for a year, enroll
480 employees in a hearing loss prevention program for
one year, purchase 822 pairs of safety boots, or purchase
2,400 hard hats.
DISCUSSION
Listing the most common injuries and the worker activities
performed during injuries by commodity can help mines
identify which possible hazardous activities and injuries are
occurring in similar mining commodities. A stone mine
might not have had a shoulder injury in the past, but it
is helpful to be aware that shoulder injuries are the fifth
most common injury in that industry. If they are occurring
at other stone mines, it is likely they could also occur at
any stone mine. Compared to the injuries reported in the
Table 7. Most common lost-time mining injuries from 2022, their estimated total costs, the total cost as a percentage of
$14.98 million in annual sales, and the additional sales needed to pay for the injury cost with a 11.7% profit margin
Common Injuries Total Cost
Total Cost as Percentage of
Annual Sales
Additional Sales Needed to
Pay for Injury Cost
Hand (excluding fingers) $132,731 0.89% $1,134,453
Finger(s) (excluding thumbs) $82,065 0.55% $701,413
Cumulative lower back strain $137,767 0.92% $1,144,493
Lower back strain $223,467 1.49% $1,909,973
Lower leg $273,630 1.83% $2,338,720
Upper leg $227,551 1.52% $1,944,880
Shoulder strain $265,574 1.77% $2,269,867
Shoulder strain by lifting $269,156 1.80% $2,300,480
Shoulder strain by pushing or pulling $222,200 1.48% $1,899,147
Ankle $118,716 0.79% $1,014,667
Eyes $144,010 0.96% $1,230,853
Table 8. Most common lost-time mining injuries and examples of how savings from preventing these lost-time injuries could
be spent by a company
Common Injuries
Additional
Employees
Company Could
Employ for One
Year
Employees that
Could Enroll in
Hearing Loss
Prevention Program
Pairs of MSHA-
Suitable Safety
Boots
Number of MSHA-
Suitable Hard Hats
Hand (excluding fingers) 1 442 758 2,212
Finger(s) (excluding thumbs) 0 273 468 1,367
Cumulative lower back strain 1 459 787 2,296
Lower back strain 2 744 1,276 3,724
Lower leg 3 912 1,563 4,560
Upper leg 2 758 1,300 3,792
Shoulder strain 2 885 1,517 4,426
Shoulder strain by lifting 2 897 1,538 4,485
Shoulder strain by pushing or pulling 2 740 1,269 3,703
Ankle 1 395 678 1,978
Eyes 1 480 822 2,400