Pinnacol Finds Jan. 9 Most Dangerous Day for State's Workers

Tuesday, January 7, 2020 | 0

Pinnacol Assurance said an analysis of its claims data found that for the past five years, Jan. 9 has consistently been the most dangerous day for Colorado workers to slip, trip and fall on ice or snow.

Pinnacol tracks trends in worker injuries, and the data showed a 62% spike in injuries on Jan. 9, with an average of 198 Colorado workers hurt on this day. According to Ellen Sarvay, Pinnacol safety consultant and Colorado ski expert, the finding could be directly related to the rapidly changing weather conditions common to the state.

Pinnacol analyzed additional major industries in Colorado and found the most dangerous days in certain industries were:

• Construction and natural Resources: July 28.
• Education: Feb. 4.
• Service and hospitality: July 13.

Injuries from slips, trips and falls are usually relatively minor, causing bumps, bruises and cuts. The most common injuries Pinnacol recorded on Jan. 9 were:

• Slip, trip or fall.
• Strains.
• Struck (usually by an object).
• Strikes (usually a worker makes contact with an object, such as hitting his head).
• Cuts.

The industries contributing most to injuries on Jan. 9 were professional/clerical and health care.

Some suggestions Pinnacol has provided to keep workers safe include:

• Awareness and training.
• Keeping walkways and surfaces well-lit.
• Frequent checks of lobby areas for snow that has been tracked in.
• Quality indoor non-slip mats.
• “Walking like a penguin” while on slippery surfaces.