Maine Has the Highest Rate of Workplace Injuries…Sort of

I injured myself at work once due to ice not being sanded or taken care of on the steps of the building, and because I didn't report it, I had to cover my own medical bills. I was young and dumb.

You wouldn't think that Maine has the highest rate of workplace injuries in the whole of the United States, but sadly, it seemed to be true, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and WMTW. The data collected was reported for 2021, and involves non-fatal injuries.

The report says that our state not only has the highest injury rate, but it has increased from the prior year.

So why is Maine the highest reported injury rate at the workplace?

I have no idea, but according to the article, it could be because we're doing a very good job at reporting our injuries.

This means that just because we are the highest reported may not mean we actually are.

Out of 50 states, three states decided to not even share their incident data, and other states could just be really bad at paperwork and reporting incidents or doing anything at all about it.

So that's good? We are so accurate with reporting our data, but it doesn't mean we are the worst with our injuries. It just means we're wicked good at reporting them.

I'd take that as a win. Moxie for all.

Remember, in Maine, if you suffer an injury at your place of work, it is requested that you tell your employer or anyone who is above you about the injury. You must tell them within 60 days of the injury, according to Maine.gov. 

There normally is a form you'd fill out to discuss the details of your injury. Furthermore, if your workplace has a medical provider, you'd have to go see them.

Then, your employer, boss, or manager has to report your injury to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA.

Stay safe.