Is manufacturing really safer, or are fewer injuries getting reported? Mind the risk gap

There’s no doubt manufacturers are under a lot of pressure. And it’s building every day. Production and new orders are both rapidly expanding even as manufacturing employment contracts. More work with fewer workers makes everything a lot more stressful. Overexertion is a significant cause of worker injuries in the manufacturing space, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. More than a third of injuries sustained in manufacturing come from workers who push themselves too hard. About 40% of worker injuries occur when workers are struck by objects or become trapped in machinery. Slips and falls account for about 16% to 19% of injuries. And although fatalities have remained at around 350 to 400 per year, there’s a troubling trend when it comes to reporting injuries and near-misses, according to environmental, health and safety leaders. Even as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employer-reported workplace injuries have declined, research from Benchmark Gensuite suggests that injuries are happening at a higher frequency. About 45% of environmental, health and safety leaders reported that injury frequency increased in their organization during 2025, a staggering 150% jump from 2024 when just 18% said injury frequency rose. And injury severity is also on the rise with 39% reporting that injury severity is up. Only 18% of respondents said they saw a decline in injuries in their organization. What’s behind those injuries? Increased demand. EHS leaders reported 44% of the injuries they’d seen in their facilities occurred due to increased demand, up from 25% the…

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