AmTrust’s Retail Risk Report examined 3 years of retail workers’ compensation claims in an effort to help agents and small business owners better understand the risks involved in this industry. Our data explores top hazard classes, common injuries, average loss time and more. Our report also includes loss control tips to help reduce worker injuries.

AmTrust Financial Retail Risk Report 2019 AmTrust Financial Retail Risk Report 2019
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Retail Risk

Top 4 Hazardous Classes

1

MEAT, FISH OR POULTRY

Meat market workers or those in the butcher department at the grocery store work with sharp knives and power saws, which can easily lead to lacerations and cuts. However, AmTrust claims data shows that the most common types of injuries occur to the facial bones, elbows, ankles and knees. Upper extremity injuries can be caused by lifting heavy boxes or high-force or repetitive motions.

2

HARDWARE

Hardware store employees climb ladders, cut lumber and load heavy supplies onto pallets or into cars for customers. It’s not a big surprise that AmTrust claims data reveals that the most common types of injuries involve the trunk (upper back), upper extremities (shoulder/upper arm) and lower extremities (ankle).

3

AUTOMOBILE PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NOC & DRIVERS

AmTrust claims data shows the major types of injuries for this retail class involve soft tissue, multiple upper extremities, elbows and shoulders. Knee injuries are also commonly reported.

4

BARBERSHOP, BEAUTY PARLOR OR HAIR STYLING SALON

Common injuries for barbers and hairstylists involve the shoulders and thumbs. The repetitive nature of this occupation, using scissors, shavers and razors for many hours a day can easily lead to injury in the upper extremities. Trips, slips and falls are also a major cause of injury for these workers, who often walk on wet, slippery floors with a great deal of tripping hazards from styling utensil cords.

AmTrust Financial's review of
Retail
class codes reveals average
claim costs
and lost time
vary widely depending on
injury type
and other factors.

Recent Trends In Retail Claims

AmTrust Financial’s review of retail class codes reveals average claims costs and lost time vary widely depending on injury type and other factors. The most common occupational risks retail workers face are from strains and falls.

  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, repetitive motion , and using tools and machinery can all contribute to strain injuries. Many of these repetitive tasks happen in a warehouse or stock room, while placing inventory in the store or servicing customers.
  • Common falls include from the ground level, on ice or snow, on stairs, or on wet surfaces.
  • Motor vehicle accidents were also a top-ten injury group, resulting in one of the highest average payouts.

AmTrust Claims Data Shows:

  • When an injury involves lost time, on average a worker is out for 24 days.
  • Strains are the most common injury payout group, but the average payout per injury is higher for slips and falls.
  • Older, experienced workers were injured less frequently, but when they were, the injuries were likely to be more severe with a higher payout.
  • Men are more likely to file injury claims and their claims result in higher payouts, likely due to a higher percentage of men performing riskier tasks.

Our Retail Risk Report Takes a Deeper Dive Into:

  • Common retail workers’ injuries and lost time in the workplace
  • Industry loss ratio trends
  • Body parts most commonly injured in retail
  • How to implement loss control best practices to help reduce risk in retail

Top Injury Types

Lifting was the top reported injury type, accounting for 22% of reported claims and 23% of total payout for the top-10 injury types. This injury-type also had the highest total payout at $22 million.

Top-Three injury types with the highest average payout:

Fall from ladder or
scaffolding:

$21,000
Payout

Repetitive
Motion:

$14,000
Payout

Motor Vehicle
collision

$13,900
Payout

Strains cause
26%
OF REPORTED CLAIMS
and
32%
OF REPORTED PAYOUTS
Rack of tires
Sea of shopping carts
Age is correlated with payouts; the
higher the age, the higher the
average payout.
AGES
41 TO 60
HAD THE HIGHEST TOTAL
PAYOUT AND HIGHEST
AVERAGE DAYS OUT
The average retail injury with lost
time resulted in
24 days
OUT OF WORK
Table top with a variety of tools scattered acroos it

Gender Breakdown: Men vs. Women

WHO REPORTS MORE INJURIES?

Retail workers lost an average of 24 days of work due to injuries. The data shows that men reported injuries more frequently than women. This data is consistent with other studies that show men are more likely to get injured at work, including data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total amount of losses paid, as well as the average loss paid, is greater for men that for women.

ARE MEN MORE LIKELY TO BE INJURED AT WORK THAT WOMEN?

AmTrust claims data showed that men reported more injuries, and their injuries resulted in more loss time and higher average payouts. Researchers point to different hazards presented in traditional gender-dominated roles and industries.

MEN VS. WOMEN: AVERAGE LOSS PAID

MEN VS. WOMEN: TOTAL LOSS PAID

MEN VS. WOMEN: TOTAL REPORTED

AVERAGE LOST TIME FOR MEN:

24 DAYS

AVERAGE LOST TIME FOR WOMEN:

22 DAYS

Retail Stores - Part of Body Reported

Multiple Parts
3,335
Total
Reported
$53,067,290
Total
Paid
Head Soft Tissue
741
Total
Reported
$4,018,774
Total
Paid
Shoulder(s)
1,058
Total
Reported
$17,455,084
Total
Paid
Finger(s)
2,979
Total
Reported
$10,729,883
Total
Paid
Hand
1,376
Total
Reported
$5,699,432
Total
Paid
Thumb
911
Total
Reported
$2,653,866
Total
Paid
Lower Back Area
2,232
Total
Reported
$25,589,685
Total
Paid
Other
1,058
Total
Reported
$7,491,702
Total
Paid
Knee
1,069
Total
Reported
$11,421,781
Total
Paid
Foot
945
Total
Reported
$6,528,409
Total
Paid

Injury Data By Age Group

Older Workers Have Fewer Injuries But Take Longer to Recover and Incur Higher Average Payouts

THE OVER-70 AGE GROUP ACCOUNTS FOR LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF CLAIMS BUT HAD THE HIGHEST AVERAGE PAYOUT AT
$14,408
Modern smart phone sitting next to a classic rotary phone

NCCI data shows that older workers have some of the lowest incidents of injury. Because of their experience, older workers have more training and safety knowledge and take fewer risks.

"When injuries do occur, older workers are more likely to have comorbidities and often take longer to recover," said Matt Zender, Senior Vice President of Workers’ Compensation Strategy at AmTrust Financial.

NUMBER OF CLAIMS BY AGE GROUP and Premium Size

TOTAL LOSSES PAID BY AGE GROUP

INTERESTING TRENDS

  • The 18 to 30 age group has the highest reported count, but the over-70 group is about four times more costly per claim.
  • Although the 18 to 30 age group accounted for the highest reported percentage of injuries (31.7% of the total), they had a lower payout overall than most age groups (accounting for only 15.7% of payouts) and a shorter lost time than older age groups.
  • The over-70 age group accounted for less than one percent of claims but had the highest average payout at $14,408. The data shows a correlation between higher age and higher payout, with the lowest average payout for the under-18 age group ($1,995 on average).

Data Shows Retirement Age Is Rising

"Companies are recognizing the benefit that older, more experienced employees bring. Their knowledge of the industry and job duties can provide a meaningful, positive impact for the employer.

There are advantages for the employee too. In addition to economic benefits, there are proven health benefits to working past retirement age for the individual.

Those who are continuing to work and continuing to keep an active mind are seeing lower instances of degenerative diseases, whether it’s mental or physical."

- Matt Zender, Senior Vice President of Workers’ Compensation Strategy, AmTrust Financial

INDUSTRY TERMS:

Throughout this report, we've shortened terms to make them clearer and easier to understand. Below is a list of the terms we shortened and the corresponding industry verbiage.

  • Strains refers to strain or injury by
  • Falls refers to slips and falls
  • Struck by refers to struck or injured by
  • Collapsing materials refers to caught in or between collapsing materials
  • Retail used throughout this report refers to Store 4-wall class codes, including retail class codes