Delaware employees of all types have the right to a reasonable expectation of safety when they go to work, even if they are employed in high-risk occupations. Thankfully, the number of workplace injuries has been decreasing across the country, even though there have been many changes in the average workplace. Despite these changes, work-related accidents and injuries have not increased as expected.
In just over a decade, the number of workers over the age of 55 has doubled, and there have been more workplace injuries reported for this demographic. However, the lower number of workers’ compensation incidents for other age groups has made up for this increase. Overall, statistics indicate the number of accidents reported in 2017 was 30% lower than the rate reported in 2006.
One factor for the lowering number of workplace accidents relate to stricter safety standards in many different industries. Because of better safety measures, all workers seem to be safer, even the older demographics. Another reason for the lower accident rate may be because there are more women in the workforce than at any other time in history. As a whole, women are more careful and less accident-prone than men.
It is possible that the rate of accidents and workplace injuries may increase at some point in the future. With low unemployment rates and more people working, it may make it more likely that incidents will occur. In the event that an accident does happen at work or as a result of job requirements, a Delaware employee has the right to seek support through a workers’ compensation claim.