Travelers recently released its 2025 Injury Impact Report—an analysis of workers’ compensation claims—and its findings reveal some curious insights that might be useful for construction companies.
Construction Executive sat down with Claude Howard, VP and Workers Compensation Claim Lead; and Ken Wengert, VP, Risk Control–Construction, Energy & Marine from Travelers to break down this year’s data.
Can you talk about the Travelers 2025 Injury Impact Report and highlight some of its most significant findings concerning the construction industry?
Howard: Travelers is one of the largest workers’ compensation carriers in the United States, which means we have a large amount of claim data that can offer insights into workplace injuries. For the 2025 Injury Impact Report, we analyzed more than 2.6 million workers’ compensation claims that we received in the past decade, comparing the five years leading up to the pandemic (2015-2019) with the next five years (2020-2024). The goal was to identify any trends that could help employers better understand workplace risks so they can take steps to help prevent future injuries.
Wengert: One finding pertaining to the construction industry that stood out was the average number of missed workdays due to workplace injuries. During the last five years, construction workers were out of work an average of 115 days due to workplace injuries. This was an increase of 14 days from the previous five years.
Another compelling insight was that the construction industry continues to see a significant portion of its injuries involving workers who have been in their roles for less than one year. During the past five years, 44% of all injuries involved first-year workers, and these accounted for 47% of all construction workers’ compensation claim costs.
Howard: An additional cohort worth highlighting is that of older construction workers, particularly those workers aged 60 and above. This segment of the employee population, which across industries tends to be injured less frequently than their younger counterparts, represented 10% of construction injuries from 2020-2024, up from 7% during the previous five years. These workers missed an average of 127 days because of jobsite injuries, 12 more days than the construction industry average and almost five more days than in the previous five years.
How have these injury trends changed over the past few years?
Howard: There have been many workplace shifts over the past 10 years, including continued job turnover and an overall aging of the workforce, with older Americans remaining employed longer. These trends contribute to what we are seeing in our claim data and are valuable for employers to understand as they think about workplace safety.
I just mentioned that we’ve seen an uptick in injuries among older workers aged 60 and above, who also tend to have injuries that are more severe when they do occur. There are many reasons why this might be the case, such as the increased presence of comorbidities or lengthier recovery times. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasting that the aging of the workforce will continue throughout the rest of this decade, contractors need to be thinking about what they can do to help better protect their multigenerational workforce.
Wengert: I agree that the longer recovery times the construction workers are experiencing since the pandemic are particularly noteworthy. Consider the impact that these longer recovery times can have on a contractor’s ability to operate, especially when you combine this with ongoing labor shortage challenges. In an occupation where work is physically demanding and there are fewer modified or light-duty options to offer someone during their recovery, it is so important to take the appropriate steps to help prevent injuries from occurring and, when they inevitably do, to have protocols in place outlining how to best respond.
Knowing what is causing injuries can help contractors take action to mitigate them. The 2025 Injury Impact Report identified the most common causes of large losses in construction, with slips, trips and falls taking the top spot. This category includes falls from heights, a well-known construction risk that is one of the top hazards in OSHA’s Fatal Four. What contractors can take away from this is the importance of reducing the amount of work performed at elevation, plus the implementation of appropriate controls when employees are working at elevation. Maintaining good housekeeping, including on walkways and around access points, and performing periodic inspections across the jobsite can help enhance safety, reinforce desired behaviors and identify potential concerns, such as holes, openings in floors or tripping hazards, which all need to be remedied.
Another top common cause of large losses in construction is motor vehicle accidents, which can take place on the jobsite as well as in transit to and from the location. Having a fleet safety program in place can help make workers aware of the risks so that they will then take actions to help reduce vehicle-related hazards.
How is technology being used to enhance safety in the construction industry?
Wengert: There are many ways in which technology is helping to enhance safety and potentially reduce risks on construction sites. Advances in project management software, combined with safety training and field observations, can enable contractors to identify opportunities for improvement and track the efforts of the team as they work toward key milestones. Data from numerous tools, such as wearable devices, webcams, hand tools, equipment or machinery, can provide project management and safety professionals with insights on safety, quality, scheduling or productivity. Ideally, the front-line leaders and senior management can focus on a few key leading indicators that correlate to each of those areas in order to integrate safety planning and execution as part of the overall progression of the project.
Of course, no technology can eliminate all injuries, and with any technology, there are risks. We recommend that contractors identify the specific business challenge they’re trying to address before they make an investment. To help our customers as they’re researching options, we have an online resource, Travelers Innovation Network for Construction, which contains a curated group of technology providers and solutions organized by business challenge.
What support systems should be in place for workers recovering from injuries?
Howard: That’s a great question, because employers play an important role in the recovery process. Travelers recommends having a post-injury management strategy in place so that when someone is injured on the job, they are cared for from that moment on through their return to full duty.
This includes making sure that your injured employee knows that you recognize good mental health and well-being as vital to recovery. We’ve seen firsthand that overlooking psychological and social factors, such as the belief that recovery from the pain is not possible or having minimal social support, can actually lengthen recovery times.
Wengert: Adding to that, a post-injury management strategy can be a critical component of any safety program. Planning ahead helps you respond quickly when an injury occurs. A well-organized response can help the recovering employee feel valued and supported. A post-injury management strategy can also provide your organization with insights into how the injury occurred so that you can take preventive actions to reduce related risks in the future.
Since we’re talking about support systems, I’d also highlight the value of mentors on a jobsite, especially for new employees, as part of your overall safety program. Assigning a mentor can help the mentee learn your organization’s safety best practices and instantly provides them with a trusted co-worker to go to with questions and concerns. The mentor can also demonstrate how to use different pieces of equipment and point out potential jobsite hazards.
SEE ALSO:
