Peak Ergonomics: By the Numbers*
Body Part Sprain or Strain | Avg. Medical | Avg. PPD | Avg. TTD | Total Direct | Indirect 1.2 X | Total Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ankle/Foot | $24,838 | $10,416 | $5,375 | $40,629 | $48,754 | $89,383 |
Elbow/Forearm | $24,377 | $16,820 | $5,069 | $46,267 | $55,520 | $101,787 |
Hip/Thigh | $30,030 | $13,697 | $4,031 | $47,757 | $57,309 | $105,066 |
Knee/Leg | $23,461 | $11,494 | $4,596 | $39,551 | $47,461 | $87,012 |
Low Back/Lumbar | $37,635 | $18,654 | $5,005 | $61,294 | $73,553 | $134,847 |
Mid Back/Thoracic | $10,157 | $13,499 | $3,484 | $27,140 | $32,568 | $59,708 |
Neck/Cervical | $31,992 | $22,980 | $7,254 | $62,226 | $74,671 | $136,897 |
Shoulder/Arm | $22,385 | $16,552 | $4,093 | $43,030 | $51,636 | $94,665 |
Wrist/Hand | $15,338 | $13,068 | $2,984 | $31,389 | $37,667 | $69,056 |
Carpal Tunnel | $16,236 | $1,898 | $20,883 | $39,016 | $46,819 | $85,836 |
Aging Workforce Numbers
- 25% of the workforce is 55 years and older
- 17% of the workforce is 65 years and older
- The aging workforce will continue to climb until 2030

2017 Missouri Data
Obesity Rate = 32.5%
Overweight Rate = 35.4%
Obesity Epidemic Data
Obese Workers VS Non-Obese Workers
- Twice the number of workers’ compensation claims
- Seven times higher medical costs
- Lost 13 times more days of work
Obesity increases workers’ compensation costs¹
DURHAM, N.C. — Gaining too much weight can be as bad for an employer’s bottom line as it is for a person’s waistline.
A Duke University Medical Center analysis found that obese workers filed twice the number of workers’ compensation claims, had seven times higher medical costs from those claims and lost 13 times more days of work from work injury or work illness than did nonobese workers.
¹Public release date: 23-Apr-2007
Contact: Richard Merritt
[email protected]
919-684-4148
Duke University Medical Center