Warehousing and distribution injuries in Kansas: costs and trends from the state workers’ compensation database 2014–2023

• OSHA’s latest NEP targets the warehousing industry due to high injury incidence. • A state database of Kansas workers’ compensation claims was analyzed. • The primary drivers of warehousing claims in Kansas were overexertion and WMSDs. • Shoulder injuries were most expensive, as were assault injuries. • The postal service subsector merits further attention in the literature. The warehousing industry has been growing quickly since the rise of e-commerce and the Covid-19 pandemic. This industry has a higher rate of injuries than general industry, so much so that OSHA declared that its latest National Emphasis Program (NEP) in 2023 was to target select sectors of the warehousing industry. At the same time four states initiated their own warehousing safety regulations. To elucidate costs, trends, and general information on the state of warehousing safety in Kansas, the state workers’ compensation database was examined from 2014 to 2023, which includes all claims with 7 or more lost workdays. Total direct costs over the period were $119,860,069. Medical costs comprised 60.8 % of all costs, legal 5.6 % and indemnity 44.1 %. The hand/wrist (15.3 %) and shoulder (15.2 %) were the most commonly cited body parts, with shoulder being the most expensive by almost 40 % per claim. The largest cause was overexertion, precipitating 46.1 % of claims, and 41.1 % of claims involved a WMSD, almost 90 % of which were sprains and strains, and higher than in general industry. The study highlights the need for improved ergonomics, and for hazard mitigation for local messengers/deliverers whose median claim cost exceed that of all warehousing divisions. The study presented up-to-date information on only the specific industries highlighted in the NEP. Overall, the information presented can guide priorities and target interventions in this sector, making most effective use of safety resources and improving the workplace for employers and employees.