Robot-Related Workers' Compensation Claims in Ohio, 2001-2020

Details

• Journal Article:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Personal Author:
  Suresh, Vaishakhi ; Konda, Srinivas ; Haney, Justin M. ; Camargo, Hugo E. ; Cheng, Marvin ; Weaver, Darlene L. ; Wurzelbacher, Steven J. ; Meyers, Alysha R. ; Naber, Steven J. ; Lampl, Michael P.
• Description:
  Background: Increased robot adoption and advancements in robotics have led to the emergence of robotic arms for collaborative applications that work alongside humans, increasing direct human-robot interaction. This shift highlights the need to address new safety challenges posed by emerging robotic technologies. Currently, there is limited research on robot-related injuries. Methods: Robot-related workers' compensation claims from 2001 to 2020 were identified using a keyword search from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OHBWC) database. Descriptive analyses were conducted on this claims dataset. Results: From 2001 to 2020, 1076 robot-related claims were identified, with 85% medical-only claims (medical care only and/or ≤ 7 days away from work). Most claimants were male (74.2%), and 51.1% were 25-44 years old. More than half of the claims were due to contact with objects and equipment (57.9%), followed by overexertion and bodily reaction (20.6%). Most injuries occurred in the manufacturing sector (75.1%), followed by the service sector (14.7%). The claims resulted in over $8.3 million in costs. Of this figure, 91% was incurred due to lost-time claims ($7.6 million). Almost 30% of claims included diagnoses from multiple diagnosis groups. Most claims involved working with robotic arms for collaborative applications (75.7%) in a shared workspace. Conclusions: Robotics is rapidly evolving to remove workers from hazardous environments and reduce risks from hazardous, repetitive, and manual tasks, but it may introduce new workplace hazards. There is a need to study robot-related injuries, identify high-risk exposures, and develop sector- or application-specific comprehensive safety approaches for safer implementation of robots in the workplace.
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Occupational Injuries Robotics Safety Workers' Compensation
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Injuries; Occupational; Robot; Safety; Workers' Compensation Robotics; Emerging Technology; Workers Compensation; Lost Work Days; Injuries; Epidemiology; Safety Research; Manufacturing; Environmental Hazards;
• Source:
  Am J Ind Med 2026 Mar; :[Epub ahead of print]
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  North Carolina ; West Virginia ; Ohio ; Atlanta Region [OSHA] ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; Chicago Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research ; DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  13 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071219
• Contact Point Address:
  Srinivas Konda, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
• Email:
  skonda@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7707e2fc4688e95adcc4c0c28c7a0d06ed7977fea2d8799efada5188f503699d259b362376a02e679f75e5d462fa8a028145d3380a9c21a30b015a3d8d4a5376
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258698/cdc_258698_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.05 MB ]