If more than a quarter century of America’s Funniest Home Videos has taught us anything, it’s that people fall (a lot) and other people find those falls hilarious. And if the only injury that results is a bruised ego, they can be. But considering that slips, trips, and falls are the second most common cause of accidental deaths in the U.S. every year (behind only traffic accidents1), those accidents can be no laughing matter.

Indeed, the cost for these injuries on the job is staggering. An estimated 3.8 million disabling work injuries are caused each year by slips, trips, and falls, accounting for 12-15 percent of all workers’ compensation costs … and the average cost of a slip, trip, and fall claim is $22,000.2