Environmental Health and SafetySustainability in Health and SafetyWorkplace Health

Here are the health, environmental concerns keeping us up at night

Falls, climate change, tsunamis

What Americans fear most in terms of health and wellness is not necessarily what is currently posing the most danger to them, according to a recent survey by SafeWise. In The State of Safety, a report based on the results of the survey, the independent review site found that falls are the biggest health and wellness concern, while an accidental overdose is way down on the list, coming in at number nine for both men and women. Falls kill 72 people a year in the U.S., while opioids claim 130 American lives every day.

Here are what those surveyed identified as their top health and wellness fears:

Men

Falling - 42%
CO poisoning - 33%
Fires or burns - 30%
Choking or suffocating - 29%
Toxins: lead, mold, etc. - 29%
Falling objects - 28%
Poisoning: cleaning supplies - 25%
Drowning - 25%
Overdose: prescription drugs -24%
Poisoning: drugs or alcohol - 24%

Female

Falling - 47%
CO poisoning - 38%
Fires or burns - 35%
Choking or suffocating - 33%
Toxins: lead, mold, etc. - 34%
Falling objects - 32%
Poisoning: cleaning supplies - 26%
Drowning - 24%
Overdose: prescription drugs - 24%
Poisoning: drugs or alcohol - 25%

Climate change a big environmental concern

When it comes to environmental safety, climate change was front and center in the minds of survey respondents. Although it wasn’t included in the study, it was mentioned the most in open-ended questions, with 17% calling it out by name and 8% expressing concern about taking care of the environment.

In the past year, 19% of all respondents experienced an environmental safety issue.

Proximity to danger doesn’t matter when it comes to environmental worries. Many landlocked states were just as concerned about tsunamis as coastal ones.

Here are the top environmental hazards mentioned:

Male