Every year, thousands of employees in colleges and universities suffer preventable injuries that disrupt their lives and impact campus operations. In 2023, the education sector reported 12.7 nonfatal injuries per 100 full-time workers, placing it among the top three industries for occupational injury incidence (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). From slips on icy walkways to serious machinery mishaps in maintenance, the risks are real—and costly.
The most common incidents? Slips, trips, and falls, contact with equipment, overexertion injuries, chemical exposures, and needlestick accidents. Each type of injury has unique root causes, but they share a common thread: most can be prevented with the right combination of training, protocols, and proactive monitoring.
Modern safety technology, especially AI-powered video intelligence, now offers colleges a powerful tool to identify hazards in real time, enforce safety compliance, and dramatically reduce incident rates. In this guide, we’ll break down the top 5 injuries that can occur in colleges and universities and—most importantly—how to prevent them, with a sharp focus on the role of video intelligence in keeping campuses safe.
The Cost of Safety Negligence in Colleges and Universities
Workplace injuries don’t just hurt people—they also hurt the bottom line. OSHA penalties for safety violations in colleges and universities can be substantial, with fines ranging from a few thousand dollars to well over $75,000 for serious incidents. The good news? With the right safety systems—including AI video intelligence—these penalties, and the suffering behind them, can be avoided.
The Top 5 Preventable Injuries in Colleges and Universities
1. Slips, Trips, and Falls
Scenario: A custodian hurries across a freshly-mopped hallway. A student enters, ignores the “Wet Floor” sign, and slips—resulting in a fractured ankle.
Root Causes & Impact: Slips, trips, and falls make up 28% of reported incidents. Wet floors, cluttered walkways, poor lighting, and missed hazard signage are frequent culprits. The cost per incident? $33,348–$60,934. These injuries often lead to fractures, lost workdays, and even hospitalizations.
How video intelligence helps: AI-powered cameras can spot spills, clutter, and missed safety signage in real time, alerting staff before someone gets hurt. Reviewing video after an incident also reveals root causes—enabling targeted prevention.
2. Contact with Objects and Equipment
Scenario: A maintenance worker operates a table saw with the safety guard removed for a quick cut. The worker’s finger is amputated.
Root Causes & Impact: Contact with objects/equipment accounts for 25% of serious injuries. Common causes include missing machine guards and improper lockout/tagout procedures. Amputations, fractures, and lacerations are typical outcomes.
How video intelligence helps: Video platforms can flag when machine guards are missing or when unauthorized access to equipment zones occurs. Reviewing footage ensures procedures are followed, supporting both compliance and training.
3. Overexertion and Bodily Reaction (Lifting/Strain Injuries)
Scenario: A facilities worker lifts a heavy box without help, resulting in a serious back strain.
Root Causes & Impact: Overexertion injuries make up 10% of cases. Improper lifting, repetitive motion, and lack of ergonomic equipment are leading factors. The impact? Lost productivity, high medical costs, and in severe cases, long-term disability.
How video intelligence helps: AI systems can detect unsafe lifting techniques or repeated risky behaviors in real time. Safety teams use these insights to coach staff and reinforce safe practices.
4. Exposure to Harmful Substances (Chemical/Lab Safety)
Scenario: A research assistant skips gloves “just for a second” and suffers a chemical burn.
Root Causes & Impact: Chemical exposures represent 18% of lab-related injuries. Inadequate PPE, poor chemical labeling, and inconsistent lab safety protocols are common. These incidents often result in burns, inhalation injuries, or long-term health effects. Average treatment cost: $37,498 per case.
How video intelligence helps: Video analytics can monitor for PPE compliance and spot dangerous behaviors, triggering quick alerts and supporting targeted retraining.
5. Needlestick and Sharps Injuries
Scenario: A nursing student recaps a used needle by hand and is punctured, risking exposure to blood-borne pathogens.
Root Causes & Impact: While a smaller proportion of total injuries, needlestick incidents are high-risk. 0.3 incidents per medical student annually are reported. Inexperience, rushed procedures, and poor reporting culture drive these numbers.
How video intelligence helps: AI systems can monitor clinical skills labs for unsafe sharps handling and verify compliance with safety-engineered disposal protocols. Video review supports targeted retraining where risky practices are identified.
Challenges and Impact of the Injuries
Injury Type | Challenges | Impact | Role of data & technology |
|---|---|---|---|
Slips, Trips, and Falls | Inconsistent hazard signage, delayed spill response, weather risks | Fractures, lost time, high costs | AI detects spills/clutter, triggers immediate alerts, supports root cause analysis |
Contact with Objects/Equipment | Missing guards, rushed repairs, lockout/tagout failures | Amputations, lacerations, OSHA fines | Video verifies procedural compliance, flags unsafe access |
Overexertion/Bodily Reaction | Poor lifting technique, lack of ergonomic aids, time pressure | Strains, hernias, long-term disability | AI spots unsafe movements, informs ergonomic interventions |
Exposure to Harmful Substances | Inconsistent PPE use, inadequate training, poor labeling | Burns, poisoning, chronic illness | Video monitors PPE compliance, identifies unsafe lab behaviors |
Needlestick/Sharps Injuries | Inexperience, rushed procedures, lack of reporting | Infection risk, liability, psychological impact | Video supports skills assessment, retraining, and compliance review |
How Technology Strengthens Injury Prevention
1. Slips, Trips, and Falls
Safety challenge: Spills and wet floors are often missed in busy corridors, especially during peak traffic or inclement weather.
Tech Solution: AI-powered cameras can spot spills with 89% accuracy, triggering alerts within seconds so staff can act fast. Video review highlights high-risk zones—helping safety teams deploy resources where they’re needed most.
2. Contact with Objects and Equipment
Safety challenge: Machine guards are sometimes removed and lockout/tagout procedures skipped under pressure.
Tech Solution: Video intelligence platforms can automatically detect when guards are missing or when workers enter restricted zones. Real-time alerts prompt supervisors to intervene before an accident occurs.
3. Overexertion and Bodily Reaction
Safety challenge: Staff skip proper lifting techniques or rush tasks, increasing strain and injury risk.
Tech Solution: AI analyzes movement patterns, flagging unsafe lifting or repetitive motion. Safety managers use this data to provide targeted coaching and justify ergonomic equipment.
4. Exposure to Harmful Substances
Safety challenge: Lab staff and students sometimes skip PPE or mishandle chemicals.
Tech Solution: AI video platforms monitor for PPE compliance and unsafe behaviors. Real-time alerts catch non-use, while video logs help teams review incidents and reinforce safety culture.
5. Needlestick and Sharps Injuries
Safety challenge: Clinical learners may take shortcuts with sharps disposal; reporting is often inconsistent.
Tech Solution: Video intelligence enables review of clinical simulation labs to identify unsafe sharps handling and verify proper container use. This supports targeted retraining and boosts compliance.
Practical Implementation of Safety Technology
Integrate with existing cameras: Spot AI’s hardware connects on-prem cameras to the cloud for enhanced analytics.
Unlimited user seats: Safety, IT, and operations teams can all access insights through a unified dashboard.
Open APIs: Ensure the platform integrates with existing safety management systems.
Focus on your risks: Choose solutions that address your campus’s specific hazards.
Start with the basics: Monitor for slips, PPE compliance, and unsafe equipment use, then expand as needs evolve.
Most importantly, technology should support—not replace—your existing safety programs and culture. The best solutions make it easier to spot risks, document compliance, and keep everyone accountable.
Ready to Transform Campus Safety? Let’s Partner for Prevention
Preventable injuries don’t have to be a fact of life on college campuses. With the right approach—and the right technology—institutions can reduce harm, avoid costly penalties, and foster a true culture of safety. If you want to see how AI-powered video intelligence can strengthen your safety program, book a safety consultation with our team. Let’s work together to protect your people and your reputation. Book a safety consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common causes of workplace injuries in colleges and universities?
The most frequent causes are slips, trips, and falls; contact with equipment; overexertion injuries (like lifting strains); chemical exposures; and needlestick or sharps injuries. Each risk is driven by specific campus activities, such as maintenance, labs, and clinical training.
How can colleges and universities prevent slips, trips, and falls?
Best practices include prompt spill cleanup, clear hazard signage, well-maintained walkways, and regular safety training. AI-powered cameras add another layer by detecting hazards in real time and alerting staff for immediate action.
What role does video intelligence play in improving campus safety?
Video intelligence helps institutions detect hazards, monitor compliance, and investigate incidents faster. It also provides valuable data for targeted training and continuous improvement—without adding extra workload to frontline teams.
Can safety technology integrate with our existing cameras and systems?
Yes. Solutions like Spot AI are designed to bridge existing on-prem cameras to a cloud-native dashboard, leveraging your current infrastructure. Open APIs and unlimited user seats enable easy integration with safety management systems and other campus tools.
About the author
Joshua Foster
IT Systems Engineer, Spot AI
Joshua Foster is an IT Systems Engineer at Spot AI, where he focuses on designing and securing scalable enterprise networks, managing cloud-integrated infrastructure, and automating system workflows to enhance operational efficiency. He is passionate about cross-functional collaboration and takes pride in delivering robust technical solutions that empower both the Spot AI team and its customers.
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