Workplace injuries involving women don’t draw the attention or prevention efforts of those involving men, according to a Maryland workers’ compensation expert.

“There is a perception among employers that they don’t need to worry about their female employees because they have ‘easy’ jobs and they can’t get hurt working in an office, for example,” said Adrienne Kaspar, loss control supervisor for IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance, a Towson, Md.-based workers’ compensation insurer, in a statement. “While it’s true that women have fewer fatal and nonfatal injuries than men, women run a much greater risk of developing certain types of injuries, such as musculoskeletal disorder, injuries due to overexertion, and trips and falls.”

Nearly 9,000 women in Maryland suffered on-the-job accidents last year that required time away from work, according to the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Claims data from IWIF, which provides workers’ compensation coverage to about a quarter of Maryland businesses, shows that 35% of private-sector claims and 53% of state claims were filed by female workers in 2008.

“Many injured women suffered serious back, knee and hand injuries,” says Joe Gillian, IWIF’s loss control director, in a statement.

Gillian added that women most often reported injuries at jobs in nursing homes, colleges and schools, clerical offices, and retail shops and restaurants.”

IWIF launched a public outreach effort targeting women’s workplace safety as part of June’s Workplace Safety Month for Women in Maryland.

IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance officials say they chose to focus on women worker safety issues because of the number of injuries at work women suffer in the state.

While there is a great deal of injury prevention information and resources for male-dominated industries like construction, not as many resources exist for women, according to IWIF.

IWIF’s public outreach initiative titled “SHE Works” stands for Safety & Health Every day. It will strive to educate policyholders, agents and brokers, and Maryland business owners and their employees about workplace hazards facing women. Initiatives include public service announcements, a free safety information kit for employers, a safety poster, and several safety tip sheets. Information is free and available at IWIF’s website.