Worker Health Status
The responsibility for collecting statistics on occupational injuries
and illnesses is delegated to the BLS, which has reported annually since
1972 on the number and frequency of fatal and nonfatal occupational
injuries and illnesses in private industry. Before the 1992 SOII [BLS
1995], BLS statistics counted injuries and illnesses that included fatalities.
Since 1992, BLS has been able to count fatal injuries more effectively
through the use of a separate census—CFOI. And beginning with
the 1992 SOII [BLS 1995], BLS has collected additional statistics from
private industry regarding worker and case characteristics for seriously
injured or ill workers (i.e., those requiring recuperation away from
work beyond the day of the incident).
Data for Figures 1–9 through 1–26 come from CFOI and SOII.
CFOI provides the most complete count of fatal occupational injuries
available. BLS uses diverse State and Federal data sources to identify,
verify, and profile fatal occupational injuries. The overall fatal occupational
injury count for 2002 (5,524) was 6.4% lower than the count for 2001
(Figure 1–9). The fatal occupational injury rate for 2002 was
4.0 per 100,000 employed workers. The trend in rates reflects a decline
beginning in 1993. Rates varied among States from 1.4 to 14.1 per 100,000
employed workers. Fatal occupational injuries exceeded 10 per 100,000
employed workers in Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana (Figure 1–10).
SOII measures the number of new occupational illness cases that are
recognized, diagnosed, and reported each year. Some conditions (for
example, chronic or latent illnesses caused by exposure to carcinogens)
are difficult to identify as work-related and are not adequately recognized
and reported. These chronic or latent illnesses are believed to be understated
in the survey’s illness measures. The overwhelming majority of
the reported new illnesses are those that are easier to relate directly
to workplace activity (for example, contact dermatitis or carpal tunnel
syndrome).
Private industry reported 5.2 million nonfatal occupational injuries
and illnesses in 2001, resulting in an overall incidence rate of 5.7
cases per 100 full-time workers (Figure 1–11). The number of injuries
and illnesses resulting in time away from work (1.54 million cases in
2001) represents a decrease of 34% since 1992 (Figure 1–12). Nonfatal
occupational injury and illness rates varied by State from 2.3 to 8.7
per 100 full-time workers. Lower rates are reported for States in the
South, southern coastal States, and the Southwest (Figure 1–18).
Durable goods manufacturing accounted for the highest rate of nonfatal
occupational injuries and illnesses reported in 2001 (8.8 per 100 workers),
followed by construction (7.9), and agriculture, forestry, and fishing
(7.3). The Services industry reported approximately 1.3 million cases,
or 25% of all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 2001 (Figure
1–14). Eight industries, each reporting at least 100,000 injuries,
accounted for about 1.4 million injuries or 29% of the 4.9 million total
(Figure 1–15). Injury rates were higher for mid-size establishments
(those employing 50 to 249 workers) than for smaller or larger establishments
(Figure 1–16).
About 333,800 new cases of occupational illness were reported in private
industry in 2001 (Figure 1–21). From 1972 to 1982, the number
of illness cases declined gradually from 210,500 to 105,600. This number
increased and peaked sharply in 1994 at 514,700 cases (Figure 1–22).
Disorders associated with repeated trauma (such as carpal tunnel syndrome
and noise-induced hearing loss) affected 216,400 workers or 4% of the
5.2 million occupational injuries and illnesses and 64.8% of the 333,800
illness cases in 2001. These disorders declined for 7 consecutive years
dating from 1995 (Figure 1–23). Occupational illness rates varied
widely among the States, from 8.8 per 10,000 full-time workers in New
Mexico to 142.6 in Maine. Higher rates were reported in the Midwest.
Lower rates were reported for States in the South and in the southern
coastal and western mountain States (Figure 1–26).
Fatal Injuries
How did the numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries change
during 1992–2002?
