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Table 6. Incidence Rates and Numbers of Nonfatal Occupational Illnesses by Industry Division and Category of Illness, United States, 2002

Originally Posted: March 31, 2004

Table 6. Incidence Rates(1) and Numbers of Nonfatal Occupational Illnesses by Industry Division and Category of Illness, United States, 2002
Industry(2) Total cases Skin diseases or disorders Respiratory conditions Poisonings All other illnesses
Incidence rates per 10,000 full-time workers

Private industry(2)

 33.3 5.1 2.5 0.5 25.2

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing(2)

 40.7 18.8 3.9 1.6 16.5

Mining(3)

 17.7 1.5 2.4 0.5 13.4

Construction

 15.8 3.9 1.5 0.9 9.5

Manufacturing

 81.7 8.4 2.7 0.7 69.8

Durable goods

 88.0 9.7 2.9 0.8 74.6

Nondurable goods

 72.4 6.6 2.4 0.6 62.8

Transportation and public utilities(4)

 32.8 3.8 2.2 0.5 26.4

Wholesale and retail trade

 16.0 2.5 1.8 0.5 11.2

Wholesale trade

 15.9 3.3 1.2 0.4 10.9

Retail trade

 16.1 2.3 -- 0.5 11.3

Finance, insurance, and real estate

 18.6 1.8 1.1 0.2 15.5

Services

 27.5 6.0 3.5 0.4 17.5
Numbers of illnesses in thousands

Private industry(2)

 294.5 44.9 22.0 4.7 222.9

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing(2)

 6.2 2.8 0.6 0.2 2.5

Mining(3)

 1.0 0.1 0.1 (5) 0.8

Construction

 9.3 2.3 0.9 0.5 5.6

Manufacturing

 131.0 13.5 4.4 1.1 112.1

Durable goods

 84.2 9.2 2.8 0.8 71.4

Nondurable goods

 46.9 4.3 1.6 0.4 40.7

Transportation and public utilities(4)

 20.4 2.3 1.4 0.3 16.4

Wholesale and retail trade

 37.4 6.0 4.2 1.1 26.1

Wholesale trade

 9.9 2.1 0.8 0.3 6.8

Retail trade

 27.5 3.9 -- 0.9 19.4

Finance, insurance, and real estate

 12.8 1.3 0.7 0.1 10.6

Services

 76.4 16.6 9.8 1.2 48.8

Footnotes:
(1) Incidence rates represent the number of illnesses per 10,000 full-time workers and were calculated as follows: (N/EH) x 20,000,000, where N = number of illnesses, EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year, 20,000,000 = base for 10,000 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
(2) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
(3) Data for Mining (Division B in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual: 1987) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal industries. These data do not reflect the changes OSHA made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable with estimates for other industries.
(4) Data for employers in railroad transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. These data do not reflect the changes OSHA made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable with estimates for other industries.
(5) Fewer than 50 cases.

NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dashes indicate data not available.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

 

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