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Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Counts, Rates, and Characteristics, 2006

driving on rainy highway The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, the Bureau) reports the number and frequency of work-related fatal injuries and nonfatal injuries and illnesses each year. The Bureau also provides detailed information on the circumstances of the injuries and illnesses and on the characteristics of the affected worker. These data come from two programs: the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).

The CFOI, administered by the Bureau in conjunction with the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and New York City, compiles detailed information on all work-related fatal injuries occurring in the United States. In an effort to compile counts that are as complete as possible, the CFOI uses diverse sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries. Source documents such as death certificates, news accounts, workers’ compensation reports, and Federal and State agency administrative records are cross-referenced to gather key information about each workplace fatality.

The SOII produces data on work-related nonfatal injuries and illnesses. These data identify the industrial, occupational, and worker groups having a relatively high risk of work-related injuries and illnesses. This survey is made possible through the cooperation of participating State agencies and nearly 200,000 business establishments that provide information on workplace injuries and illnesses to the Bureau. State agencies collect and verify most of the data provided. BLS field offices collect and verify data from nonparticipating States.

Two major enhancements are reflected in the data in this report. For the first time, national data on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are produced for government. Also for the first time, fatal injury rates are calculated on the basis of the number of hours worked rather than the number of days worked. The number of hours worked provides a more accurate picture of the risk experienced at work.

This report includes charts and text highlighting fatal injuries and nonfatal injuries and illnesses by industry, type of case, and case and worker characteristics. Supplementary data, such as injury and illness rates, broken down by detailed industry and establishment size, as well as data on factors to calculate relative standard errors for nonfatal injury and illness estimates can be accessed on the Internet at www.bls.gov/iif/. The online version of the Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Profiles System is found at https://data.bls.gov/GQT/servlet/InitialPage.

Supplementary data also are available from the Bureau at the following address:

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Office of Safety and Health Statistics
Room 3180
2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.
Washington, DC 20212
(202) 691-6170
Fax: (202) 691-6196
Email: IIF Staff

Jim Rice, Jill Janocha, Andrew Marsh, and Luis Felipe Martínez, of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics program, prepared this report under the general direction of Katharine Newman. Production of the report was coordinated by Edith S. Baker of the Office of Publications and Special Studies under the management of William Parks II. Bruce Boyd, of the same office, designed and laid out the report. Many other organizations contributed to the success of the survey, including the participating State agencies that collected the data, the BLS regional offices that helped review and process them, and the BLS National Office of Field Operations, whose staff members oversaw survey processes in the State and regional offices. In addition, the BLS National Office of Technology and Survey Processing and the Statistical Methods Group of the BLS Office of Compensation and Working Conditions helped tabulate the data and performed quality control. The Bureau expresses its appreciation to the many employers who responded to the survey and without whose cooperation this report would not have been possible.

Material in this publication is in the public domain and, with appropriate credit, may be used without permission. The information is available to sensoryimpaired individuals upon request.

Voice phone: (202) 691–5200
Federal Relay Service: (800) 877–8339.



Charts

Fatal Occupational Injuries and Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2008 chart book (complete book as PDF, 2 MB)

Total injuries and illnesses

  • Chart 1. Number of fatal work injuries, 1992–2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 2. Rate of fatal work injuries, per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, 2005–08 (PDF)
  • Chart 3. Incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, by type of case, private industry, 2003–08 (PDF)
  • Chart 4. Incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, by type of case and category of ownership, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 5. Number and rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, by category of ownership, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 6. Total recordable nonfatal occupational injury and illness rates, by employment size class, private industry, 2004–08 (PDF)

Industry

  • Chart 7. Number and rate of fatal occupational injuries, by industry sector, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 8. Incidence rate and number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, by private industry sector, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 9. Incidence rate of cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction, by private industry sector, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 10. Number of cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction, by private industry sector, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 11. Incidence rate and number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, by industry, State government, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 12. Incidence rate and number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, by selected industries, local government, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 13. Incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses of employees in public and private hospitals, by type of case, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 14. Highest nonfatal occupational injury and illness rates among NAICS industry subsectors, private industry, 2008 (PDF)

Injuries and illnesses

  • Chart 15. Distribution of nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases, by category of illness, private industry, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 16. Incidence rate and number of nonfatal occupational illnesses, by private industry sector, 2008 (PDF)

Occupations

  • Chart 17. Number and rate of fatal occupational injuries, by major civilian occupation group, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 18. Selected occupations with high fatal injury rates, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 19. Incidence rate and number of injuries and illnesses for occupations with high rates, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 20. Occupations with 18,000 or more injuries and illnesses involving days away from work, 2005–08 (PDF)
  • Chart 21. Injuries and illnesses involving days away from work for selected occupations in State government with high numbers of cases, by category of ownership, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 22. Injuries and illnesses involving days away from work for selected occupations in local government with high numbers of cases, by ownership, 2008 (PDF)

Events

  • Chart 23. Manner in which fatal work injuries occurred, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 24. Difference in fatal work injury counts, by event, 2007–08 (PDF)
  • Chart 25. Four most frequent work-related fatal events, 1992–2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 26. Fatal falls, by type of fall, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 27. How workers died in multiple-fatality incidents, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 28. Median days away from work and incidence rate of injuries and illnesses, by event or exposure, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 29. Distribution of injuries and illnesses, by event or exposure, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 30. Cases of bodily reaction and exertion, by occupation group and part of body, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 31. Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, by event and category of ownership, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 32. Percent change in incidence rate of injuries and illnesses, by selected events and exposures, 2007–08 (PDF)

Gender, age, ethnicity, and region of worker

  • Chart 33. Fatal injury events, by gender of worker, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 34. Number of workplace homicides, by gender of decedent, 1997–2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 35. Distribution of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, and employment, by gender, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 36. Fatal work injury rates, by age group, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 37. Median days away from work and incidence rate of injuries and illnesses, by age of worker, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 38. Number of fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers, 1992–2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 39. Fatal occupational injuries to foreign-born workers, by region of birth, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 40. Number of injuries and illnesses, and percentage of cases with days away from work of Hispanic or Latino workers, by industry, 2008 (PDF)

Musculoskeletal disorders

  • Chart 41. Incidence rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), by category of ownership, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 42. Distribution of musculoskeletal disorders, by nature of injury or illness, 2008 (PDF)
  • Chart 43. Incidence rate and number of musculoskeletal disorders, selected occupations, 2008 (PDF)

Special topic: Resident military

  • Chart 44. Fatal injuries to resident military, by event, 2003–08 (PDF)

Special topic: Mining

  • Chart 45. Fatal occupational injuries in the private sector mining industry, 2003–08 (PDF)
  • Chart 46. Incidence rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in mining, private sector, 2008 (PDF)

 

Last Modified Date: May 20, 2011