os sum 08/01/94 ISSUES 94-9 Repetitive Tasks..... I S S U E S in Labor Statistics ---------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Department of Labor Summary 94-9 Bureau of Labor Statistics August 1994 Repetitive tasks loosen some workers' grip on safety and health Ailments from performing repetitive tasks at work have been increasingly recognized and reported by physicians and employers in recent years. In fact, the latest tally of such disorders-- 282,000 in 1992--was more than double the comparable count reported 4 years earlier. Federal government statistics on repeated traumas span a variety of ailments resulting from repeated motion, pressure, or vibration, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and noise-induced hearing loss. Although still just a small fraction of the 6.8 million injuries and illnesses reported by private employers in 1992, repeated trauma disorders are growing far more rapidly than other work-related problems. The number of repeated trauma cases reported in 1992 was 144 percent higher than the number in 1988. By contrast, the number of injury and illness cases, except repeated traumas, was 3 percent higher in 1992 than in 1988. Repeated traumas, moreover, are beginning to spread beyond their traditional haunts in manufacturing, affecting increasing numbers of workers in offices, stores, and other nonfactory settings. The accompanying chart tracks the shifting allocations of repeated trauma disorders between manufacturing and private nonmanufacturing industries. It shows that nonmanufacturing industries' share has risen steadily, from 10 percent of all such disorders reported in 1988 to 22 percent reported in 1992. Over this period, both industry groups experienced sharp increases in reported cases. The share for nonmanufacturing industries rose because the number of repeated-trauma disorders increased more than fivefold, far outstripping the doubling of similar cases reported in manufacturing industries. Auto and meat plants lead list Leading the list of industries with the largest number of repeated trauma cases were motor vehicle amd meat products manufacturing, where about 1 in every 4 of all reported repeated traumas occurred. (See table.) The repetitive nature of work in these settings, often performed on assembly lines, is well documented. Not all manufacturing, however, can be characterized this way. Witness newspaper publishing, a manufacturing industry where repeated trauma disorders are primarily a result of constant computer keying. Of special note are the four nonmanufacturing industries, three of which made the list for the first time. (The list includes any industry with at least 2,500 cases reported in 1992.) Grocery stores primarily draws its ties to repeated trauma disorders through the placing, grasping, and moving of objects, such as the scanning done at checkout counters. The other three nonmanufacturing industries, cited for the first time in 1992, were hospitals; fire, marine, and casualty insurance; and telephone communications. Three other nonmanufacturing industries stand poised for listing in years to come: Scheduled airlines, department stores, and mail-order and other nonstore retailers. 'Disorders associated with repeated trauma' is one of seven categories of work-related illnesses included in the Bureau's Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The survey provides extensive data on injuries and illnesses for several hundred detailed industries. For more information contact, the Office of Safety, Health and Working Conditions, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Ave., NE., Room 3180, Washington, DC 20212-0001, (202) 606-6170. Information in this report is available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 606-7828, TDD phone (202) 606-5897, TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326- 2577. Industries with the largest number of repeated trauma disorders reported in 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Industry Cases Industry Cases ---------------------------------------------------------------- Total private cases...281,800 Motor vehicles/equipment.40,600 Household appliances.....3,500 Meat products............36,500 Electronic components Men's/boys' furnishings.. 8,600 and accessories.........3,500 Aircraft and parts....... 8,600 Misc. electrical equip- Grocery stores........... 5,800 ment and supplies.......3,400 Miscellaneous plastics Fire, marine, and manufacturing........... 5,200 casualty insurance......3,400 Metal forgings/stampings. 5,100 Medical instruments Hospitals................ 4,500 and supplies............3,100 Knitting mills........... 3,900 Newspapers...............2,700 Refrigeration machinery.. 3,500 Telephone communications.2,700 ---------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Nonmanufacturing industries are in boldface. NOTE: The original issue, including its chart, is available upon request at the BLS telephone number listed above.