by jbs120808 f3 — December 12, 2008—Both the rate and number of workplace injuries and illnesses requiring time away from work decreased again from 2006 to 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported recently. The 2007 rate was 122 per 10,000 full-time employees, a decrease of 4% from 2006.
There were 1.2 million cases requiring days away from work in private industry out of 4 million total recordable cases as reported by the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. The number of days-away-from-work cases in 2007 decreased by 24,630 cases, or 2%, as compared to 2006 levels. Median days away from work–a key measure of the severity of the injury or illness–were 7 days in 2007, the same as the prior three years.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) accounted for 29% of all workplace injuries requiring time away from work in 2007, compared to 30% in 2006. There were 333,760 MSDs in 2007 requiring a median of 9 days away from work, two more days than the median for all days-away-from-work cases. According to the report, this is a decline of 23,400 cases (7%) from last year, and an 11% decline from 2005. The rate of MSD injuries also declined 9% from 39 cases per 10,000 workers in 2006 to 35. The decrease in the number of MSDs is reportedly the largest factor contributing to the overall decline in days-away-from-work cases in 2007.
In terms of occupation, laborers and freight, stock, and material movers experienced the highest number of days-away-from-work injuries and illnesses, with 79,000 in 2007. This was a 7% decline from 85,120 in 2006. Following this occupation were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (57,050); nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants (44,930); construction laborers (34,180); and light or delivery service truck drivers (32,930). Of these five occupations, only the light or delivery service truck drivers had an increase in cases (23%) from 2006.
In terms of industries, workers in the goods-producing industries experienced 349,450 injuries and illnesses with days away from work and had an incidence rate at 153 per 10,000 workers in 2007. Ninety-two percent of these cases were in the manufacturing and construction industry sectors. In comparison, workers in the service-providing industries experienced 809,420 days away from work injuries and illnesses and had a lower incidence rate at 112 per 10,000 workers. Two thirds of these cases were in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry sector and the educational and health services industry sector.
