Workplace injury and illness incidence rates by type of
case, 1980-96
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
10
9
Total cases
8
7
6
5
4
Cases without lost workdays
Lost workday cases
Cases with days away from work
3
2
1
0
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
A total of 6.2 million injuries and illnesses occurred in private industry work places during 1996,
resulting in a rate of 7.4 cases for every 100 equivalent full-time workers. This was the lowest
rate ever recorded and the first time that injury and illness rates declined four years in a row
since the early 1980’s.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Occupational injury and illness incidence rates,
private industry, 1980-96
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
14
13
12
Goods-producing
industries
11
10
9
All industries
8
7
6
Service-producing
industries
5
0
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
The 1992-1996 decline in rates per 100 full-time workers for both goods-producing and
service-producing industries (18 and15 percent, respectively) about matched the
decrease in the overall rate over the same period.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Nonfatal workplace injury and illness incidence rates by
industry division, 1992-96
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
14
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Agriculture,
forestry, &
fishing
Mining
Construction Manufacturing Transportation
& public
utilities
Trade
Finance,
insurance, & real
estate
Services
Rates per 100 full-time workers declined from 1992 to 1996 in all industry divisions.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Total case incidence rates for all private industries,
construction, and manufacturing, 1974-96
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
20
18
Construction
16
14
12
Manufacturing
10
8
All private industries
6
4
2
0
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
In 1996, the overall rate in construction remained below the rate in manufacturing.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
1996
Lost workday case incidence rates, injuries and illnesses,
1976-96
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
5
Lost workday cases
4
3
Cases with days away from work
2
1
Cases with days of restricted
work activity only
0
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
The incidence rate for lost workday cases has declined steadily from 4.1 cases per
100 full-time workers in 1990 to 3.4 cases per 100 full-time workers in 1996. Rates
for the two types of lost workdays cases moved in opposite directions, however.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Total case incidence rates for injuries only by
establishment employment size group, 1996
Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers
10
All establishments = 6.9
8
6
4
2
0
1- 10
11 - 49
50 - 249
250 - 999
1000+
Establishment employment size groups
Nationwide, injury rates generally are higher for mid-size establishments
employing 50 to 249 workers than for smaller or larger establishments,
although this pattern does not hold within certain industry divisions.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Industries with at least 100,000 nonfatal injury cases, 1996
Eating and
drinking places
Hospitals
Nursing and
personal care
facilities
Grocery stores
Department
stores
Trucking and
courier services,
except air
Motor vehicles
and equipment
manufacturing
Air transportation,
scheduled
Hotels and motels
All other private
industries
Nine industries, each having at least 100,000 injuries, accounted
.
for about 1.8 million injuries, or 31 percent of the 5.8 million total
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Total nonfatal cases in 1996:
Injuries versus illnesses
Nonfatal illness cases by
selected categories, 1996
6,239,000 cases
439,000 cases
Disorders
associated
with
repeated
trauma
Injuries
5,800,000
cases
Illnesses
439,000
cases
Skin
diseases
All other
workrelated
illnesses
Of the 6.2 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported in 1996, nearly 5.8 million were injuries that resulted
in either lost work-time, medical treatment other than first aid, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion,
or transfer to another job. The remainder of these private industry cases (about 439,000 cases) were work-related
illnesses. Sixty-four percent (281,000 cases) of the workplace illnesses were disorders associated with repeated
trauma, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Nonfatal workplace illnesses by industry division, 1996
Mining
Services
Agriculture,
forestry,
& fishing
Finance,
insurance,
& real estate
Manufacturing
Construction
Trade
Transportation
& public utilities
Manufacturing accounted for three-fifths of all newly reported
occupational illnesses in private industry in 1996.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997
Occupational illness cases, private industry, 1976-96
Number of cases (in thousands)
600
500
Total illness cases
400
Disorders associated
with repeated trauma
300
200
All other illnesses
100
0
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
The number of disorders associated with repeated trauma cases reported in 1996 (281,000)
was 9 percent lower than the corresponding 1995 figure (308,000). The number of disorders
associated with repeated has declined for two consecutive years.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
December 1997