2008 State and Local Government
Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and
Illnesses
Case and Demographics
February 24, 2010
Number of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, by
ownership, 2008
State government
71,100
Local government
206,580
Private industry
1,078,140
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work,
by ownership, 2008
State government
170.0
Local government
194.6
Private industry
113.3
0.0
50.0
100.0
150.0
200.0
250.0
Local government had the highest incidence rate for injuries and illnesses at 194.6 per 10,000 full-time workers. State government had a high rate of 170.
These were both much higher than the rate of injuries and illnesses in the private sector.
Chart 1
Injuries and illnesses and employment
by ownership, 2008
Private
industry
80%
Private
industry
86%
State
government
5%
Local
government
15%
Injuries and illnesses with
days away from work
(Total cases= 1,355,820 )
Local
government
9%
State
government
5%
Employment
(Current Population Survey,
Wage and Salary Workers)
In 2008, local government had 15 percent of all injuries and illnesses with days away from work, higher than its 9 percent share of employment.
Private industry had a correspondingly lower share of injuries and illnesses than employment, and State government had the same share of
employment and injuries and illnesses.
Chart 2
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with
days away from work by selected industry sectors, 2008
400
State Government
Local Government
Private Industry
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Goods-producing
Construction
Service-providing
Trade,
transportation, and
utilities
Education and
health services
Public
Administration
Cases in government ownerships were concentrated in the construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health service; and public
administration sectors. In construction, local government had a rate of 366.2 injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time workers, compared to 196.8 in state and
174.3 in private industry. In public administration, local government had a rate of 273.0 compared to a rate in state government of 175.1.
Chart 3
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work
by industries in education and health services, 2008
600
500
400
300
State Government
Local Government
Private Industry
200
100
0
Educational Services
(NAICS 611)
Hospitals (NAICS 622)
Elementary and
Secondary Schools
(NAICS 6111)
Colleges, Universities,
and Professional
Schools (NAICS 6113)
Nursing and
Residential Care
Facilities (NAICS 623)
Injuries in educational services were higher for local government than for other ownerships. State government and private industry had rates that were similar.
State government had a very high rate of injuries and illnesses in hospitals compared to local government and private industry. State and local government
both had higher rates of injury and illness in nursing and residential care facilities compared to the private sector.
Chart 4
Distribution of injuries and illnesses with days away from work
and employment by gender, 2008
Private Industry
Injuries and Illnesses
State Government
Injuries and Illnesses
Female
36%
Female
48%
Male
52%
Male
64%
Local Government
Injuries and Illnesses
Female
41%
Male
59%
Employment
Employment
Employment
(Current Population Survey,
Wage and Salary workers)
(Current Population Survey,
Wage and Salary workers)
(Current Population Survey,
Wage and Salary workers)
80%
60%
80%
54%
46%
80%
58%
60%
61%
60%
42%
39%
40%
40%
40%
20%
20%
20%
0%
0%
0%
Male
Female
Injury and illness cases in state government are split relatively evenly between men and women, even though there are more women employed in state
government. In local government, men had 59% of cases despite only having 39% of employment.
Chart 5
Percent distribution of injuries and illnesses with
days away from work and length of service with employer, 2008
70%
60%
50%
40%
State Government
Local Government
30%
Private Industry
20%
10%
0%
Less than 3 months
3 - 11 months
1 - 5 years
More than 5 years
The proportion of injuries and illnesses with days away from work occurring to workers with over five years of service with an employer
was greater for both State government (58 percent) and local government (60 percent) compared to private industry (31 percent).
Chart 6
Injuries and illnesses with days away from work for occupations in state
government with 2,000 or more cases, by ownership, 2008
12,420
Correctional Officers and Jailers
4,620
Psychiatric Aides
3,800
Janitors and Cleaners, Except
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
3,140
Nursing Aides, Orderlies,
and Attendants
State Government
Local Government
2,980
Police and Sheriff‘s
Patrol Officers
Private Industry
2,920
Psychiatric Technicians
2,440
Registered Nurses
2,360
Bus Drivers, Transit
and Intercity
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
In state government, correctional officers and jailers had the most cases in 2008 with 12,420. No other occupation had more than 5,000 cases. Psychiatric
aides and psychiatric technicians both had large numbers of cases in state government, but almost no cases in local government.
Chart 7
Injuries and illnesses with days away from work for occupations in local
government with 4,000 or more cases, by ownership, 2008
Police and Sheriff‘s
Patrol Officers
24,020
20,880
Janitors and Cleaners, Except
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
16,800
Fire Fighters
Elementary School Teachers,
Except Special Education
8,430
8,290
Teacher Assistants
Local Government
State Government
4,750
Refuse and Recyclable
Material Collectors
Private Industry
Bus Drivers, Transit
and Intercity
4,750
Nursing Aides, Orderlies,
and Attendants
4,700
General Maintenance and
Repair Workers
4,660
Landscaping and Groundskeeping
Workers
4,590
4,560
Bus Drivers, School
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers had the most cases of injuries and illnesses with days away from work in local government in 2008. Firefighters had 16,800
cases in local government, while in state government and private industry there were less than 200 cases each. Several other occupations have significant
numbers of cases in local government, but very few cases in state government due to the differences in responsibilities of state and local government.
Chart 8
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with
days away from work by nature, 2008
Sprain, Strains
Pain (including back pain)
Bruises
Fractures
State Government
Total multiple trauma
Local Government
Private Industry
Cuts, lacerations
Heat burns
Punctures
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Sprains and strains had the highest rate for private industry and State and local government. Local government had a rate of 82.8 per 10,000 full-time
workers, nearly twice that of private industry (43.8). Likewise, pain (including back pain) had high rates, but the rate for local government (23.1) was nearly
twice as much as private industry (12.0).
Chart 9
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with
days away from work by event, 2008
Assaults
Overexertion
Fall at same level
Struck by object
Fall to lower level
State Government
Transportation accident
Local Government
Private Industry
Struck against object
Slips or trips
Harmful exposure
Repetitive motion
Caught in object
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Assaults had a very high rate of injuries and illnesses (28.6 per 10,000 full-time workers) in State government, compared to local government (12.6) and private
industry (2.4). Overexertion and falls on same level had the highest rates for local government.
Chart 10
Incidence rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) by ownership, 2008
250
200
150
Incidence rate,
all cases
MSD rate
100
48.7
50
36.7
21.6%
of all
cases
25.0%
of all
cases
33.4
29.4%
of all
cases
0
State Government
Local Government
Private Industry
Local government had the highest rate of MSDs, at 48.7 per 10,000 full-time workers. Private industry had the highest percentage of cases that were MSDs, at
29 percent.
Chart 11