Three occupations—nursing
aides, orderlies, and attendants;
laborers and freight, stock and
material movers; and heavy and
tractor-trailer truck drivers—
together accounted for more than
20 percent of MSD injuries.
Within all these industries, the
health care and social assistance
sector had the most MSD cases,
followed by the manufacturing
and retail trade sector.
C H A R T 3 7
All of the occupations shown had
0.5 percent or more of the total
cases of musculoskeletal
disorders and had MSD rates of
more than twice private industry's
average rate in 2006. Nursing
aides, orderlies, and attendants'
average MSD rate was almost 8
times private industry's average.
Emergency medical technicians
and paramedics had an incidence
rate that was 7 times that of
private industry.
Number and incidence rates of injuries and illnesses due
to musculoskeletal disorders, by selected occupations,
private industry, 2006 (cases involving days away from work)
Nursing aides, orderlies,
293
and attendants
Emergency medical technicians
and paramedics
27,590
272
3,040
Laborers and freight, stock, 158
and material movers
28,860
Plumbers, pipefitters 110
and steamfitters
4,190
Heavy and tractor-trailer
108
truck drivers
17,400
Industrial machinery mechanics 102
2,370
Construction laborers 100
Light or delivery service
truck drivers
99
Maids and housekeeping
cleaners
91
8,270
8,890
5,830
Drivers/sales workers 91
3,500
Welders, cutters, solderers, 91
and brazers
3,240
Carpenters 79
400
300
200
100
Incidence rate
(per 10,000 workers)
MSD incidence rate
(Private industry
MSD rate = 39)
MSD cases
(Total = 357,160)
6,630
0
10,000
20,000
Number of musculoskeletal
disorder cases
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, November 2007
30,000