BLS Releases 2008 Survey Of Occupational Injuries & Illnesses

(Published November 2, 2009)

Non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers in 2008 occurred at a rate of 3.9 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers — a decline from 4.2 cases in 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2008 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.  Similarly, the number of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in 2008 declined to 3.7 million cases, compared to 4 million cases in 2007.

Other key findings of the survey: 

• Incidence rates for injuries and illnesses combined among private industry establishments declined significantly in 2008 for all case types, with the exception of job transfer or restriction cases whose rate remained unchanged from 2007.  The number of cases of injuries and illnesses combined declined significantly in 2008 for all case types.
  
  
• For injuries only, both the incidence rate and the number of cases in private industry establishments declined significantly in 2008 compared to 2007 — each falling 8% from the year earlier.
  
  
• Looking at illnesses, both the incidence rate and the number of cases declined significantly in 2008 compared to 2007 — mainly the result of a decline among the "all other illnesses" category, which accounted for nearly 84% of the decline in illness cases among private industry establishments.
  
  
• Manufacturing was the only private industry sector in 2008 in which the rate of job transfer or restriction cases exceeded the rate of cases with days away from work, continuing an 11-year trend.
  
  
• The total recordable case injury and illness incidence rate was highest in 2008 among mid-size private industry establishments (those employing between 50 and 249 workers) and lowest among small establishments (those employing fewer than 11 workers) compared to establishments of other sizes. 

Slightly more than one-half of the 3.7 million private industry injury and illnesses cases reported nationally in 2008 were of a more serious nature that involved days away from work, job transfer, or restriction — commonly referred to as DART cases.  These occurred at a rate of 2.0 cases per 100 workers, declining from 2.1 cases in 2007.