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The State of Safety

Wilmington, Delaware, February 26, 2008

The annual "State of Safety" report just published by the National Safety Council offers a look back at the most recent injury and fatality counts and rates, in addition to examining emerging trends in workplace safety. 

The good news in the story is, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows that fatal workplace injuries are at their overall lowest rate since 1992, when the census was first conducted. Yet there is also bad news, the same industries continue to be more dangerous than others. Demographically, Hispanic workers have an increased rate of workplace fatalities compared with their counterparts.

The following are some highlights for your consideration (the full illustrated article appears in the January 2008 issue of Safety+Health magazine).

 

Occupational Injuries Census

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2006 was a year of slight improvement.

  • Data showed improvement in the overall fatal work injury rate, which was at its lowest since the census was first conducted in 1992.
  • A total of 5,703 fatal work injuries were reported in the United States in 2006 – down slightly from 5,734 in 2005, BLS data shows.

The bad news is the same industries and worker populations continue to experience high fatality and injury incidence rates.

  • The construction industry again experienced the highest number of worker deaths in 2006 – 1,226, up from 1,192 in 2005. Deaths in construction and extraction occupations, together with transportation and material moving occupations, accounted for nearly half of all fatal work injuries in 2006.
  • Fatality rates for service-providing and government industries were lower in 2006.
  • Goods-producing industries showed no change.
  • Of the total fatal work injuries, 5,202, or 91 percent, occurred in private industry.

In terms of demographics, the overall fatality rate for Hispanic workers was lower in 2005, but the construction industry saw an increase to 937, the highest number since recordkeeping began in 1992.

Other changes in demographic populations included:

  • A 9 percent drop in fatalities among workers younger than 25.
  • A 5 percent increase in fatal work injuries involving female workers.

 

Other Key Findings

Also according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nonfatal Workplace Injuries and Illnesses among private industry employers in 2006 occurred at a rate of 4.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers—a decline from 4.6 cases in 2005. Similarly, the number of Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and illnesses reported in 2006 declined to 4.1 million cases, compared to 4.2 million cases in 2005.

Other key findings of the BLS 2006 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) are:

  • The total recordable case (TRC) injury and illness incidence rate among private industry employers in 2006 was the lowest since the SOII was first conducted in 1972.
  • Incidence rates and numbers of cases for injuries and illnesses combined declined significantly in 2006 for most case types, with the exception of cases involving job transfer or restriction only.
  • The number and incidence rate of injuries both declined significantly in 2006 compared to 2005—three percent and five percent, respectively.
  • The number and incidence rate of illnesses declined significantly in 2006 compared to 2005—mainly the result of declines among hearing loss and all other illness categories.
  • Estimates were tabulated for more than 70 additional industries in 2006 for which estimates were not previously available; industries are classified according to the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
  • TRC rates declined among 9 of the 19 private industry NAICS sectors in 2006 and remained statistically unchanged in the remaining 10 NAICS sectors.
  • The total recordable case injury and illness incidence rate was highest among mid-size 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.
  • TRC rates in 10 of 43 States (including the District of Columbia) for which SOII estimates are available were lower in 2006 compared to a year earlier; TRC rates in 32 States remained relatively unchanged; and the TRC rate in 1 State was higher in 2006.

Complete here for complete information.