Workplace Injuries And Illnesses Are Down In America

Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its report on non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses for 2012, based on an annual survey of employers.

Here are some of the highlights of the report:

Overall injury and illness rates are down to 3.4 cases per 100 full-time workers, from 3.5 per 100 workers in 2011.

The public sector is more dangerous than the private sector. State and local workers had 5.6 cases per 100 workers, whereas private employees only suffered 3.2 cases per 100 workers.

Medium-sized business had the most injuries and illnesses, as can be seen in the following chart:

Injury and illness rates vary across states. Somewhat surprisingly, Maine had the highest injury rate. The BLS will be releasing more detailed state-by-state data on November 22.

Injury and illness rates also vary by industry type. Overall, private sector manufacturing had an incident rate of 4.3 per 100 workers, whereas the private service sector just had 3.2 injuries and illnesses per 100 workers.

It is riskier to work in air transportation than rail transportation. 7.4 in 100 air transportation workers suffered illnesses or injuries compared to just 1.8 in 100 for rail workers.

Working in construction for the government is more dangerous than working for a private employer. Private construction workers suffered 3.7 injuries and illnesses per 100 workers, whereas construction workers under state governments had an injury rate of 4.5 per 100 workers, and over one in ten construction workers for local governments (10.2 per 100) got sick or hurt on the job.

Working in nursing and residential care centers is bad for your health. Privately owned nursing centers had an injury and illness rate of 7.6 per 100 workers, 9.6 out of one hundred workers in centers run by local governments were hurt or sick at work, and state government run centers had an incredible 13.6 incidents per 100 workers.