Volume 35, Number 3, March 2000
SafetySavvy
Incidents of Workplace Injury
and Illness Drop Four Percent
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, has released its annual survey of illnesses and injuries reported in private industry. Overall, 5.9 million cases were reported in 1998, reflecting a 4 percent drop in cases from 1997. The rate for 1998 was the lowest since the BLS began reporting this information in the early 1970s.
Of the total reported, 5.5 million were injuries and 392,000 were newly reported cases
of occupational illnesses. Injuries were generally more prevalent in mid-size businesses,
those with 50 to 249 workers, than in smaller or larger establishments. Illnesses occurred
more often in manufacturing businesses and included such disorders as carpal tunnel
syndrome, trauma, and noise-induced
hearing loss.
The annual survey collects data from about 169,000 private industry establishments. The survey measures nonfatal injuries and illnesses only.
Guide to Government Safety Agencies on the Internet
• www.bls.gov Bureau of Labor Statistics
• www.dot.gov Department of Transportation
• www.epa.gov Environmental Protection Agency
• www.msha.gov Mine Safety and Health Administration
• www.cdc.gov/niosh/home-page.html National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
• www.osha.gov Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Source: The Subcontractor, ASA newsletter Dec/Jan 2000
USG
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