BLS: Injuries resulting in days away from work remain flat

Washington – The number and rate of occupational injuries requiring days away from work in 2011 remained statistically unchanged from 2010, continuing a trend of plateauing injury data.

The number of cases of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring time away from work was 117 per 10,000 full-time workers, virtually the same as the 2010 rate (118), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures (.pdf file) released Nov. 8. Also statistically unchanged in 2011 were the total number of cases with days away from work (1.2 million) and the median days away from work (eight).

Other key findings for 2011:

• Days away from work increased among private industry workers with less than three months of service (3 percent) and those with three to 11 months of service (7 percent).
• Musculoskeletal disorder cases accounted for one-third of all injury and illness cases.
• Workers 45-54 years old accounted for more than one-quarter of all cases.

The figures come from the final report on 2011 occupational safety and health statistics released by BLS. The first report covered worker deaths, and the second was a summary of total recordable nonfatal injury and illness cases.

For more on occupational injury data, read the “State of Safety” article in the January issue of Safety+Health magazine.