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Economic News Release
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Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses (Annual) News Release

11/04/2020 News Release: Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses--2019

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, November 4, 2020		USDL-20-2030

Technical information:	(202) 691-6170    *IIFSTAFF@bls.gov	*www.bls.gov/iif	
Media contact:	        (202) 691-5902    *PressOffice@bls.gov

EMPLOYER-REPORTED WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES - 2019

Private industry employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2019, 
unchanged from 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These estimates are from the 
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). 

In 2019, the incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) in private industry was 2.8 cases per 100 full-
time equivalent (FTE) workers, which was the rate reported in 2018 and 2017. (See chart 1.) The 
incidence rate of days away from work (DAFW) cases was 0.9 cases per 100 FTE workers and the 
incidence rate of days of job transfer and restriction only (DJTR) cases was 0.7 cases per 100 FTE 
workers, which were the rates reported in 2018. (See chart 2.) 

There were 888,220 nonfatal injuries and illnesses that caused a private industry worker to miss at least 
one day of work in 2019, essentially unchanged from 2018. 

(Charts 1 and 2 appear here in the printed release.)

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|                       Changes in Industry and Occupation Classification Structure                       |
| Information in this release incorporates revisions to both the North American Industry Classification   |
| System (NAICS) and the Standard Occupational Classification codes (SOC). Comparison of SOII             |
| estimates for 2019 to prior years should be done with caution due to these changes. More                |
| information on NAICS can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm. More information on SOC can             |
| be found at www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm.                                                              |
|_________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Industry

Manufacturing accounted for 15.0 percent of all private industry nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2019 
and was the only private industry sector where the TRC rate had a statistically significant change over 
the year. The rate decreased from 3.4 in 2018 to 3.3 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2019. (See table 1.) The 
number of nonfatal cases was 421,400, essentially unchanged from 2018. (See table 2.) 

Injuries and illnesses to manufacturing workers resulted in 32,470 DAFW cases of sprains, strains, or 
tears (28.0 percent); 16,790 cases of soreness or pain (14.5 percent); and 15,380 cases involving cuts, 
lacerations, or punctures (13.3 percent). (See table 3.)

TRC rates decreased for several manufacturing industry groups. The rate for motor vehicle body and 
trailer manufacturing decreased from 7.2 cases in 2018 to 6.3 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2019. (See 
chart 3.) Spring and wire product manufacturing was the only industry group with an increase in its TRC 
rate in 2019. The TRC rate increased from 3.9 cases in 2018 to 5.4 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2019.

(Charts 3 appears here in the printed release.)

Nonfatal occupational injury and illness estimates by industry and case type are available at 
www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ1_00.htm and www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ2_00.htm.

Occupation

Ten occupations accounted for 33.2 percent of all private industry cases involving days away from work 
in both 2018 and 2019. (See table 4.) Of these, laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 
had the highest number of DAFW cases with 64,160; followed by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers 
with 47,990. The incidence rates involving DAFW for these 10 occupations increased over the year. 
(See chart 4.)

The median number of days away from work in private industry in 2019 was 8 days, the same as 2018. 
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a median number of DAFW of 19 days, down from 23 days 
in 2018. Light truck drivers had a median of 20 days, an increase of 4 days from 2018. The median days 
for maintenance and repair workers, general; and laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand 
increased to 12 days in 2019 from 10 days in 2018.

(Charts 4 appear here in the printed release.)

Additional Highlights

* Within private industry, the rate of total recordable cases of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the 
retail trade sector was essentially unchanged from a year ago. In 2018, the rate increased to 3.5 
cases from 3.3 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2017. (See table 1.)
* Private industry workers age 65 years or over had a median of 16 days away from work due to 
injuries and illnesses in 2019, compared to 8 days for all private industry workers. 
* Private industry workers with sprains, strains, or tears resulting in days away from work visited 
medical treatment facilities at a rate of 6.5 cases per 10,000 FTE workers in 2019, down from 7.3 
cases in 2018. Medical treatment facilities include emergency room visits and/or in-patient 
hospitalization.
* Within private industry, the DAFW incidence rate for men decreased from 94.3 in 2018 to 91.7 
cases in 2019 and the rate for women decreased from 83.4 in 2018 to 80.4 cases per 10,000 FTE 
workers in 2019. 

 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|        Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on the Survey of Occupational Injuries and                |
|                                        Illnesses                                                        |
| Estimates in this news release are for reference year 2019. No changes in estimation procedures or      |
| outputs were necessary due to COVID-19. Additional information is available at                          |
| www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-           |
| occupational-requirements.htm.                                                                          |
|_________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Additional Information

This news release is the first of two releases from BLS covering occupational safety and health statistics 
for the 2019 calendar year. The SOII presents estimates of counts and incidence rates of employer-
reported nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses by industry and type of case, as well as detailed 
estimates of case circumstances and worker characteristics for cases that resulted in days away from 
work. A second release on December 16, 2020, will provide results from the Census of Fatal 
Occupational Injuries (CFOI) of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year.

Data and analysis in this release highlight case circumstances and worker characteristics for nonfatal 
injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work. Incidence rates for days away from work 
cases are published per 10,000 full-time employees. Incidence rates per 10,000 workers can be 
converted to rates per 100 workers by moving the decimal point left, two places, and rounding the 
resulting rate to the nearest tenth. Data users are cautioned to account for different levels of precision 
when analyzing estimates presented in this release.

BLS has generated estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for many industries as 
defined in the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manual. Tables including 
cross-tabulations for various case circumstances and worker characteristics are available at 
www.bls.gov/web/osh.supp.toc.htm. For additional information on nonfatal injury and illness estimates, 
see www.bls.gov/iif/soii-overview.htm.

The SOII bases definitions for emergency room and hospital visits on Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA) Regulations. (See www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.39 
for additional information.)

All statements of comparison made in this news release are statistically significant at the 95 percent 
confidence level. Additional background and methodological information regarding the BLS 
occupational safety and health statistics program is located in the BLS Handbook of Methods at 
www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/home.htm.

Additional data from the SOII are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/iif, from BLS staff at 
(202) 691-6170, or by email at IIFSTAFF@bls.gov. Information in this release is available to sensory 
impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-
8339.







    TABLE 1. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industry and case types,
    private industry, 2018-19
    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                       |                       |                       
                                                       |         Total         |       Cases           
                                                       |       recordable      |      with days        
                                                       |        cases (2)      |      away from        
                                                       |                       |      work(2),(3)      
                        Industry(1)                    |_______________________|_______________________
                                                       |           |           |           |           
                                                       |   2018    |   2019    |   2018    |   2019    
                                                       |           |           |           |           
   ____________________________________________________|___________|___________|___________|___________
                                                       |           |           |           |           
   Private industry(4)                                 |    2.8    |    2.8    |    0.9    |    0.9    
     Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting(4)     |    5.3    |    5.2    |    1.7    |    1.7    
     Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction(5)  |    1.4    |    1.2    |    0.6    |    0.5    
     Utilities                                         |    1.9    |    2.2    |    0.7    |    0.7    
     Construction                                      |    3.0    |    2.8    |    1.2    |    1.1    
     Manufacturing                                     |    3.4    |    3.3    |    0.9    |    0.9    
     Wholesale trade                                   |    2.9    |    2.7    |    1.0    |    1.0    
     Retail trade                                      |    3.5    |    3.4    |    1.1    |    1.0    
     Transportation and warehousing(6)                 |    4.5    |    4.4    |    2.1    |    2.0    
     Information                                       |    1.3    |    1.2    |    0.6    |    0.5    
     Finance and insurance                             |    0.5    |    0.5    |    0.1    |    0.1    
     Real estate and rental and leasing                |    2.3    |    2.3    |    0.8    |    0.7    
     Professional, scientific, and technical services  |    0.8    |    0.8    |    0.2    |    0.2    
     Management of companies and enterprises           |    0.8    |    0.7    |    0.2    |    0.2    
     Administrative and support and waste management   |           |           |           |           
       and remediation services                        |    2.3    |    --     |    0.9    |    --     
     Educational services                              |    1.9    |    2.0    |    0.6    |    0.6    
     Health care and social assistance                 |    3.9    |    3.8    |    1.1    |    1.0    
     Arts, entertainment, and recreation               |    4.1    |    4.0    |    1.1    |    1.1    
     Accommodation and food services                   |    3.1    |    3.2    |    0.9    |    0.9    
     Other services (except public administration)     |    2.2    |    2.0    |    0.8    |    0.7    
    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
    (1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version 
        of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
    (2) The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as:
        (N/EH) x 200,000, where 
        N = number of injuries and illnesses
        EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year
        200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year)
    (3) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer
        or restriction.
    (4) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
    (5) Data for Mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System United States, 2012)
        include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration rules and reporting, such as
        those in Oil and Gas Extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and
        nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
        Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data
        do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping
        requirements effective January 1, 2002 therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to
        estimates in other industries.
    (6) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.
        Department of Transportation.
     
    Note: Dash indicates data do not meet publication guidelines, data may be too small to be displayed.
     
    Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in
    cooperation with participating state agencies.


    TABLE 2. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industry and case
    types, private industry, 2018-19 (thousands)
    __________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                       |                       |                      
                                                       |        Total          |       Cases          
                                                       |      recordable       |      with days       
                                                       |        cases          |      away from       
                                                       |                       |      work(2)         
                        Industry(1)                    |_______________________|______________________
                                                       |           |           |          |           
                                                       |   2018    |   2019    |   2018   |   2019    
                                                       |           |           |          |           
    ___________________________________________________|___________|___________|__________|___________
                                                       |           |           |          |           
   Private industry(3)                                 |   2,834.5 |   2,814.0 |    900.4 |  888.2    
     Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting(3)     |      54.4 |      50.9 |     17.4 |   17.0    
     Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction(4)  |       9.8 |       9.4 |      4.1 |    4.2    
     Utilities                                         |      10.6 |      12.0 |      3.6 |    3.7    
     Construction                                      |     199.1 |     200.1 |     77.5 |   79.7    
     Manufacturing                                     |     430.3 |     421.4 |    118.6 |  116.1    
     Wholesale trade                                   |     160.8 |     153.6 |     56.2 |   55.5    
     Retail trade                                      |     409.9 |     395.7 |    126.9 |  120.2    
     Transportation and warehousing(5)                 |     221.4 |     227.9 |    103.6 |  103.6    
     Information                                       |      33.3 |      31.6 |     15.6 |   13.0    
     Finance and insurance                             |      28.5 |      26.1 |      7.1 |    7.5    
     Real estate and rental and leasing                |      46.1 |      46.2 |     16.0 |   14.9    
     Professional, scientific, and technical services  |      70.5 |      72.8 |     16.3 |   17.2    
     Management of companies and enterprises           |      17.5 |      16.9 |      4.7 |    4.7    
     Administrative and support and waste management   |           |           |          |           
       and remediation services                        |     118.6 |      --   |     46.5 |   --      
     Educational services                              |      36.9 |      38.6 |     11.6 |   12.1    
     Health care and social assistance                 |     577.4 |     575.2 |    155.6 |  151.4    
     Arts, entertainment, and recreation               |      57.9 |      56.4 |     16.0 |   15.3    
     Accommodation and food services                   |     278.5 |     288.7 |     77.8 |   82.9    
     Other services (except public administration)     |      72.8 |      64.6 |     25.5 |   21.8    
    __________________________________________________________________________________________________
    (1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version
        of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
    (2) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer
        or restriction.
    (3) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
    (4) Data for Mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System United States, 2012)
        include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration rules and reporting, such as 
        those in Oil and Gas Extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and
        nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. 
        Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data
        do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping
        requirements effective January 1, 2002 therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to
        estimates in other industries.
    (5) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.
        Department of Transportation.
        
    Note: Dash indicates data do not meet publication guidelines, data may be too small to be displayed.
    
    Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in
    cooperation with participating state agencies.


    TABLE 3. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work by
    selected nature of injury or illness, private industry manufacturing sector, 2018-19
    _________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                         |                     |                     
                                                         |  Private industry   |  Manufacturing(1)   
                                                         |_____________________|_____________________
                     Characteristic                      |          |          |          |          
                                                         |   2018   |   2019   |   2018   |   2019   
                                                         |          |          |          |          
     ____________________________________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________
                                                         |          |          |          |          
     Total(2)                                            |  900,380 |  888,220 |  118,580 | 116,070  
                                                         |          |          |          |          
     Nature of injury or illness(3)                      |          |          |          |          
       Sprains, strains, tears                           |  308,630 |  295,180 |   34,270 |  32,470  
       Soreness, pain                                    |  159,600 |  157,440 |   15,950 |  16,790  
       Bruises, contusions                               |   79,250 |   80,640 |    8,870 |   9,050  
       Cuts, lacerations, punctures                      |   92,840 |   89,730 |   14,860 |  15,380  
       Fractures                                         |   79,470 |   85,710 |   13,210 |  13,400  
     ____________________________________________________|__________|__________|__________|__________
      (1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more 
          information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts 
          page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
      (2) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer 
          or restriction.
      (3) Based on the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System 2.01 developed by the Bureau of 
          Labor Statistics.
      
      Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in
      cooperation with participating state agencies.


    TABLE 3A. Number and incidence rates for total recordable cases of nonfatal occupational injuries 
    and illnesses in selected private manufacturing industries, 2018-19
     _________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                       |                       |                      
                                                       |          Rate(2)      |        Number        
                                                       |                       |                      
                        Industry(1)                    |_______________________|______________________
                                                       |           |           |          |           
                                                       |    2018   |    2019   |   2018   |    2019   
                                                       |           |           |          |           
    ___________________________________________________|___________|___________|__________|___________
                                                       |           |           |          |           
     Manufacturing                                     |       3.4 |       3.3 |  430,300 |   421,400 
      Household appliance manufacturing                |       2.8 |       2.2 |    1,700 |     1,300 
      Clay product and refractory manufacturing        |       4.5 |       2.8 |    1,800 |     1,100 
      Machine shops; turned product; and screw, nut,   |           |           |          |           
        and bolt manufacturing                         |       3.9 |       3.2 |   13,800 |    11,700 
      Animal slaughtering and processing               |       4.3 |       4.0 |   23,500 |    22,100 
      Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing     |       7.2 |       6.3 |   11,900 |    10,200 
     _________________________________________________________________________________________________
    (1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information 
        on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: 
        https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
    (2) The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and 
        were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where N = number of injuries and illnesses; 
        EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; 
        200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
      
    Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in
    cooperation with participating state agencies.


    TABLE 4. Number, incidence rates, and median days for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses
    requiring days away from work (DAFW), selected occupations, private industry, 2018-19
    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                                          |                               |                               
                                                          |              2018             |              2019             
                                                          |_______________________________|_______________________________
                     Occupation(1)                        |          |          |         |          |          |         
                                                          |          |          |         |          |          |         
                                                          |   Number |  Rate(2) |  Median |   Number |  Rate(2) |  Median 
                                                          |          |          |   DAFW  |          |          |   DAFW  
    ______________________________________________________|__________|__________|_________|_________ |__________|_________
                                                          |          |          |         |          |          |         
     Laborers and freight, stock and material movers,     |          |          |         |          |          |         
       hand                                               |   66,300 |    252.1 |      10 |   64,160 |    275.5 |      12 
     Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers              |   48,050 |    249.4 |      23 |   47,990 |    280.0 |      19 
     Nursing assistants                                   |   29,490 |    255.7 |       6 |   27,590 |    283.5 |       6 
     Stockers and order fillers                           |   25,100 |    146.8 |      11 |   27,390 |    176.3 |      10 
     Retail salespersons                                  |   26,670 |     72.1 |       7 |   24,870 |     80.2 |       8 
     Light truck drivers                                  |   22,270 |    226.8 |      16 |   23,070 |    270.1 |      20 
     Maintenance and repair workers, general              |   21,130 |    182.5 |      10 |   21,490 |    204.6 |      12 
     Registered nurses                                    |   20,040 |     88.4 |       7 |   20,150 |    102.1 |       8 
     Construction laborers                                |   20,430 |    209.3 |      10 |   19,790 |    231.0 |      11 
     Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping |          |          |         |          |          |         
       cleaners                                           |   19,090 |    137.1 |       8 |   18,680 |    157.4 |      10 
    ______________________________________________________|__________|__________|_________|__________|__________|_________
    (1) Data are coded using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). For more information on the version of 
        SOC used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
    (2) The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time workers and were calculated as
       (N/EH) x 20,000,000, where  N = number of injuries and illnesses, 
        EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year,  
        20,000,000 = base for 10,000 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year). 
      
    Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, in
    cooperation with participating state agencies.

Last Modified Date: November 04, 2020