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Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, 1976–2014

April 29, 2016

Since the mid-1970s, BLS has published data on different types of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. The data distinguish between cases in which the worker missed at least 1 day of work, those that require job restriction or transfer only, and those resulting in neither days away from work nor days of job restriction or transfer (other). The rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses—the number of cases per 100 full-time workers—has declined over the past several decades in the private sector. In 1976, the rate was 9.2 cases per 100 full-time workers; by 2014, that figure had fallen to 3.2 cases per 100 full-time workers.

Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers, by type of case, private industry, 1976–2014
Year Total recordable cases Days away from work, job transfer, or restriction cases Days away from work cases Job transfer or restricted work only cases Other cases

1976

9.2 3.5 3.3 0.2 5.7

1977

9.3 3.8 3.6 0.2 5.5

1978

9.4 4.1 3.8 0.3 5.3

1979

9.5 4.3 4.0 0.3 5.2

1980

8.7 4.0 3.7 0.3 4.7

1981

8.3 3.8 3.5 0.3 4.5

1982

7.7 3.5 3.2 0.3 4.2

1983

7.6 3.4 3.2 0.2 4.2

1984

8.0 3.7 3.4 0.3 4.3

1985

7.9 3.6 3.3 0.3 4.3

1986

7.9 3.6 3.3 0.3 4.3

1987

8.3 3.8 3.4 0.4 4.4

1988

8.6 4.0 3.5 0.5 4.6

1989

8.6 4.0 3.4 0.6 4.6

1990

8.8 4.1 3.4 0.7 4.7

1991

8.4 3.9 3.2 0.7 4.5

1992

8.9 3.9 3.0 0.9 5.0

1993

8.5 3.8 2.9 0.9 4.8

1994

8.4 3.8 2.8 1.0 4.6

1995

8.1 3.6 2.5 1.1 4.4

1996

7.4 3.4 2.2 1.2 4.1

1997

7.1 3.3 2.1 1.2 3.8

1998

6.7 3.1 2.0 1.1 3.5

1999

6.3 3.0 1.9 1.1 3.3

2000

6.1 3.0 1.8 1.2 3.2

2001

5.7 2.8 1.7 1.1 2.9

2002

5.3 2.8 1.6 1.2 2.5

2003

5.0 2.6 1.5 1.1 2.4

2004

4.8 2.5 1.4 1.1 2.3

2005

4.6 2.4 1.4 1.0 2.2

2006

4.4 2.3 1.3 1.0 2.1

2007

4.2 2.1 1.2 0.9 2.1

2008

3.9 2.0 1.1 0.9 1.9

2009

3.6 1.8 1.1 0.8 1.8

2010

3.5 1.8 1.1 0.8 1.7

2011

3.4 1.8 1.0 0.7 1.7

2012

3.4 1.8 1.0 0.7 1.6

2013

3.3 1.7 1.0 0.7 1.6

2014

3.2 1.7 1.0 0.7 1.5

In 1992, BLS began publishing more detailed data on cases involving days away from work. In 1992, days away from work cases accounted for 79 percent of all cases involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction in the private sector, while the less serious cases involving only job transfer or restriction accounted for 21 percent; by 2014, the corresponding percentages were 58 percent and 42 percent. In 2011, BLS began an ongoing pilot special study to publish the details on cases involving job transfer or restriction only in selected industries.

These data are from the Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. To learn more, see "Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, 2014" (HTML) (PDF). For more on the historical development of these data, see “The quest for meaningful and accurate occupational health and safety statistics,” in the December 2015 Monthly Labor Review.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, 1976–2014 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/nonfatal-occupational-injuries-and-illnesses-1976-2014.htm (visited December 02, 2024).

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