Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in Alabama – 2018

Alabama’s private industry employers reported 36,500 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2018, resulting in an incidence rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that Alabama was among seven states that had an incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) not significantly different from the national rate of 2.8. (Alabama was 1 of 41 states and the District of Columbia for which statewide estimates are available. See Technical Note at the end of this release for more information about the survey.)

Alabama’s findings from the 2018 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses include:

TRC incidence rates in private industry ranged from 0.6 in financial activities to 4.1 in education and health services. (See table 1.)
Two supersectors, with 40 percent of private industry employment, accounted for about 53 percent of the occupational injuries and illnesses: trade, transportation, and utilities; and manufacturing. (See table 2.)
In private industry, the TRC injury and illness incidence rate ranged from 2.8 for establishments employing between 11 and 49 workers to 3.3 for establishments employing between 50 and 249 workers. (See table 3.)
Alabama’s private industry TRC rate of 2.7 in 2018 was similar to the rate in 2017. (See table 4.)

Table A. Number and rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in private industry, United States and Alabama, 2018
Characteristic	United States		Alabama
Characteristic	Number (in thousands)	Rate (per 100 workers)	Number (in thousands)	Rate (per 100 workers)
Total cases	2,834.5	2.8	36.5	2.7
Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction	1,578.7	1.6	19.1	1.4
Cases with days away from work	900.4	0.9	10.3	0.8
Cases with job transfer or restriction	678.3	0.7	8.9	0.7
Other recordable cases	1,255.9	1.3	17.4	1.3
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals.

Private industry injury and illness case types

Of the 36,500 private industry injury and illness cases reported in Alabama, approximately 19,100 were of a more severe nature, involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction—commonly referred to as DART cases. These cases occurred at a rate of 1.4 cases per 100 full-time workers. Fifty-four percent of the DART cases in Alabama were incidents that resulted in at least one day away from work, compared to 57 percent nationally. Other recordable cases (those not involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction) accounted for approximately 17,400 cases in Alabama, at a rate of 1.3. In comparison, the national rate for other recordable cases was also 1.3.

In 2018, approximately 34,800 (95.3 percent) of private industry recordable injuries and illnesses were injuries. Workplace illnesses accounted for an additional 1,700 recordable cases. Three categories—skin disorders, hearing loss, and respiratory illnesses—accounted for 29 percent of the occupational illnesses in Alabama. Nationally, these three categories amounted to 37 percent of the work-related illness total.

State estimates

Private industry and public sector estimates are available for 41 participating states and for the District of Columbia for 2018. The private industry injury and illness rate was statistically higher in 22 states than the national rate of 2.8 cases per 100 full-time workers, lower in 12 states and in the District of Columbia, and not statistically different in 7 states. Caution should be taken when comparing rates among different states as some differences can be attributed to different industry composition within each state. (See chart 1.)

Chart 1. State nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rates, private industry, 2018

Technical Note

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is a Federal/State cooperative program that publishes estimates on nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. Each year, approximately 200,000 employers report for establishments in private industry and the public sector (state and local government). In-scope cases include work-related injuries or illnesses to workers who require medical care beyond first aid. See the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the entire recordkeeping guidelines. The SOII excludes all work–related fatalities as well as nonfatal work injuries and illnesses to the self–employed; to workers on farms with 10 or fewer employees; to private household workers; to volunteers; and to federal government workers. For more information on the scope and sampling methodology see the SOII Handbook of Methods.

Additional occupational injury and illness data are available from our regional web page at www.bls.gov/regions/southeast.

Information in this release will be made 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 industry sector and case type, Alabama, 2018
Industry(1)(2)(3)	Total recordable cases	Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction			Other recordable cases
Industry(1)(2)(3)	Total recordable cases	Total	Cases with days away from work(4)	Cases with job transfer or restriction	Other recordable cases
All industries including state and local government	2.7	1.3	0.7	0.6	1.3
Private industry	2.7	1.4	0.8	0.7	1.3
Goods-producing	3.0	1.7	0.9	0.7	1.3
Natural resources and mining	-	-	-	-	-
Construction	2.3	1.1	0.7	0.4	1.2
Manufacturing	3.2	1.8	0.9	0.9	1.4
Service-providing	2.6	1.3	0.7	0.6	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	3.2	2.0	0.9	1.1	1.3
Information	1.9	1.1	1.1	(5)	-
Financial activities	0.6	0.3	0.3	-	0.3
Professional and business services	0.9	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.4
Education and health services	4.1	1.7	0.8	0.8	2.4
Leisure and hospitality	2.8	1.0	0.7	0.3	1.8
Other services, except public administration	2.0	1.1	0.4	0.7	0.9
State and local government	-	-	-	-	-
State government	-	-	-	-	-
Local government	-	-	-	-	-
Footnotes: (1) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. (2) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 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. (3) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. (4) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction. (5) Data do not meet publication guidelines.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dashes indicate data not available. 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; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).

Table 2. Numbers of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, Alabama, 2018 (numbers in thousands)
Industry(1)(2)(3)	Total recordable cases	Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction			Other recordable cases
Industry(1)(2)(3)	Total recordable cases	Total	Cases with days away from work(4)	Cases with job transfer or restriction	Other recordable cases
All industries including state and local government	42.7	21.1	11.4	9.7	21.6
Private industry	36.5	19.1	10.3	8.9	17.4
Goods-producing	11.4	6.4	3.6	2.8	5.0
Natural resources and mining	-	-	-	-	-
Construction	2.0	0.9	0.6	0.3	1.1
Manufacturing	8.7	4.9	2.4	2.5	3.8
Service-providing	25.1	12.7	6.7	6.1	12.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	10.5	6.5	3.0	3.4	4.1
Information	0.4	0.2	0.2	(5)	-
Financial activities	0.6	0.3	0.3	-	0.3
Professional and business services	1.5	0.9	0.5	0.3	0.7
Education and health services	7.9	3.2	1.6	1.6	4.6
Leisure and hospitality	3.5	1.2	0.9	0.3	2.3
Other services, except public administration	0.7	0.4	0.1	0.3	0.3
State and local government	-	-	-	-	-
State government	-	-	-	-	-
Local government	-	-	-	-	-
Footnotes: (1) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. (2) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 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. (3) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. (4) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction. (5) Data do not meet publication guidelines.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dashes indicate data not available.

Table 3. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and employment size, Alabama, 2018
Industry(1)(2)(3)	All establishments	Establishment employment size (workers)
Industry(1)(2)(3)	All establishments	1 to 10	11 to 49	50 to 249	250 to 999	1,000 or more
All industries including state and local government	2.7	0.9	2.6	3.2	2.8	3.2
Private industry	2.7	-	2.8	3.3	3.0	3.0
Goods-producing	3.0	-	2.8	3.7	2.7	2.9
Natural resources and mining	-	-	0.7	2.0	4.2	-
Construction	2.3	-	3.1	2.7	1.4	-
Manufacturing	3.2	-	2.7	4.2	2.7	3.0
Service-providing	2.6	0.7	2.7	3.2	3.3	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	3.2	1.0	3.8	3.3	4.8	1.4
Information	1.9	(4)	-	1.1	-	-
Financial activities	0.6	(4)	1.7	-	0.5	0.1
Professional and business services	0.9	(4)	1.5	1.3	0.8	0.4
Education and health services	4.1	-	2.4	4.9	5.6	5.7
Leisure and hospitality	2.8	-	2.6	3.6	5.0	-
Other services, except public administration	2.0	-	2.2	3.2	-	-
State and local government	-	-	-	-	-	-
State government	-	-	-	-	-	-
Local government	-	-	-	-	-	-
Footnotes: (1) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. (2) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 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. (3) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. (4) Data do not meet publication guidelines.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dashes indicate data not available. 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; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).

Table 4. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and selected case type with measures of statistical significance, Alabama, 2017–18
Industry(1)(2)(3)	Total recordable cases		Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (4)
Industry(1)(2)(3)	2017	2018	2017	2018
All industries including state and local government	2.4	2.7	1.2	1.3
Private industry	2.5	2.7	1.3	1.4
Goods-producing	2.7	3.0	1.6	1.7
Natural resources and mining	2.5	-	1.2	-
Construction	1.5	2.3	0.8	1.1
Manufacturing	3.1	3.2	1.8	1.8
Service-providing	2.4	2.6	1.3	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	2.9	3.2	1.6	2.0
Information	2.0	1.9	1.1	1.1
Financial activities	-	0.6	-	0.3
Professional and business services	1.2	0.9	0.6	0.5
Education and health services	3.4	4.1	1.7	1.7
Leisure and hospitality	2.5	2.8	1.0	1.0
Other services, except public administration	2.3	2.0	1.2	1.1
State and local government	-	-	-	-
State government	-	-	-	-
Local government	-	-	-	-
Footnotes: (1) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. (2) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) 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. (3) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. (4) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
Note: Dashes indicate data not available. 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; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year). * An asterisk indicates a significant difference between the current year and prior year values, when testing at 95% confidence level.

Last Modified Date: Friday, January 31, 2020

Southeast Information Office

Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in Alabama – 2018