November 22, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Injury and illness rates down in 2004

Goods-producing industries as a whole had an injury and illness rate of 6.5 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, while services-providing industries as a whole had a rate of 4.2 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers. Both of these rates declined by 0.2 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers from the rates reported for 2003.

[Chart data—TXT]

Among the goods-producing industry sectors, incidence rates during 2004 ranged from 3.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in mining to 6.6 cases per 100 full-time workers in manufacturing. 

Within the service-providing industry sectors, incidence rates ranged from 0.9 cases per 100 full-time workers in the finance and insurance sector to 7.3 cases per 100 full-time workers in transportation and warehousing.

Data from the BLS Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities program provide a wide range of information about workplace injuries and illnesses by industry sector. Additional information is available from Workplace injuries and illnesses in 2004 (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-2195.