Bruises and Contusions
Bruises and contusions are superficial injuries in which the skin remains intact. These injuries accounted for 168,013 or 9.7% of all traumatic occupational injuries and disorders involving days away from work in 2001. Workers with bruises and contusions experienced a median of 3 days away from work (Figure 2–103), much lower than the median of 6 days for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses [BLS 2003a].
BLS reported 136,361 bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–98). Bruise and contusion rates declined 48.5% during 1992–2001, from 29.1 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 15.0 in 2001 (Figure 2–99). Most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (70.5%) (Figure 2–100), male (61.0%) (Figure 2–101), and white, non-Hispanic (64.3%) (Figure 2–102). Two occupational groups accounted for more than 60.5% of bruise and contusion cases: operators, fabricators, and laborers (42.0%) and service workers (18.5%) (Figure 2–104). Rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for transportation and public utilities (28.5 per 10,000 full-time workers), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (26.4), construction (20.8), mining (19.0), and wholesale trade (17.8) (Figure 2–105). During this 10-year period, four industry sectors had consistently higher rates of bruise and contusion cases than other industry sectors: transportation and public utilities, construction, mining, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing. These sectors experienced rate reductions of 35%, 49%, 50%, and 31%, respectively, during 1992–2001 (Figure 2–106).
Magnitude and Trend
How did the number of bruise and contusion cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-98 Number of bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual number of bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work declined 38.8% during 1992-2001, from 222,650 cases in 1992 to 136,361 cases in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
How did the rates of bruise and contusion cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-99 Annual rates of bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual rate of bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work declined 48.5% during 1992-2001, from 29.1 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 15.0 in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
Age
How did the number of bruise and contusion cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by age of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-100 Distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by age, 2001. Age data are available for 134,783 of the 136,361 BLS-estimated bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work in 2001. Overall, three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54) accounted for 70.5% of bruise and contusion cases compared with 75.2% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. More workers were under age 25 among bruise and contusion cases (18.1%) than among all nonfatal injury and illness cases (14.3%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Sex
How did bruise and contusion cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by sex of worker?
 | Figure 2-101 Distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by sex, 2001. Male workers accounted for fewer bruise and contusion cases in 2001 (61.0%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (66.1%). However, female workers accounted for more bruise and contusion cases (39.0%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (33.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Race/Ethnicity
How did bruise and contusion cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by race/ethnicity?
 | Figure 2-102 Distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by race/ethnicity, 2001. Race/ethnicity data are available for 96,014 of the 136,361 BLS-estimated bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work in 2001. For Hispanic workers and other workers, relatively small differences existed between the distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2001. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 64.3% of bruise and contusion cases and 68.2% of nonfatal injury and illness cases. Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 15.0% of bruise and contusion cases and 11.9% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Severity
How did bruise and contusion cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases when measured by days away from work in 2001?
 | Figure 2-103 Distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by days away from work, 2001. Compared with all nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2001, bruise and contusion cases tended to involve higher percentages of short-term disability, with 64.6% of cases requiring 5 or fewer days away from work. A median of 3 days away from work was reported for bruise and contusion cases in 2001-half the median of 6 days for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Occupation
How did bruise and contusion cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by occupation in 2001?
 | Figure 2-104 Distribution of bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by occupation, 2001. Two occupational groups accounted for the majority (60.5%) of all bruise and contusion cases in 2001: operators, fabricators, and laborers (42% of bruise and contusion cases versus 39.5% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses) and service (18.5% of bruise and contusion cases versus 17.4% of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses). Overall, the distributions by occupational group were comparable for bruise and contusion cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Industry
How did the rate of bruise and contusion cases differ by private industry sector in 2001?
 | Figure 2-105 Incidence rate of bruise and contusion cases by private industry sector, 2001. Private industry reported an incidence rate of 15.0 per 10,000 full-time workers for bruise and contusion cases in 2001. Higher rates were reported for transportation and public utilities (28.5 per 10,000 full-time workers or 18,742 cases), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (26.4 per 10,000 full-time workers or 3,964 cases), construction (20.8 per 10,000 full-time workers or 12,689 cases), mining (19.0 per 10,000 full-time workers or 1,127 cases), wholesale trade (17.8 per 10,000 full-time workers or 11,461 cases), and retail trade (15.9 per 10,000 full-time workers or 27,689 cases). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
How did the rates of bruise and contusion cases change by private industry sector during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-106 Annual rate of bruise and contusion cases involving days away from work by private industry sector, 1992-2001. The private-sector annual rate of bruise and contusion cases declined 48% during 1992-2001, and rate reductions were reported for each of the major industry sectors. Four industry sectors (transportation and public utilities, construction, mining, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing) had consistently higher rates than other sectors during this 10-year period and experienced rate reductions of 35%, 49%, 50%, and 31%, respectively. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
