Cuts and Lacerations
Cuts and lacerations constituted the major category of traumatic injury among the 150,376 open-wounds injury cases reported in 2001. Cut and laceration cases are less severe than the average nonfatal injury or illness case. They involved a median of 3 days away from work in 2001 compared with 6 days for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses (Figure 2–123) [BLS 2003a].
BLS reported 114,791 cut and laceration cases involving days away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–118). Rates declined 44.5% during 1992–2001, from 22.7 per 10,000 workers in 1992 to 12.6 in 2001 (Figure 2–119). Most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (69.4%) (Figure 2–120), male (81.9%) (Figure 2–121), and white, non-Hispanic (60.7%) (Figure 2–122). Together, two occupational groups accounted for more than 67% of cut and laceration cases: operators, fabricators, and laborers (40.0%) and precision production, craft, and repair (27.2%) (Figure 2–124). Rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for construction (35.8 per 10,000 full-time workers), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (26.5), manufacturing (16.1), and retail trade (15.4) (Figure 2–125). Two industry sectors (construction and agriculture, forestry, and fishing) had consistently higher annual rates of cut and laceration cases than other sectors during 1992–2001, and they experienced reductions of 26.3% and 41.2%, respectively (Figure 2–126).
Magnitude and Trend
How did the number of cut and laceration cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-118 Number of cut and laceration cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual number of cut and laceration cases involving days away from work declined 33.9% during 1992-2001, from 173,573 cases in 1992 to 114,791 cases in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
How did the annual rate of cut and laceration cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-119 Annual rates of cut and laceration cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual rate of cut and laceration cases involving days away from work declined 44.5% during 1992-2001, from 22.7 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 12.6 in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
Age
How did cut and laceration cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by age of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-120 Distribution of cut and laceration cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by age, 2001. Age data are available for 113,072 of the 114,791 BLS-estimated cut and laceration cases involving days away from work in 2001. Overall, three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54) accounted for 69.4% of cases compared with 75.2% reported for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. More workers were under age 35 in cut and laceration cases (51.1%) than in all nonfatal injury and illness cases (39.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Sex
How did cut and laceration cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by sex of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-121 Distribution of cut and laceration cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by sex, 2001. Male workers accounted for more cut and laceration cases than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (81.9% versus 66.1%). Female workers accounted for fewer cut and laceration cases than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (18.1% versus 33.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Race/Ethnicity
How did cut and laceration cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by race/ethnicity in 2001?
 | Figure 2-122 Distribution of cut and laceration 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 87,995 of the 114,791 BLS-estimated cut and laceration cases involving days away from work in 2001. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for fewer cut and laceration cases (60.7%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (68.2%). Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 11.3% of cut and laceration cases, and Hispanic workers accounted for 24.5%- a much greater percentage than the 17.1% reported for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Severity
How did cut and laceration cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases when measured by days away from work in 2001?
 | Figure 2-123 Distribution of cut and laceration 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, cut and laceration cases involved more short-term disability (periods of 1-10 days away from work). The median number of days away from work was 3 for cut and laceration cases and 6 for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Occupation
How did cut and laceration cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by occupation in 2001?
 | Figure 2-124 Distribution of cut and laceration 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 (67.2%) of cut and laceration cases in 2001: operators, fabricators, and laborers (40% versus 39.5% for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses) and precision production, craft, and repair (27.2%, versus 18.3% for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Industry
How did the rate of cut and laceration cases differ by private industry sector in 2001?
 | Figure 2-125 Incidence rate of cut and laceration cases in private industry by industry sector, 2001. For 2001, incidence rates exceeding the private-sector rate of 12.6 per 10,000 full-time workers were reported for construction (35.8 per 10,000 full-time workers or 21,849 cases), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (26.5 per 10,000 full-time workers or 3,984 cases), manufacturing (16.1 per 10,000 full-time workers or 27,881 cases), and retail trade (15.4 per 10,000 full-time workers or 26,739 cases). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
How did the rates of cut and laceration cases change by private industry sector during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-126 Annual rates of cut and laceration cases involving days away from work by private industry sector, 1992-2001. The annual rate of cut and laceration cases declined 44.5% during 1992-2001, and rates declined for each major industry sector. Two sectors (construction and agriculture, forestry, and fishing) had consistently higher rates than other industry sectors during this 10-year period and experienced rate reductions of 26.3% and 41.2%, respectively. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
