Fractures
Fractures accounted for 7.0% of all reported nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in 2001. This category includes both open (compound) and closed fractures of bone and teeth. The category excludes cases of fractures or broken cartilage unless accompanied by a fracture of a bone or tooth. Fracture cases are severe injuries. In 2001, they involved a median of 21 days away from work (Figure 2–134) compared with a median of 6 days for all nonfatal injuries and illnesses [BLS 2003a].
In 1999, an estimated 210,000 occupational fractures were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. This number corresponded to a rate of 15.9 fractures per 10,000 full-time workers. Although workers aged 35–44 experienced the highest number of fractures, workers aged 15–24 had the highest rate of fractures. Workers aged 55 and older had the smallest number of fractures, but they experienced a slightly higher rate of fractures than workers aged 25–54 (Figure 2–129). Men experienced 2 to 3 times more fractures at work than women. (Figure 2–131).
BLS reported 108,127 fracture cases involving days away from work in 2001 (Figure 2–127). Rates declined 36.7% during 1992–2001, from 18.8 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 11.9 in 2001 (Figure 2–128). Most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (71.0%) (Figure 2–130), male (73.8%) (Figure 2–132), and white, non-Hispanic (73.9%) (Figure 2–133). Two occupational groups accounted for more than 63% of fracture cases: operators, fabricators, and laborers (41.7%) and precision production, craft, and repair (22.2%) (Figure 2–135). Rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for construction (32.5 per 10,000 full-time workers), mining (25.4), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21.7), transportation and public utilities (20.9), and manufacturing (13.0) (Figure 2–136). Three industry sectors (construction, mining, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing) had consistently higher rates than other sectors during this 10-year period and experienced rate reductions of 38.9%, 35.5%, and 33.6%, respectively (Figure 2–137).
Magnitude and Trend
How did the number of fracture cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-127 Number of fracture cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual number of fracture cases involving days away from work in 2001 declined 24.7% during 1992-2001, from 143,627 cases in 1992 to 108,127 cases in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
How did the annual rates of fracture cases change during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-128 Annual rates of fracture cases involving days away from work in private industry, 1992-2001. The annual rate of fracture cases involving days away from work declined 36.7% during 1992-2001, from 18.8 per 10,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 11.9 in 2001. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
Age
How did occupational fractures treated in hospital emergency departments differ by age of worker in 1999?
 | Figure 2-129 Number and rate of nonfatal occupational fractures treated in emergency departments, by age of worker, 1999. In 1999, an estimated 210,000 occupational fractures were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. This number corresponded to a rate of 15.9 fractures per 10,000 full-time workers. Although workers aged 35-44 experienced the highest number of fractures, workers aged 15-24 had the highest rate of fractures. Workers aged 55 and older had the smallest number of fractures, but they experienced a slightly higher rate of fractures than workers aged 25-54. (Sources: NEISS [2003]; Jackson [2003].) |
How did fracture cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by age of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-130 Distribution of fracture cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by age, 2001. Age data are available for 107,001 of the 108,127 BLS-estimated fracture cases involving days away from work in 2001. Overall, three age groups (25-34, 35-44, and 45-54) accounted for 71% of fracture cases and 75.2% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. More workers were aged 45 or older in fracture cases (40.8%) than in all nonfatal injury and illness cases (31.3%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Sex
How did occupational fractures treated in hospital emergency departments differ by sex of worker in 1999?
 | Figure 2-131 Number and rate of nonfatal occupational fractures treated in emergency departments, by sex of worker, 1999. Men experienced 2 to 3 times more fractures at work than women. (Sources: NEISS [2003]; Jackson [2003].) |
How did fracture cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by sex of worker in 2001?
 | Figure 2-132 Distribution of fracture cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by sex, 2001. Male workers accounted for a larger proportion of fracture cases (73.8%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (66.1%). However, female workers accounted for a smaller proportion of fracture cases (26.2%) than all nonfatal injury and illness cases (33.9%). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Race/Ethnicity
How did fracture cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by race/ethnicity in 2001?
 | Figure 2-133 Distribution of fracture 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 84,480 of the 108,127 BLS-estimated fracture cases involving days away from work in 2001. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for a greater proportion of fracture cases (73.9%) than for all nonfatal injury and illness cases (68.2%). Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 8% of fracture cases and Hispanic workers accounted for 15.9%-both smaller proportions than reported for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Severity
How did fracture cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases when measured by days away from work in 2001?
 | Figure 2-134 Distribution of fracture cases and all nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in private industry by days away from work, 2001. In 2001, fracture cases involved more long-term work loss (11-20 or more days away from work) than all nonfatal injuries and illnesses (63.9% versus 39.4%). Fracture cases involved a median of 21 days away from work-3.5 times the median of 6 days for all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Occupation
How did fracture cases compare with all nonfatal injury and illness cases by occupation in 2001?
 | Figure 2-135 Distribution of fracture 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 (63.9%) of all fracture cases in 2001: operators, fabricators, and laborers and precision production, craft, and repair. These two groups accounted for 57.8% of all nonfatal injury and illness cases. (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
Industry
How did the rate of fracture cases differ by private industry sector in 2001?
 | Figure 2-136 Incidence rate of fracture cases by private industry sector, 2001. Private industry reported an incidence rate of 11.9 per 10,000 full-time workers for fracture cases in 2001. Incidence rates exceeding the private-sector rate were reported for construction (32.5 per 10,000 full-time workers or 19,786 cases), mining (25.4 per 10,000 full-time workers or 1,505 cases), agriculture, forestry, and fishing (21.7 per 10,000 full-time workers or 3,260 cases), transportation and public utilities (20.9 per 10,000 full-time workers or 13,758 cases), and manufacturing (13.0 per 10,000 full-time workers or 22,493 cases). (Source: BLS [2003a].) |
How did the rates of fracture cases change by private industry sector during 1992–2001?
 | Figure 2-137 Annual rates of fracture cases involving days away from work by private industry sector, 1992-2001. The annual rate of fracture cases in the private sector declined 36.7% during 1992-2001. Rate reductions occurred among each of the major industry sectors. Three sectors (construction, mining, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing) had higher rates than other industry sectors during this 10-year period. They experienced rate reductions of 38.9%, 35.5%, and 33.6%, respectively. (Sources: BLS [2003a,b].) |
