March 31, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, 2003

Goods-producing industries such as construction and manufacturing made up about 21 percent of private industry employment in 2003 but accounted for 31 percent of the injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work.

[Chart data—TXT]

This is in contrast to service-providing industries, which made up 79 percent of private industry employment and accounted for 69 percent of the most severe injuries and illnesses.

In the goods-producing sector, contact with objects and equipment—such as being struck by an object—was the most prevalent cause of injuries and illnesses with days away from work. In the service-providing sector, the leading causes were overexertion (especially overexertion by lifting), falls on the same level, and contact with objects and equipment.

These data are from the BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. Additional information is available from "Lost-Worktime Injuries and Illnesses: Characteristics and Resulting Days Away From Work, 2003" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 05-521. 

Note on industry classification: Beginning with the 2003 reference year, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses began using the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Prior to 2003, the program used the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The substantial differences between these systems result in breaks in series for industry data. Users are advised against making comparisons between the 2003 industry categories and the results from previous years.