October 20, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Injuries and illnesses rates down again in 2005

Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred at a rate of 4.6 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers among private industry employers in 2005. This was a decline from the 2004 rate of 4.8 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers.

[Chart data—TXT]

Goods-producing industries as a whole had an injury and illness incidence rate of 6.2 cases per 100 full-time workers, while service-providing industries had a rate of 4.1 cases per 100 full-time workers. The incidence rate for goods-producing industries declined by 0.3 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers and the rate for service-providing industries fell by 0.1 case per 100 equivalent full-time workers compared to the rates reported for 2004.

Among goods-producing industry sectors, incidence rates during 2005 ranged from 3.6 cases per 100 full-time workers in mining to 6.3 cases per 100 full-time workers in construction and in manufacturing. Among service-providing industry sectors, incidence rates ranged from 1.0 case per 100 full-time workers in finance and insurance to 7.0 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 2005" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 06-1816.