December 19, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Rate of on-the-job injuries and illnesses at record low

The incidence rate for on-the-job injuries and illnesses declined to 6.1 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers in 2000, from 6.3 cases in 1999.

 

[Chart data—TXT]

In the 5 years between 1995 and 2000 the incidence rate dropped from 8.1 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers to 6.1 cases, a 25 percent decline. The rate for 2000 was the lowest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began reporting this information in the early 1970s.

There were a total of 5.7 million injuries and illnesses reported in private industry workplaces during 2000. Employers reported about the same number of cases in 1999. An increase in hours worked yielded the lower incidence rate.

The BLS Injuries, Illnesses and Fatalities Program produced these data. Find more information on occupational injuries and illnesses in 2000 in "Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 2000," news release USDL 01-472.