Worker Health Chartbook 2004

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1		Figure 1-22 Number of illness cases in private industry by type of illness, 1972-2001. Since 1972, BLS data illustrate significant variation in the number of reported illness cases. From 1972 to 1982, the number of illness cases declined gradually from 210,500 to 105,600. This number increased and peaked sharply in 1994 at 514,700 cases. The number of cases declined steadily to 333,800 in 2001. Disorders associated with repeated trauma declined for 7 consecutive years dating from 1995. About 216,400 cases were reported in 2001, compared with a high of 332,100 cases in 1994. (Source: BLS [2002b].)
2		Figure 1-23 Incidence rates of occupational illness in private industry by illness category, 1984-2001. Since first reporting illness category rates in 1984, BLS has tracked the steep increase in overall illness rates that began in the mid-1980s and peaked in 1994. The overall pattern reflects the trends for disorders associated with repeated trauma. (Source: BLS [2002b].)
3		Figure 1-24 Incidence rates of occupational illness in private industry by illness category other than disorders associated with repeated trauma, 1984-2001. Rates for other categories of illness were smaller than for disorders associated with repeated trauma. These diseases and disorders represent approximately one-third of all reported occupational illnesses. Skin diseases or disorders have consistently accounted for 12%-14% of all occupational illness cases, with rates ranging from 8.2 to 4.3 per 10,000 full-time workers between 1992 and 2001. (Source: BLS [2002b].)
4		Figure 2-147 Number of occupational disorders due to physical agents in private industry, 1972-2001. The number of BLS-estimated disorders due to physical agents ranged from a high of approximately 30,100 cases in 1972 to a low of 8,300 cases in 1982. In 2001, BLS reported 14,600 cases. The pattern of increases and decreases after 1984 seems to parallel disorders associated with repeated trauma, though at substantially lower orders of magnitude. (Source: BLS [2002].)
5		Figure 2-148 Incidence rates for occupational disorders due to physical agents in private industry, 1984-2001. BLS reported rates of disorders due to physical agents ranging from 1.3 to 2.9 per 10,000 full-time workers during 1984-2001. The rate was 1.6 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2001. Disorders due to physical agents accounted for approximately 4% of all reported illness cases. The pattern of rate increases and decreases after 1984 seems to parallel disorders associated with repeated trauma. (Source: BLS [2002].)
6		Figure 2-149 Number of occupational disorders due to physical agents in private industry by State, 2001. In 2001, the number of disorders due to physical agents within reporting States ranged from fewer than 50 cases to 1,300. States with the highest numbers included California (1,300), Michigan (1,200), Indiana (800), Illinois (700), and Wisconsin (700). (Source: BLS [2002].)
7		Figure 2-150 Incidence rates for occupational disorders due to physical agents in private industry by State, 2001. Rates of occupational disorders due to physical agents vary among the States from a reported low of 0.2 per 10,000 full-time workers in Delaware to a high of 4.1 in Nebraska. The U.S. rate was 1.6 per 10,000 full-time workers. (Source: BLS [2002].)

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