Worker Health Chartbook 2004

During the past 32 years, major advances have been made in recognizing, evaluating, and preventing occupational injuries, illnesses, and deaths. All have declined significantly. Despite these changes, unnecessary morbidity and mortality from occupational health hazards remain a significant burden to our workers, their families, and employers. The costs to our national health care system and the economy are substantial.

More than 146.5 million people make up the civilian labor force, and more than 137.7 million of them were employed in 2003 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. About 7.3 million of these workers held more than one job. The U.S. labor force is becoming older and more diverse, and the supply of labor and jobs is shifting from goods-producing industries to services. Use of temporary, contract, and contingent laborers has increased along with alternative work arrangements such as job sharing and part-time work. These changes in the labor force and the nature of work present new challenges to assuring the safety and health of Americans in the workplace.

This 2004 edition of the Worker Health Chartbook builds on the foundation established in the first edition, published in 2000. The Chartbook is intended as a resource for technical and nontechnical audiences, including agencies, organizations, employers, researchers, workers, and others with a need to know about occupational injury, illness, and death.

The Chartbook includes more than 400 figures and tables focusing on worker health and the injury and illness statistics that measure the health of workers. Contributors include Federal and State agencies as well as nonprofit organizations; they have provided data from national and State surveys and program data sources. Contributing data sources and organizations include the following:

The Chartbook is organized around five chapters, three appendices, a glossary, and an index. Chapter 1 includes an introduction and provides information about the demographic characteristics of U.S. workers, worker health status, and characteristics of injured and ill workers. Data from BLS are used in this chapter and extensively throughout the Chartbook for tables and figures. Chapter 2 focuses on more than 30 health outcomes (fatal and nonfatal injuries as well as selected illnesses and conditions) and provides data describing the magnitude, distribution, and major demographic characteristics of cases. Chapter 3 focuses on agriculture and presents data on this sector’s fatal and nonfatal injuries among adults and children as well as selected data on farm workers. Chapter 4 focuses on high-risk industries and occupations; it reflects NIOSH research priorities in the areas of mining and construction. Chapter 5 addresses special populations by exploring occupational injury and illness data on young workers, older workers, and Hispanic workers. All figures and tables were prepared from public statistical or surveillance program data sources and refer the reader to the appropriate data and sources of analysis.

Appendix A provides information about the 21 survey and surveillance programs used by the contributors. In addition to brief descriptions of these programs, this appendix provides program contacts and reference citations to enable user follow-up. Appendix B provides information about data and analysis methods. This appendix discusses data limitations and reinforces the cautionary guides that accompany the dissemination of selected source data. These limits are often overlooked by casual users, especially in the context of reviewing extensive summary tables or reports. Appendix C is a bibliography containing a variety of reference materials from the public domain, including data tables, report forms and documentation, government news releases, and research articles. The glossary briefly discusses basic definitions for many terms used throughout the Chartbook.

The reference character of the Chartbook is enhanced by a comprehensive index, which includes key words and phrases that permit users to locate data readily in the many figures and tables.

For answers to questions about the Chartbook, please contact

John P. Sestito
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway, R–12
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226–1998

Telephone: (513) 841–4208
E-mail: JSestito@cdc.gov

or

R. Alan Lunsford
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway, R–7
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226–1998

Telephone: (513) 841–4253
E-mail: RLunsford@cdc.gov

Foreword

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