May 4, 1999 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Five days away from work is median
for injury or illness
In 1997, the median number of days away from
work for an occupational injury or illness was 5 days. This key measure of severity of
workplace injuries and illness designates the point at which half of the cases involved
more days and half involved fewer days.
![Median days away from work due to occupational injury or illness by selected type of injury or illness, event or exposure, and occupation, 1997](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120925094239im_/http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/1999/May/wk1/art02.gif)
[Chart data—TXT]
Median days away from work were highest for carpel tunnel syndrome (25 days), fractures
(21 days), and amputations (18 days) among the major types of disabling injuries and
illnesses. Among the events and exposures leading to injury, repetitive motion, such as
grasping tools, scanning groceries, and typing, resulted in the longest absences from work
with a median of 17 days.
Truck drivers had the highest median days away from work (9 days), followed by
carpenters, plumbers, and pipe fitters, public transportation attendants, and butchers and
meat cutters (each with 8 days). Workers injured in mining had the highest median days
away from work among the major industry divisions (18 days).
These data are a product of the BLS Safety and
Health Statistics program. For a summary of lost-worktime injuries and illnesses in
1997, see "Lost-worktime
injuries and illnesses decline from 1993 to 1997", The Editor's Desk.
Additional information is available from news release USDL 99-102, "Lost-worktime Injuries and
Illnesses: Characteristics and Resulting Time Away From Work, 1997."
Of interest
Spotlight on Statistics: National Hispanic Heritage Month
In this Spotlight, we take a look at the Hispanic labor force—including labor force participation, employment and unemployment, educational attainment, geographic location, country of birth, earnings, consumer expenditures, time use, workplace injuries, and employment projections.
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Read more »