skip navigational links Occupational Safety & Health Administration DOL.gov OSHA.gov DOL.gov
www.OSHA.gov
«« Back to the DEP Target Industry Profiles Page

OSHA logo
Profile: Profile: Landscape and Horticultural Services
Workers in bucket truck; worker with chainsaw felling a tree; Backhoe with loader bucket

Office of General Industry Enforcement

Table of Contents
Industry Group 078 - Landscape and Horticultural Services

Industry Description:

This SIC category encompasses a wide range of services. Included in this category are establishments engaged in landscape architecture garden planning, lawn mowing and fertilizing, sod laying, garden planting, arborist services, line-clearance tree trimming, and ornamental tree planting, just to name a few.


BLS Profile
Total Recordable Case Rate (Industry Group - 078)
Year Annual
1995 10.5
1996 9.0
1997 8.9
1998 9.1
1999 7.0
2000 6.7
2001 7.0
2002 5.9*
2003 5.2**
2004 6.8
graph: Total Recordable Case Rate
Lost Workday Case Rate (Industry Group 078)
Year Annual
1995 4.6
1996 4.5
1997 4.6
1998 5.2
1999 3.8
2000 3.5
2001 3.8
2002 3.3*
2003 3.1**
2004 3.7
graph: Lost Workday Case Rate
Cases with Days Away Rate (Industry Group 078)
Year Annual
1995 4.0
1996 3.4
1997 3.5
1998 4.3
1999 2.9
2000 2.6
2001 3.0
2002 2.3*
2003 2.4**
2004 2.6
graph: Cases with Days Away Rate
Fatality Total for NAICS Groups 56173 (2004): 169


* Effective January 1, 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its requirements for recording occupational injuries and illnesses. Due to the revised recordkeeping rule, the estimates from the 2002 survey are not comparable with those from previous years, thus resulting in the discontinuous graph lines.

** Beginning with the 2003 reference year, the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses began using the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Prior to 2003, the survey used the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The substantial differences between these systems result in breaks in series for industry data. This data is not reflected on the accompanying chart.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (National Data)


National Summary by Region
NAICS 56173
Regions Establishments with 10 or more employees
Establishments Employees
1 122 2865
2 188 4493
3 101 4520
4 249 8894
5 219 7629
6 173 6550
7 75 2791
8 54 1419
9 N/A N/A
10 11 279

Establishment and employment counts come from Dunn & Bradstreet, March 2006.


Inspection Summary
FY 2005
Federal OSHA Inspection Data
Industry Group 078
Federal Data Only I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X Total
Total Inspections

Safety
Health		 28

27
1		 25

24
1		 18

16
2		 73

60
13		 35

32
3		 23

20
3		 12

11
1		 33

31
2		 2

2
0		 6

5
1		 255

228
27
Inspections By Type

Unprogrammed
  Accidents
  Complaints
  Referrals
  Monitoring
  Variance
  Follow-Up
  Unprog. Related
  Other

Programmed
  Planned
  Prog. Related
  Other

23
3
4
16
0
0
0
0
0

5
4
0
1

16
2
2
8
0
0
2
2
0

9
8
1
0

13
4
2
5
0
0
0
2
0

5
4
1
0

31
17
5
6
0
0
0
3
0

42
42
0
0

21
2
15
3
0
0
1
0
0

14
14
0
0

20
11
4
3
0
0
2
0
0

3
3
0
0

12
4
4
4
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

10
0
8
1
0
0
0
1
0

23
22
1
0

1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0

1
0
1
0

3
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0

3
1
2
0

150
43
45
49
0
0
5
8
0

105
98
6
1
Source: IMIS Database

Top 10 Violations Cited
Standard # Cited # Insp Description
1910.132 51 42 Personal Protective Equipment
1910.1200 49 23 Hazard Communication
5(a)(1) 43 38 General Duty Clause
1910.67 31 27 Vehicle-Mounted Elevating/Rotating Work Platforms
1910.133 24 24 Eye & Face Protection
1910.269 22 12 Electric Power Gen/Tran/Dist.
1910.135 17 17 Occupational Head Protection
1910.266 17 6 Pulpwood Logging
1910.305 16 7 Electrical Wiring Methods, Components
1904.39 10 10 Fatality/Multiple Hospitalization Accident Report
Source: IMIS Database - FY 2005 (Federal Only)
Average Number of Employees per Establishment: N/A

Percent Small Establishments: N/A


Some Potential Hazards and Their Sources
Hazard Source
Sprains and strains Manual handling of landscaping tools and materials
Electrical Hazards Working in proximity to overhead power lines
Noise Powered equipment such as chainsaws, chippers, and trenchers
Heat Stress Working for extended periods of time outdoors
Falls Working from bucket trucks, working in trees
Struck-by Working around motor vehicles, overhead hazards


Average Case and Demographic Characteristics
Average cases per year, 1995-2000 13,025
Demographics of worker Sex 95.7% men
Age 38.3% ages 25-34
22.7% ages 35-44
21.9% ages 20-24
17.1% other
Length of service with
employer		 49.6% less than one year
32.3% 1-5 years
18.1% more than 5 years
Race/ethnic origin 52.4% white non-Hispanic
25.8% Hispanic - any race
21.8% other
Characteristics of
injury/illness		 Days away from work 52.7% 1-5 days
31.3% 6-30 days
16.0% 31 or more days
Nature of
injury/illness		 36.1% sprains/strains
22.0% "all other" natures
16.9% cuts/lacerations/punctures
Part of body affected 24.0% arms/wrists/hands/fingers
23.3% legs/knees/feet/toes
22.3% back
30.3% other
Source of
injury/illness		 27.4% "all other" sources
13.2% hand tools
12.9% floors/ground surfaces
12.2% worker motion/position
10.3% machinery
9.2% vehicles
Event or exposure 21.2% over-exertion
17.6% struck by object
11.1% "all other" events/exposure
10.8% struck against object
Source: OSHA Office of Statistical Analysis compilation of BLS data

Note: The percentages on this table do not sum to 100%. Only the most frequently coded characteristics are listed. The "All Other" category should not be interpreted as being all inclusive of the categories not listed above.


2003 BLS Industry Data for
NAICS 561730 - LANDSCAPE SERVICES
All Reported Cases

 11500
Nature of Illness or Injury
Sprains, Strains
Fractures
Cuts, Punctures
Bruises
Heat Burns
Chemical Burns
Amputations
Carpal Tunnel
Tendonitis
Mult Trauma Total
Mult Trauma With Fracture
Mult Trauma With Sprain
Back Pain Total
Back Pain Hurt Back Only
All Other

 Number
3990
560
1920
950
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
530
N/A
N/A
670
250
2600
 % Total
34.7
4.9
16.7
8.3
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
4.6
N/A
N/A
5.8
2.2
22.6
Part of Body Affected
Head Total
Eyes
Neck
Trunk Total
Trunk Back
Trunk Shoulder
Upper Extremities Total
Upper Extremities Finger
Upper Extremities Hand
Upper Extremities Wrist
Lower Extremities Total
Lower Extremities Knee
Lower Extremities Foot Toe
Body Systems
Multiple Body Parts
All Other Body Parts

 Number
1400
700
N/A
3540
2180
700
2440
950
820
N/A
2660
760
340
N/A
1090
N/A		 % Total
12.2
6.1
N/A
30.8
19.0
6.1
21.2
8.3
7.1
N/A
23.1
6.6
3.0
N/A
9.5
N/A
Source of Injury or Illness
Chem And Chem Products
Containers
Furniture And Fixtures
Machinery
Parts And Materials
Worker Motion
Floors Walkways
Handtools
Vehicle
Health Care Patient
All Other Sources

 Number
N/A
490
N/A
990
730
1340
2200
1700
1110
N/A
2760
 % Total
N/A
4.3
N/A
8.6
6.3
11.7
19.1
14.8
9.7
N/A
24.0
Sex
Men
Women
Sex Not Reported

 Number
10980
520
N/A
 % Total
95.5
4.5
N/A
Age
Under 14
14 to 15
16 to 19
20 to 24
25 to 34
35 to 44
45 to 54
55 to 64
65 And Over
Not Reported

 Number
N/A
N/A
600
2800
3450
2510
1640
410
N/A
N/A
 % Total
N/A
N/A
5.2
24.3
30.0
21.8
14.3
3.6
N/A
N/A
Race
White Non Hispanic
Black Non Hispanic
Hispanic
Asian
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
American Indian
Multirace
Race Not Reported

 Number
6220
260
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1681		 % Total
54.1
2.3
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
11.91
Length of Service
Less Than 3 Months
3 to 11 Months
1 to 5 years
More Than 5 Years
Service Not Reported

 Number
2070
3380
4060
2000
N/A
 % Total
18.0
29.4
35.3
17.4
N/A
Days away from work
1 Day
2 Days
3 to 5 Days
6 to 10 Days
11 to 20 Days
21 to 30 Days
31 Days Or More
Median Days Away

 Number
1570
540
1670
1920
1940
1030
2840
12
 % Total
13.7
4.7
14.5
16.7
16.9
9.0
24.7
N/A
Event/Exposure Leading to Injury
Total Contact With Objects
Struck By Object
Struck Against Object
Caught In Object
Fall to Lower Level
Fall On Same Level
Slips Or Trips
Overexertion Total
Overexertion In Lifting
Repetitive Motion
Exposure to Harmful Substance
Transportation Accidents
Fires And Explosions
Total Assaults - Violent Acts
Assaults By Person
All Other Assaults
All Other Events

 Number
4330
2630
870
420
1170
770
350
1980
1040
N/A
540
850
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
1290		 % Total
37.7
22.9
7.6
3.7
10.2
6.7
3.0
17.2
9.0
N/A
4.7
7.4
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
11.2


Photo Credits
  1. All photos obtained from the International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign, Illinois.


Back to Top Back to Top www.osha.gov www.dol.gov
Contact Us | Freedom of Information Act | Customer Survey
Privacy and Security Statement | Disclaimers
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210