News Notes: Recent Workplace Injury And Illness Statistics Released

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2002, private-industry employers recorded 4.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, or 5.3 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers. About 2.5 million of the recorded cases involved lost workdays, transfer to another job, restriction of work duties, or a combination. The other 2.2 million cases didn’t result in lost worktime. The agency also reports the injury and illness rates for midsized businesses (those with 50 to 249 employees) were generally higher than those for small and large companies. You can read the report at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf.