0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

Total cases

Cases without lost workdays

Lost workday cases

Cases with days away from work

A total of 6.1 million injuries and illnesses occurred in private industry work places during 1997,

resulting in a rate of 7.1 cases for every 100 equivalent full-time workers. This was the lowest

rate ever recorded and the first time that injury and illness rates declined 5 years in a row.

Occupational injury and illness incidence rates by type of case, 1980-97 
Occupational injury and illness incidence rates for total recordable 

cases, private industry, 1980-97

0

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

The 1992-97 decline in rates per 100 full-time workers for both goods-producing and 

service-producing industries (20 and 19 percent, respectively) about matched the 

decrease in the overall rate over the same period.

Goods-producing

industries

All industries

Service-producing

industries

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998
0

1

2

3

4

5

1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

Lost workday cases

Cases with days away from work

Cases with days of restricted 

work activity only

The incidence rate for lost workday cases has declined steadily from 4.1 cases per

100 full-time workers in 1990 to 3.3 cases per 100 full-time workers in 1997. Rates 

for the two types of lost workdays cases moved in opposite directions, however.

Lost workday case incidence rates, injuries and illnesses, 1976-97
Nonfatal workplace injury and illness incidence rates by 

industry division, 1993-97

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Agriculture,

forestry, and

fishing

Mining Construction Manufacturing Transportation

& public utilities

Trade Finance,

insurance, &

real estate

Services

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

Rates per 100 full-time workers declined from 1993 to 1997 in most industry divisions.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998
Total case incidence rates for all private industries,

construction, and manufacturing, 1974-97

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

In 1997, the overall rate in construction remained below the rate in manufacturing.

Construction

Manufacturing

All private industries
Total case incidence rates for injuries only by 

establishment employment size group, 1997

0

2

4

6

8

10

1- 10 11 - 49 50 - 249 250 - 999 1000+

Incidence rates per 100 full-time workers

Establishment employment size groups

Nationwide, injury rates generally are higher for mid-size establishments

employing 50 to 249 workers than for smaller or larger establishments,

although this pattern does not hold within certain industry divisions.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

All establishments = 6.6
Hospitals

Eating and

drinking places

Nursing and

personal care

facilities

Grocery stores

Motor vehicles

and equipment

manufacturing

Department

stores

Trucking and

courier services,

except air

Air transportation,

scheduled

Hotels and motels

All other private

industries

Nine industries, each having at least 100,000 injuries, accounted

 for about 1.7 million injuries, or 30 percent of the 5.7 million total.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

Industries with at least 100,000 nonfatal injury

cases, 1997
Manufacturing

Services

Finance,

insurance,

& real estate

Trade

Transportation

& public utilities

Construction

Agriculture,

forestry,

& fishing

Mining

Manufacturing accounted for three-fifths of all newly reported

occupational illnesses for private industry in 1997.

Source: Bureau o Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

Nonfatal workplace illnesses by industry division, 1997
Total nonfatal cases in 1997:

injuries versus illnesses

Nonfatal illness cases by

selected categories, 1997

6,146,000 cases 430,000 cases

Injuries

5,716,000

cases

Illnesses

430,000

cases

Disorders

associated

with

repeated

trauma

Skin

diseases

All other

workrelated

illnesses

Of the 6.1 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses reported in 1997, 5.7 million were injuries, i.e., cases that resulted

in either lost work-time, medical treatment other than first aid, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or 

motion, or transfer to another job. The remainder of these private industry cases (430,000 cases) were workrelated illnesses. Sixty-four percent (277,000 cases) of the workplace illnesses were disorders associated with 

repeated trauma, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Source: Bureau o Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998
Occupational illness cases, private industry, 1976-97

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Number of cases (in thousands)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor

December 1998

Total illness cases

Disorders associated

with repeated trauma

All other illnesses

Disorders associated with repeated trauma declined for 3 consecutive years, 1995-97. 

About 277,000 cases were reported in 1997 compared with a high of 332,000 cases in 1994.