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Technical information: (202) 606-6179 USDL 98-494

Media information: (202) 606-5902 For release: 10 A.M. EST

Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/oshhome.htm Thursday, December 17, 1998

WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES IN 1997

A total of 6.1 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces

during 1997, resulting in a rate of 7.1 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to a

survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The number of cases was

about the same as in 1996, although hours worked increased 3 percent. As a result, the case rate

declined from 7.4 in 1996 to 7.1 in 1997. The rate for 1997 was the lowest since the Bureau

began reporting this information in the early 1970s. (See “Background of the Survey” section

for a discussion of the factors that can influence rate changes from one survey to the next.)

The following tabulation on incidence rates for injuries and illnesses shows the decline in

rates per 100 full-time workers since 1993:

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

 Private industry 8.5 8.4 8.1 7.4 7.1

 Goods-producing 11.9 11.9 11.2 10.2 9.9

 Service-producing 7.1 6.9 6.7 6.2 5.9

Among goods-producing industries, manufacturing had the highest incidence rate in 1997

(10.3 cases per 100 full-time workers). (See chart 1 and table 1.) Within the service-producing

sector, the highest incidence rate was reported for transportation and public utilities (8.2 cases

per 100 full-time workers), followed by wholesale and retail trade (6.7 cases per 100 workers).

This release is the second in a series of three releases covering 1997 from the BLS safety

and health statistical series. The first release, in August 1998, covered work-related fatalities

from the 1997 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. In April 1999, a third release will

provide details on the more seriously injured and ill workers (occupation, age, gender, race, and

length of service) and on the circumstances of their injuries and illnesses (nature of the disabling

condition, part of body affected, event or exposure, and primary source producing the disability).

"More seriously" is defined in this survey as involving days away from work.
2

Chart 1. 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

Chart 2. Nonfatal workplace injury and illness incidence rates by type

of case, 1980-97

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

Total cases

Cases without lost workdays

Cases with days away from work Lost workday cases
3

Lost workday cases

About 2.9 million injuries and illnesses in 1997 were lost workday cases, that is, they

required recuperation away from work or restricted duties at work, or both. (See table 2.) 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 workers in 1997. (See chart 2.) The rate for cases with

days away from work has declined for seven years in a row and, at 2.1 cases per 100 full-time

workers in 1997, was the lowest on record. By contrast, the rate for cases involving only

restricted work activity rose from 0.7 cases per 100 workers in 1990 to 1.2 cases in 1997. (See

chart 3.) The latter types of cases may involve shortened hours, a temporary job change, or

temporary restrictions on certain duties (for example, no heavy lifting) of a worker’s regular job.

In 1997, the rates in manufacturing for days-away-from-work cases and restricted-activity-only

cases were the same (2.4 per 100 full-time workers); in all other divisions, the rate for daysaway-from-work cases was higher than the rate for restricted-activity-only cases.

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

Lost workday cases

Cases with days away from work

Cases with days of restricted

work activity only

Chart 3. Lost workday case incidence rates, injuries and illnesses, 1976-97
4

Injuries and Illnesses

Injuries. Of the 6.1 million nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in 1997, 5.7

million were injuries that resulted in either lost worktime, medical treatment other than first aid,

loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or transfer to another job. Injury rates

generally are higher for mid-size establishments (those employing 50 to 249 workers) than for

smaller or larger establishments, although this pattern does not hold within certain industry

divisions. (See table 3.) 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. (See table 4.) All but one of

these industries were in the service-producing sector.

Illnesses. There were about 430,000 newly reported cases of occupational illnesses in

private industry in 1997. Manufacturing accounted for three-fifths of these cases. (See table 5.)

Disorders associated with repeated trauma, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and noise-induced

hearing loss, accounted for 4 percent of the 6.1 million workplace injuries and illnesses. They

were, however, the dominant type of illness reported, making up 64 percent of the 430,000 total

illness cases. (See “Background of the Survey” section for limitations on kinds of illnesses

reported.) Seventy-two percent of the repeated trauma cases were in manufacturing industries.

Background of the Survey

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses is a Federal/State program in which

employer reports are collected from about 164,000 private industry establishments and processed

by state agencies cooperating with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational injury and

illness data for coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and for railroad activities were provided by the

Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Department of

Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration. The survey measures nonfatal injuries and

illnesses only. The survey excludes the self-employed; farms with fewer than 11 employees;

private households; and employees in federal, state, and local government agencies.

The annual survey provides estimates of the number and frequency (incidence rates) of

workplace injuries and illnesses based on logs kept by private industry employers during the

year. These records reflect not only the year’s injury and illness experience, but also the

employer’s understanding of which cases are work related under current recordkeeping

guidelines of the U.S. Department of Labor. The number of injuries and illnesses reported in any

given year also can be influenced by the level of economic activity, working conditions and work

practices, worker experience and training, and the number of hours worked.

The survey measures the number of new work-related illness cases which are recognized,

diagnosed, and reported during the year. Some conditions (for example, long-term latent

illnesses caused by exposure to carcinogens) often are difficult to relate to the workplace and are

not adequately recognized and reported. These long-term latent illnesses are believed to be

understated in the survey’s illness measures. In contrast, the overwhelming majority of the

reported new illnesses are those that are easier to directly relate to workplace activity (for

example, contact dermatitis or carpal tunnel syndrome).
5

Establishments are classified in industry categories based on the 1987 Standard Industrial

Classification (SIC) Manual, as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. In the

trucking and warehousing and transportation by air industries, SIC coding changes that were

introduced with the 1996 BLS Covered Employment and Wages program were incorporated into

the estimates for the 1996 survey. Because of these changes, estimates for 1996 and 1997 for the

following industries are not comparable to estimates for prior years: trucking and warehousing

(SIC 42); trucking and courier services, excluding air (SIC 421); public warehousing and storage

(SIC 422); trucking terminal facilities (SIC 423); transportation by air (SIC 45); air

transportation, scheduled (SIC 451); air transportation, nonscheduled (SIC 452); transportation

services (SIC 47); freight transportation arrangement (SIC 473); and miscellaneous

transportation services (SIC 478). In addition, the 1996 and 1997 estimates for transportation

and public utilities may have more variability than those for prior years.

The survey estimates of occupational injuries and illnesses are based on a scientifically

selected probability sample, rather than a census of the entire population. Because the data are

based on a sample survey, the injury and illness estimates probably differ from the figures that

would be obtained from all units covered by the survey. To determine the precision of each

estimate, a standard error was calculated. The standard error defines a range (confidence

interval) around the estimate. The approximate 95-percent confidence interval is the estimate

plus or minus twice the standard error. The standard error also can be expressed as a percent of

the estimate, or the relative standard error. For example, the 95-percent confidence interval for

an incidence rate of 6.5 per 100 full-time workers with a relative standard error of 1.0 percent

would be 6.5 plus or minus 2 percent (2 times 1.0 percent) or 6.37 to 6.63. One can be 95

percent confident that the “true” incidence rate falls within the confidence interval. The 1997

incidence rate for all occupational injuries and illnesses of 7.1 per 100 full-time workers in

private industry has an estimated relative standard error of about 0.8 percent. A relative standard

error was calculated for each estimate from the survey and will be published in a BLS bulletin

that is scheduled to be available at a later date.

The data also are subject to nonsampling error. The inability to obtain information about

all cases in the sample, mistakes in recording or coding the data, and definition difficulties are

examples of nonsampling error in the survey. Nonsampling errors are not measured. However,

BLS has implemented quality assurance procedures to minimize nonsampling error in the

survey.

The goods-producing sector consists of the following industry divisions: agriculture,

forestry, and fishing; mining; construction; and manufacturing. The service-producing sector

includes the following industry divisions: transportation and public utilities; trade; finance,

insurance, and real estate; and services.

BLS has generated estimates of injuries and illnesses combined and of injuries

alone for nearly all 2-, 3-, and, for manufacturing, 4-digit private sector industries

as defined in the 1987 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification Manual.

Because of space limitations, a complete listing of these estimates is not possible

in this release. The information is available from BLS staff on 202-606-6179.
TABLE 1. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997

Industry2 SIC

code3

1997

Annual

average

employment4

(000’s)

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Private industry7 ................................................... 101,666.5 7.1 3.3 2.1 3.8 6.6 3.1 2.0 3.5

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing7 .................. 1,765.4 8.4 4.1 3.0 4.2 7.9 4.0 2.9 3.9

Agricultural production7 .................................... 01-02 763.2 9.1 4.7 3.4 4.4 8.7 4.5 3.3 4.2

Agricultural production—crops7 ...................... 01 582.6 8.5 4.5 3.2 4.0 8.1 4.3 3.1 3.7

Agricultural production—livestock7 ................. 02 180.6 11.4 5.5 4.0 6.0 10.9 5.2 3.9 5.7

Agricultural services ....................................... 07 964.0 7.9 3.8 2.7 4.1 7.5 3.6 2.6 3.8

Forestry .......................................................... 08 26.0 6.0 2.9 2.3 3.1 5.8 2.9 2.3 2.8

Fishing, hunting, and trapping ........................ 09 12.1 8.1 5.3 5.0 2.8 7.7 5.2 5.0 2.5

Mining8 .............................................................. 595.9 5.9 3.7 2.9 – 5.7 3.7 2.9 –

Metal mining8 .................................................. 10 53.4 4.9 2.8 1.7 2.1 4.7 2.7 1.6 2.0

Coal mining8 ................................................... 12 95.9 7.8 5.6 5.2 2.1 7.4 5.4 5.0 2.0

Oil and gas extraction ..................................... 13 338.0 5.9 3.7 ––––––

Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels 8 .............. 14 108.6 4.7 2.9 2.2 1.8 4.6 2.8 2.1 1.8

Construction ..................................................... 5,637.1 9.5 4.4 3.6 5.0 9.3 4.4 3.6 5.0

General building contractors ........................... 15 1,309.1 8.5 3.7 3.1 4.8 8.4 3.7 3.1 4.7

Heavy construction, except building ............... 16 791.9 8.7 4.3 3.4 4.4 8.6 4.2 3.3 4.4

Special trade contractors ................................ 17 3,536.0 10.0 4.7 3.9 5.3 9.9 4.7 3.9 5.2

Manufacturing ................................................... 18,656.9 10.3 4.8 2.4 5.4 8.9 4.2 2.2 4.7

Durable goods .................................................. 10,999.2 11.3 5.1 2.6 6.2 9.8 4.5 2.4 5.3

Lumber and wood products ............................ 24 796.6 13.5 6.5 3.9 6.9 12.8 6.2 3.8 6.6

Furniture and fixtures ...................................... 25 510.8 12.0 5.8 2.8 6.1 11.0 5.3 2.6 5.7

Stone, clay, and glass products ...................... 32 551.7 11.8 5.7 3.3 6.1 11.1 5.4 3.1 5.7

Primary metal industries ................................. 33 710.6 15.0 7.2 3.7 7.8 13.8 6.7 3.5 7.0

Fabricated metal products .............................. 34 1,479.7 14.2 6.4 3.6 7.8 13.0 5.9 3.3 7.1

Industrial machinery and equipment ............... 35 2,166.5 10.0 4.1 2.3 5.9 9.1 3.7 2.1 5.4

Electronic and other electric equipment ......... 36 1,689.3 6.6 3.1 1.5 3.5 5.3 2.5 1.2 2.9

Transportation equipment ............................... 37 1,840.6 15.4 6.6 2.8 8.8 11.7 5.3 2.4 6.4

Instruments and related products ................... 38 862.6 4.8 2.3 1.2 2.5 3.6 1.7 1.0 1.9

Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......... 39 390.8 8.9 4.2 2.2 4.7 7.9 3.6 1.9 4.3

Nondurable goods ............................................ 7,657.7 8.8 4.4 2.0 4.3 7.5 3.8 1.8 3.7

Food and kindred products ............................. 20 1,690.7 14.5 8.0 3.2 6.5 11.7 6.3 2.9 5.3

Tobacco products ........................................... 21 41.2 5.9 2.7 1.7 3.2 5.6 2.7 1.6 2.9

Textile mill products ........................................ 22 616.3 6.7 3.1 1.0 3.6 5.7 2.8 1.0 2.9

Apparel and other textile products .................. 23 821.7 7.0 3.1 1.5 3.8 5.5 2.5 1.3 3.0

Paper and allied products ............................... 26 684.4 7.3 3.7 1.9 3.6 6.8 3.5 1.8 3.3

Printing and publishing ................................... 27 1,543.5 5.7 2.7 1.7 2.9 5.2 2.5 1.5 2.7

Chemicals and allied products ........................ 28 1,034.3 4.8 2.3 1.1 2.5 4.2 2.1 1.0 2.1

Petroleum and coal products .......................... 29 139.0 4.3 2.2 1.3 2.2 4.1 2.1 1.3 2.0

Rubber and miscellaneous plastics 

products .................................................... 30 996.1 11.9 5.8 2.7 6.0 10.9 5.3 2.5 5.6

Leather and leather products .......................... 31 90.4 10.6 4.3 2.2 6.3 8.3 3.4 1.9 4.8

See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 1. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997— Continued

Industry2 SIC

code3

1997

Annual

average

employment4

(000’s)

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Transportation and public utilities8 ................ 6,170.8 8.2 4.8 3.7 3.4 7.9 4.7 3.5 3.2

Railroad transportation8 .................................. 40 – 3.4 2.5 2.2 .9 3.4 2.5 2.1 .9

Local and interurban passenger transit .......... 41 433.3 8.0 4.2 3.4 3.8 7.8 4.1 3.3 3.7

Trucking and warehousing ............................. 42 1,669.0 10.0 5.4 4.4 4.6 9.9 5.4 4.3 4.5

Water transportation ....................................... 44 182.5 8.6 5.0 4.4 3.7 8.4 4.9 4.3 3.5

Transportation by air ....................................... 45 1,146.8 16.4 11.1 8.4 5.3 15.8 10.7 8.1 5.0

Pipelines, except natural gas .......................... 46 14.3 3.7 1.2 .7 2.5 3.4 1.2 .7 2.2

Transportation services .................................. 47 437.2 3.9 1.9 1.3 2.0 3.7 1.8 1.2 1.8

Communications ............................................. 48 1,419.4 3.4 1.9 1.4 1.4 2.9 1.7 1.3 1.2

Electric, gas, and sanitary services ................ 49 867.2 6.9 3.5 2.1 3.5 6.5 3.3 2.0 3.1

Wholesale and retail trade ............................... 28,583.6 6.7 3.0 2.0 3.7 6.5 2.9 1.9 3.6

Wholesale trade ................................................ 6,657.1 6.5 3.2 2.1 3.3 6.3 3.1 2.1 3.2

Wholesale trade—durable goods ................... 50 3,934.2 5.8 2.7 1.8 3.2 5.7 2.6 1.8 3.1

Wholesale trade—nondurable goods ............. 51 2,722.9 7.4 4.0 2.6 3.4 7.1 3.9 2.5 3.3

Retail trade ....................................................... 21,926.5 6.8 2.9 1.9 3.9 6.6 2.8 1.9 3.8

Building materials and garden supplies .......... 52 918.4 9.9 4.8 3.0 5.1 9.7 4.7 2.9 5.0

General merchandise stores .......................... 53 2,690.5 9.2 4.6 2.6 4.7 9.0 4.5 2.5 4.5

Food stores ..................................................... 54 3,471.5 8.9 3.7 2.8 5.2 8.6 3.5 2.6 5.1

Automotive dealers and service stations ........ 55 2,304.0 6.3 2.4 1.8 3.9 6.2 2.3 1.8 3.9

Apparel and accessory stores ........................ 56 1,115.5 3.6 1.5 .9 2.1 3.4 1.4 .9 2.0

Furniture and homefurnishings stores ............ 57 994.3 4.6 2.5 1.7 2.2 4.5 2.4 1.6 2.1

Eating and drinking places ............................. 58 7,643.4 6.5 2.4 1.6 4.1 6.4 2.4 1.6 4.0

Miscellaneous retail ........................................ 59 2,788.9 4.1 2.0 1.3 2.2 3.9 1.9 1.2 2.0

Finance, insurance, and real estate ................ 6,952.2 2.2 .9 .7 1.4 2.0 .8 .6 1.2

Depository institutions .................................... 60 2,025.5 1.8 .6 .5 1.2 1.6 .5 .4 1.1

Nondepository institutions .............................. 61 573.8 1.2 .5 – .8 1.1 – – .7

Security and commodity brokers .................... 62 596.6 .7 .2 .2 – – – .1 –

Insurance carriers ........................................... 63 1,398.1 2.2 .7 .6 1.5 1.6 .5 .4 1.1

Insurance agents, brokers, and service .......... 64 726.9 1.3 .5 ––––––

Real estate ..................................................... 65 1,412.4 4.7 2.2 1.8 2.6 4.6 2.1 1.7 2.5

Holding and other investment offices ............. 67 218.8 2.0 .6 .4 – – – .4 –

Services ............................................................. 33,304.8 5.6 2.5 1.7 3.1 5.3 2.4 1.6 2.9

Hotels and other lodging places ..................... 70 1,736.5 8.4 3.8 2.3 4.6 8.2 3.7 2.2 4.5

Personal services ........................................... 72 1,190.0 3.8 1.7 1.2 2.1 3.6 1.6 1.1 2.0

Business services ........................................... 73 8,004.7 3.6 1.7 1.2 1.9 3.5 1.7 1.1 1.8

Auto repair, services, and parking .................. 75 1,119.5 6.3 2.9 ––––––

Miscellaneous repair services ........................ 76 374.2 7.4 2.8 2.1 4.6 7.2 2.7 2.0 4.5

Motion pictures ............................................... 78 546.4 3.1 1.0 .6 2.2 3.0 .9 .6 2.1

Amusement and recreation services .............. 79 1,600.3 8.1 3.6 1.8 4.4 7.7 3.5 1.7 4.2

Health services ............................................... 80 9,659.2 8.4 3.7 2.5 4.7 7.9 3.6 2.4 4.3

Legal services ................................................. 81 947.9 .8 .3 .3 .5 .7 – .2 .5

Educational services ....................................... 82 1,532.0 2.9 1.1 .9 1.8 2.7 1.1 .9 1.6

Social services ................................................ 83 2,450.1 6.4 3.0 2.0 3.4 6.2 2.9 2.0 3.3

Museums, botanical, zoological gardens ........ 84 89.2 7.4 3.4 2.4 – 7.0 3.2 2.3 –

See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 1. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997— Continued

Industry2 SIC

code3

1997

Annual

average

employment4

(000’s)

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Total5

With

days

away

from

work6

Membership organizations ............................. 86 1,003.2 3.4 1.3 1.1 2.1 3.2 1.2 1.0 2.0

Engineering and management services ......... 87 3,002.2 1.9 .8 .5 1.1 1.7 .7 .5 1.0

Services, n.e.c. ............................................... 89 49.6 1.3 .8 .7 – 1.2 .8 .7 –

1 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100

full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where 

 

N = number of injuries and illnesses 

EH = total hours worked by all employees during 

 the calendar year 

200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers 

 (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).

2 Totals include data for industries not shown separately. 3 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition. 4 Employment is expressed as an annual average and is derived primarily

from the BLS-State Covered Employment and Wages program. Employment in

private households (SIC 88) is excluded. 5 Total lost workday cases involve days away from work, or days of restricted

work activity, or both.

6 Days-away-from-work cases include those which result in days away from

work with or without restricted work activity. 7 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. 8 Data conforming to OSHA definitions for mining operators in coal, metal, and

nonmetal mining and for employers in railroad transportation are provided to BLS

by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and the

Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Independent

mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining

industries.

 NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. 

n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified. – Indicates data not available. 

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
TABLE 2. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997

(thousands)

Industry1 SIC

code2

1997

Annual

average

employment3

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Private industry6 ................................................... 101,666.5 6,145.6 2,866.2 1,833.4 3,279.4 5,715.8 2,682.6 1,746.5 3,033.2

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing6 .................. 1,765.4 112.7 55.8 40.5 56.9 106.9 53.8 39.0 53.1

Agricultural production6 .................................... 01-02 763.2 49.0 25.1 18.1 23.8 46.6 24.2 17.5 22.5

Agricultural production—crops6 ...................... 01 582.6 35.1 18.5 13.2 16.6 33.4 17.8 12.7 15.5

Agricultural production—livestock6 ................. 02 180.6 13.9 6.7 4.9 7.3 13.3 6.3 4.7 6.9

Agricultural services ....................................... 07 964.0 61.8 29.6 21.4 32.2 58.4 28.6 20.6 29.9

Forestry .......................................................... 08 26.0 1.1 .6 .4 .6 1.1 .6 .4 .5

Fishing, hunting, and trapping ........................ 09 12.1 .8 .5 .5 .3 .8 .5 .5 .3

Mining7 .............................................................. 595.9 36.3 23.1 18.1 – 35.1 22.6 17.7 –

Metal mining7 .................................................. 10 53.4 2.3 1.3 .8 1.0 2.2 1.3 .8 .9

Coal mining7 ................................................... 12 95.9 7.4 5.4 5.0 2.1 7.1 5.2 4.8 1.9

Oil and gas extraction ..................................... 13 338.0 20.7 12.9 ––––––

Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels 7 .............. 14 108.6 5.9 3.6 2.7 2.3 5.7 3.5 2.7 2.2

Construction ..................................................... 5,637.1 492.5 230.7 189.9 261.7 485.6 227.4 187.1 258.3

General building contractors ........................... 15 1,309.1 101.1 44.5 37.0 56.6 99.5 43.9 36.4 55.6

Heavy construction, except building ............... 16 791.9 67.4 33.0 26.1 34.4 66.3 32.5 25.7 33.8

Special trade contractors ................................ 17 3,536.0 324.0 153.2 126.8 170.7 319.8 151.0 125.1 168.8

Manufacturing ................................................... 18,656.9 1,921.4 901.9 446.1 1,019.5 1,662.1 785.4 405.4 876.7

Durable goods .................................................. 10,999.2 1,257.7 565.4 292.6 692.3 1,092.9 497.5 265.4 595.3

Lumber and wood products ............................ 24 796.6 106.3 51.5 31.1 54.8 101.1 49.2 30.1 51.9

Furniture and fixtures ...................................... 25 510.8 60.5 29.4 14.3 31.0 55.7 26.7 13.3 29.0

Stone, clay, and glass products ...................... 32 551.7 67.0 32.4 18.5 34.6 62.9 30.7 17.6 32.3

Primary metal industries ................................. 33 710.6 111.8 53.6 27.6 58.2 102.8 50.3 26.2 52.6

Fabricated metal products .............................. 34 1,479.7 213.0 95.6 53.6 117.4 196.2 88.7 49.9 107.5

Industrial machinery and equipment ............... 35 2,166.5 223.1 91.7 51.1 131.4 203.9 83.3 47.3 120.6

Electronic and other electric equipment ......... 36 1,689.3 111.4 51.9 24.7 59.4 90.1 41.7 20.8 48.4

Transportation equipment ............................... 37 1,840.6 290.5 124.4 53.6 166.1 220.0 99.2 44.9 120.8

Instruments and related products ................... 38 862.6 41.0 19.3 10.0 21.7 30.8 14.4 8.1 16.4

Miscellaneous manufacturing industries ......... 39 390.8 33.3 15.6 8.1 17.6 29.3 13.4 7.2 15.9

Nondurable goods ............................................ 7,657.7 663.7 336.5 153.5 327.2 569.2 287.8 140.0 281.4

Food and kindred products ............................. 20 1,690.7 245.4 135.1 53.8 110.3 197.8 107.3 49.3 90.5

Tobacco products ........................................... 21 41.2 2.3 1.1 .7 1.2 2.2 1.0 .6 1.1

Textile mill products ........................................ 22 616.3 41.9 19.4 6.6 22.5 35.9 17.5 6.1 18.4

Apparel and other textile products .................. 23 821.7 54.3 24.4 12.0 29.9 42.5 19.3 9.8 23.2

Paper and allied products ............................... 26 684.4 52.4 26.6 13.5 25.7 48.6 25.0 12.7 23.6

Printing and publishing ................................... 27 1,543.5 81.2 39.0 24.0 42.1 73.9 35.3 22.1 38.5

Chemicals and allied products ........................ 28 1,034.3 50.0 24.5 11.2 25.6 43.9 22.1 10.2 21.8

Petroleum and coal products .......................... 29 139.0 6.3 3.2 1.9 3.1 6.0 3.1 1.8 3.0

Rubber and miscellaneous plastics 

products .................................................... 30 996.1 120.9 59.5 28.0 61.4 111.5 54.4 25.7 57.1

Leather and leather products .......................... 31 90.4 9.1 3.7 1.9 5.4 7.1 3.0 1.7 4.1

See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 2. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997— Continued

(thousands)

Industry1 SIC

code2

1997

Annual

average

employment3

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Transportation and public utilities7 ................ 6,170.8 497.5 290.5 220.6 207.0 477.1 281.3 213.2 195.8

Railroad transportation7 .................................. 40 – 8.6 6.4 5.4 2.2 8.5 6.3 5.4 2.1

Local and interurban passenger transit .......... 41 433.3 27.0 14.1 11.4 12.9 26.3 13.8 11.1 12.5

Trucking and warehousing ............................. 42 1,669.0 170.1 92.2 74.1 77.9 167.7 91.1 73.2 76.6

Water transportation ....................................... 44 182.5 13.9 8.0 7.1 5.9 13.5 7.9 7.0 5.6

Transportation by air ....................................... 45 1,146.8 156.4 105.8 80.1 50.6 150.8 102.7 77.3 48.2

Pipelines, except natural gas .......................... 46 14.3 .5 .2 .1 .4 .5 .2 .1 .3

Transportation services .................................. 47 437.2 15.9 7.9 5.3 8.1 14.9 7.5 5.0 7.4

Communications ............................................. 48 1,419.4 45.6 26.2 19.6 19.4 39.6 23.2 17.3 16.4

Electric, gas, and sanitary services ................ 49 867.2 59.5 29.8 17.6 29.7 55.3 28.7 16.8 26.6

Wholesale and retail trade ............................... 28,583.6 1,523.9 678.8 452.1 845.0 1,480.1 657.6 439.4 822.5

Wholesale trade ................................................ 6,657.1 417.0 206.9 138.2 210.0 404.1 200.7 133.8 203.4

Wholesale trade—durable goods ................... 50 3,934.2 224.9 102.4 70.6 122.5 217.9 99.2 68.2 118.7

Wholesale trade—nondurable goods ............. 51 2,722.9 192.0 104.5 67.6 87.6 186.2 101.5 65.6 84.7

Retail trade ....................................................... 21,926.5 1,106.9 471.9 313.9 635.0 1,076.0 456.9 305.5 619.1

Building materials and garden supplies .......... 52 918.4 82.3 40.2 25.1 42.1 81.1 39.5 24.5 41.6

General merchandise stores .......................... 53 2,690.5 184.0 91.0 51.2 93.0 179.5 89.0 50.1 90.5

Food stores ..................................................... 54 3,471.5 222.3 92.0 69.1 130.2 215.1 88.3 66.4 126.8

Automotive dealers and service stations ........ 55 2,304.0 134.9 50.8 39.0 84.1 132.9 50.2 38.4 82.8

Apparel and accessory stores ........................ 56 1,115.5 28.8 12.3 7.6 16.5 27.4 11.4 7.4 16.1

Furniture and homefurnishings stores ............ 57 994.3 39.0 20.8 14.1 18.2 38.2 20.2 13.6 18.0

Eating and drinking places ............................. 58 7,643.4 328.6 123.2 80.5 205.3 320.5 119.1 79.2 201.4

Miscellaneous retail ........................................ 59 2,788.9 87.0 41.5 27.4 45.5 81.2 39.2 26.0 42.0

Finance, insurance, and real estate ................ 6,952.2 142.0 54.2 42.7 87.8 124.6 47.6 37.8 77.0

Depository institutions .................................... 60 2,025.5 33.1 10.8 8.4 22.4 28.8 9.0 7.3 19.8

Nondepository institutions .............................. 61 573.8 6.9 2.5 – 4.3 6.0 – – 3.9

Security and commodity brokers .................... 62 596.6 4.2 1.2 .9 – – – .8 –

Insurance carriers ........................................... 63 1,398.1 28.9 9.6 7.5 19.3 21.3 7.0 5.4 14.3

Insurance agents, brokers, and service .......... 64 726.9 8.5 3.0 ––––––

Real estate ..................................................... 65 1,412.4 56.6 26.0 20.9 30.6 54.5 25.2 20.2 29.3

Holding and other investment offices ............. 67 218.8 3.8 1.1 .8 – – – .8 –

Services ............................................................. 33,304.8 1,419.3 631.0 423.5 788.3 1,344.2 606.9 406.8 737.2

Hotels and other lodging places ..................... 70 1,736.5 116.5 52.6 31.6 63.9 112.4 50.8 30.5 61.6

Personal services ........................................... 72 1,190.0 35.7 16.0 11.3 19.7 33.6 14.9 10.4 18.6

Business services ........................................... 73 8,004.7 185.1 88.7 59.3 96.4 175.6 85.5 57.0 90.1

Auto repair, services, and parking .................. 75 1,119.5 60.4 27.4 ––––––

Miscellaneous repair services ........................ 76 374.2 26.3 10.0 7.4 16.4 25.8 9.6 7.2 16.1

Motion pictures ............................................... 78 546.4 12.3 3.8 2.6 8.5 11.9 3.7 2.5 8.2

Amusement and recreation services .............. 79 1,600.3 88.0 39.6 19.7 48.4 83.7 37.7 19.0 46.0

Health services ............................................... 80 9,659.2 652.8 287.8 194.8 365.0 613.7 278.5 188.0 335.2

Legal services ................................................. 81 947.9 7.1 2.8 2.2 4.4 6.1 – 1.7 3.9

Educational services ....................................... 82 1,532.0 32.9 12.9 10.2 20.0 31.0 12.4 9.8 18.6

Social services ................................................ 83 2,450.1 120.8 56.0 38.6 64.7 116.6 54.4 37.5 62.2

Museums, botanical, zoological gardens ........ 84 89.2 4.6 2.1 1.5 – 4.3 2.0 1.4 –

See footnotes at end of table.
TABLE 2. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, 1997— Continued

(thousands)

Industry1 SIC

code2

1997

Annual

average

employment3

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday

cases Cases

without

lost

workdays Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Total4

With

days

away

from

work5

Membership organizations ............................. 86 1,003.2 23.4 8.8 7.3 14.6 22.1 8.2 6.7 14.0

Engineering and management services ......... 87 3,002.2 52.7 21.9 14.7 30.8 47.9 19.8 13.2 28.1

Services, n.e.c. ............................................... 89 49.6 .6 .4 .3 – .5 .4 .3 –

1 Totals include data for industries not shown separately. 2 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition. 3 Employment is expressed as an annual average and is derived primarily

from the BLS-State Covered Employment and Wages program. Employment in

private households (SIC 88) is excluded. 4 Total lost workday cases involve days away from work, or days of restricted

work activity, or both. 5 Days-away-from-work cases include those which result in days away from

work with or without restricted work activity. 6 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. 7 Data conforming to OSHA definitions for mining operators in coal, metal, and

nonmetal mining and for employers in railroad transportation are provided to BLS

by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and the

Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Independent

mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining

industries.

 NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. 

n.e.c. = not elsewhere classified. – Indicates data not available. 

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
TABLE 3. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal injuries by industry division and employment size, 1997

Industry division All

establishments

Establishment employment size (workers)

1 to 10 11 to 49 50 to 249 250 to 999 1,000 or more

Private industry2 ..................................... 6.6 2.7 5.6 8.4 7.8 6.8

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing2 ....... 7.9 6.8 7.5 9.9 7.2 4.7

Mining3 ............................................... 5.7 3.3 – 6.0 4.4 2.3

Construction ....................................... 9.3 6.3 10.2 11.1 8.4 2.7

Manufacturing ..................................... 8.9 4.3 8.8 10.6 8.5 7.7

Durable goods .................................. 9.8 5.7 10.3 11.8 9.4 8.2

Nondurable goods ............................ 7.5 2.2 6.2 9.0 7.4 6.4

Transportation and public utilities3 ..... 7.9 3.4 6.8 9.0 8.3 9.1

Wholesale and retail trade .................. 6.5 2.4 5.5 8.7 9.5 6.8

Wholesale trade ................................ 6.3 2.6 5.5 8.4 8.3 7.1

Retail trade ....................................... 6.6 2.4 5.5 8.9 9.9 6.7

Finance, insurance, and real estate ... 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.6 2.0 1.3

Services .............................................. 5.3 1.6 3.4 7.0 7.0 6.8

1 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries per 100 full-time

workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where 

 

N = number of injuries 

EH = total hours worked by all employees during 

 the calendar year 

200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers 

 (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).

2 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.

3 Data conforming to OSHA definitions for mining operators in coal, metal,

and nonmetal mining and for employers in railroad transportation are provided

to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of

Labor; and the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of

Transportation. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal,

metal, and nonmetal mining industries.

– Indicates data not available.

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

TABLE 4. Number of cases and incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries for private industries with 100,000 or 

more cases, 1997

Industry2 SIC code3 Total

cases

Incidence

rate

Eating and drinking places ......................................... 581 320.5 6.4

Hospitals ..................................................................... 806 284.9 9.2

Nursing and personal care facilities ............................ 805 218.5 15.9

Grocery stores ............................................................ 541 205.5 9.2

Department stores ...................................................... 531 164.0 9.4

Trucking and courier services, except air ................... 421 152.8 9.9

Motor vehicles and equipment .................................... 371 140.2 13.9

Air transportation, scheduled ...................................... 451 136.9 17.1

Hotels and motels ....................................................... 701 111.2 8.3

1 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries per 100 full-time

workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where 

 

N = number of injuries 

EH = total hours worked by all employees during 

 the calendar year 

200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers 

 (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).

2 Industries with 100,000 or more cases were determined by analysis of

the number of cases at the 3-digit SIC code level. 3 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
TABLE 5. Number of nonfatal occupational illnesses by industry division and selected case types, 1997

(thousands)

Industry division Total

cases

Lost workday cases

Cases

without

lost

workdays

Total cases

 of disorders

associated

with

repeated

trauma

Total1

With days

away from

work2

Private industry3 ......................................... 429.8 183.6 86.9 246.2 276.6

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing3 ........... – 2.0 1.5 – 1.4

Mining4 ................................................... 1.2 .5 .4 .6 .5

Construction ........................................... 6.9 3.4 2.7 3.5 2.1

Manufacturing ......................................... 259.3 116.6 40.7 142.8 198.6

Durable goods ...................................... 164.8 67.9 27.2 96.9 121.9

Nondurable goods ................................ 94.5 48.7 13.5 45.8 76.7

Transportation and public utilities4 ......... 20.4 9.2 7.4 11.2 10.6

Wholesale and retail trade ...................... 43.8 21.3 12.7 22.5 23.1

Wholesale trade .................................... 12.9 6.2 4.3 6.6 7.2

Retail trade ........................................... 30.9 15.0 8.4 15.9 15.9

Finance, insurance, and real estate ....... 17.4 6.6 4.9 10.8 13.1

Services .................................................. 75.2 24.1 16.7 51.1 27.1

1 Total lost workday cases involve days away from work, or days of

restricted work activity, or both. 2 Days-away-from-work cases include those which result in days away

from work with or without restricted work activity. 3 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees. 4 Data conforming to OSHA definitions for mining operators in coal,

metal, and nonmetal mining and for employers in railroad transportation are

provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S.

Department of Labor; and the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.

Department of Transportation. Independent mining contractors are excluded

from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries.

 NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. – Indicates data not available. 

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
TABLE 6. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for private industry by selected case types, 1973-972

Year

Injuries and illnesses Injuries

Total

cases

Lost workday cases

Cases

without lost

workdays

Total

cases

Lost workday cases

Cases

without lost

Total3 workdays

With

days away

from work4

Total3

With

days away

from work4

1973 .......................... 11.0 3.4 – 7.5 10.6 3.3 – 7.3

1974 .......................... 10.4 3.5 – 6.9 10.0 3.4 – 6.6

1975 .......................... 9.1 3.3 3.2 5.8 8.8 3.2 3.1 5.6

1976 .......................... 9.2 3.5 3.3 5.7 8.9 3.4 3.2 5.5

1977 .......................... 9.3 3.8 3.6 5.5 9.0 3.7 3.5 5.3

1978 5 ....................... 9.4 4.1 3.8 5.3 9.2 4.0 3.7 5.2

1979 5 ....................... 9.5 4.3 4.0 5.2 9.2 4.2 3.9 5.0

1980 .......................... 8.7 4.0 3.7 4.7 8.5 3.9 3.6 4.6

1981 .......................... 8.3 3.8 3.5 4.5 8.1 3.7 3.4 4.4

1982 .......................... 7.7 3.5 3.2 4.2 7.6 3.4 3.2 4.1

1983 5 ....................... 7.6 3.4 3.2 4.2 7.5 3.4 3.1 4.1

1984 5 ....................... 8.0 3.7 3.4 4.3 7.8 3.6 3.3 4.2

1985 .......................... 7.9 3.6 3.3 4.3 7.7 3.6 3.3 4.2

1986 .......................... 7.9 3.6 3.3 4.3 7.7 3.6 3.3 4.2

1987 .......................... 8.3 3.8 3.4 4.4 8.0 3.7 3.3 4.3

1988 .......................... 8.6 4.0 3.5 4.6 8.3 3.8 3.4 4.4

1989 .......................... 8.6 4.0 3.4 4.6 8.2 3.9 3.3 4.4

1990 .......................... 8.8 4.1 3.4 4.7 8.3 3.9 3.3 4.5

1991 .......................... 8.4 3.9 3.2 4.5 7.9 3.7 3.1 4.2

1992 6 ....................... 8.9 3.9 3.0 5.0 8.3 3.6 2.9 4.7

1993 6 ....................... 8.5 3.8 2.9 4.8 7.9 3.5 2.7 4.4

1994 6 ....................... 8.4 3.8 2.8 4.6 7.7 3.5 2.6 4.2

1995 6 ....................... 8.1 3.6 2.5 4.4 7.5 3.4 2.4 4.1

1996 6 ....................... 7.4 3.4 2.2 4.1 6.9 3.1 2.1 3.8

1997 6 ....................... 7.1 3.3 2.1 3.8 6.6 3.1 2.0 3.5

1 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per

100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where 

 

N = number of injuries and illnesses 

EH = total hours worked by all employees during 

 the calendar year 

200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers 

 (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks 

 per year). 

2 Data for 1973-75 are based on the Standard Industrial Classification

Manual, 1967 Edition; data for 1976-87 are based on the Standard Industrial

Classification Manual, 1972 Edition; and data for 1988-97 are based on the

Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.

3 Total lost workday cases involve days away from work, or days of

restricted work activity, or both. 4 Days-away-from-work cases include those which result in days away

from work with or without restricted work activity. 5 To maintain historical comparability with the rest of the series, data for

small nonfarm employers in low-risk industries who were not surveyed were

imputed and included in the survey estimates. 6 Data exclude fatal work-related injuries and illnesses.

 NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to the totals. Data

for 1976-97 exclude farms with fewer than 11 employees. – Indicates data not available. 

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
TABLE 7. Incidence rates1 of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry division and selected case types, 1994-97

Industry division

Total cases

Lost workday cases

Ca

Total2 With days away from work3

1994 1995 1996 1997 1994 1995 1996 1997 1994 1995 1996 1997 199

Private industry4 ..................................... 8.4 8.1 7.4 7.1 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.3 2.8 2.5 2.2 2.1 4 Agriculture, forestry, and fishing4 ....... 10.0 9.7 8.7 8.4 4.7 4.3 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.4 3.0 3.0 5

 Mining5 ............................................... 6.3 6.2 5.4 5.9 3.9 3.9 3.2 3.7 3.3 3.3 2.5 2.9 2

 Construction ....................................... 11.8 10.6 9.9 9.5 5.5 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.9 4.2 3.7 3.6 6 Manufacturing ..................................... 12.2 11.6 10.6 10.3 5.5 5.3 4.9 4.8 3.2 2.9 2.5 2.4 6 Durable goods .................................. 13.5 12.8 11.6 11.3 5.7 5.6 5.1 5.1 3.5 3.1 2.7 2.6 7 Nondurable goods ............................ 10.5 9.9 9.2 8.8 5.1 4.9 4.6 4.4 2.8 2.5 2.3 2.0 5 Transportation and public utilities5,6 ... 9.3 9.1 8.7 8.2 5.5 5.2 5.1 4.8 4.2 3.9 3.8 3.7 3 Wholesale and retail trade .................. 7.9 7.5 6.8 6.7 3.4 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.7 2.4 2.1 2.0 4 Wholesale trade ................................ 7.7 7.5 6.6 6.5 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 2.8 2.6 2.3 2.1 3 Retail trade ....................................... 7.9 7.5 6.9 6.8 3.3 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.3 2.0 1.9 4 Finance, insurance, and real estate ... 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.2 1.1 1.0 .9 .9 .9 .8 .7 .7  Services .............................................. 6.5 6.4 6.0 5.6 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.7 3

1 The incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers

and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000, where 

N = number of injuries and illnesses EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week,  50 weeks per year). 

2 Total lost workday cases involve days away from work, or days of restricted activity, or both. 3 Days-away-from-work cases include those which result in days away from work with or without

restricted work activity. 4 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.

5 Data conforming to OSHA definitions for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining

and for employers in railroad transportation are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health

Administration, U.S. Department of Labor; and the Federal Railroad of Transportation. Independent mining contractors are excluded frmining industries. 6 In 1996, air courier operations previously classified in Industry 

and 478 were reclassified to Industry Group 451. As a result, the 1SIC’s and Major Industry Groups 42, 45, and 47 are not compaaddition, the 1996 and 1997 estimates for transportation and public than those for prior years. NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals.

 – Indicates data not available.

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