1

Number of injuries and illnesses with daysaway from work, 2003-2004

The number of injuries and illnesses resulting in time away from work declined by 4.3 percent from 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Injuries and illnesses

1,315,9201,259,320

407,610 408,400

908,310850,930

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

2003 2004

Private industryGoods producing industriesService providing industries

2

Percent change in incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work by selected events and exposures, 2003-2004

Belowaverage

improvement

Above averageimprovement

The incidence rate for all events and exposures improved by 5.8 percent between 2003 and 2004.  This chart shows six events that improved more than the average, one event that improved the same as the average, 

three events that improved less than the average, and five events that did not improve.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Did notimprove

10.0 5.0 0.0 -5.0 -10.0 -15.0

Assault, violent actTransportation accidentsAssault, violent act by personFires, explosionsStruck by object

Contact with object, equipmentCaught in object, equipment, material

Fall to lower levelFall on same level

TotalExposed to harmful substance

Overexertion in liftingOverexertion

Struck against objectSlips, trips

Repetitive motion

All events and exposures -5.8%

3

Occupations with the most injuries and illnesseswith days away from work, 2004

Injuries and Illnesses(1,259,320 injuries and illnesses with days away from work)

Laborers and material movers suffered the most injuries and illnesses with days away from work in 2004, followed byheavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers and nursing aides, orderlies and attendants.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Maintenance & repair workers, general

Stock clerks and order fillers

Carpenters

Retail salespersons

Janitors and cleaners

Truck drivers, light / delivery services

Construction laborers

Nursing aides, orderlies,  attendants

Truck drivers, heavy / tractor-trailer

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

21,050

24,250

30,450

33,160

33,580

37,160

37,930

51,940

63,570

89,250

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000

4

Occupations with the most injuries and illnesseswith days away from work, 2003-2004

Laborers and material movers; heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; and nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants had the most injuries and illnesses with days away from work in both 2003 and 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

Laborer

s and

materia

l move

rsTru

ck driv

ers,

heavy

 and tr

actor-t

railer

Nursing ai

des, o

rderl

ies,

and at

tendan

tsConstr

uction la

borers

Truck

 drivers

,

light o

r deli

very 

servi

ces

Janito

rs an

d clea

nersReta

il sale

spers

onsCarp

enter

sStock

 clerk

s and

order 

fillers

Mainten

ance

 and re

pair

workers,

 genera

l

2003 2004

Injuries andillnesses that

resulted indays awayfrom work

5

Shares of nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away from work and employment for occupations with the 

most injuries and illnesses, 2004 

Drivers/sales workers and truck drivers; laborers and material movers; nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides; construction laborers; janitors and cleaners; carpenters; stock clerks and order filers; and general maintenance and repair 

workers experienced a higher percentage of injuries and illnesses than their employment share. Retail salespersons experienced a lower percentage of injuries and illnesses than their employment share.  

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

NOTE: CPS employment data were not available for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; light or delivery service truck drivers; and nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants.  These occupations were included in higher level detail on this chart.

Drivers

/sales

 worke

rs

and tr

uck driv

ersLab

orers a

nd

materia

l move

rs

Nursing, p

sych

iatric

,

home hea

lth ai

des

Constructi

on

laborer

s

Janito

rs an

d

clean

ers

Retail

sales

persons

Carpen

ters

Stock cl

erks

and ord

er fill

ers

Mainten

ance

 and

repair

 worke

rs, gen

eral0.0%

1.0%

2.0%

3.0%

4.0%

5.0%

6.0%

7.0%

8.0%

9.0%

10.0%

Percentage of injuries and illnessesPercentage of employment

6

Transportation and material movers; production workers; installation, maintenance, and repair workers;construction and extraction workers, farming, fishing, and forestry workers; and service workershad a much higher share of injuries and illnesses than their employment share would suggest.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

1,259,320 injuries and illnesses with days away from workEmployment - Current Population Survey, Private Wage and Salary Workers

Employment and nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesseswith days away from work by occupation group, 2004

Not reported

Transportation and material moving

Production

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Office and administrative support

Sales and related

Service

Professional and related

Management, business, and financial

0.1%

20.4%

14.8%

8.6%

11.4%

1.4%

7.1%

6.5%

20.5%

6.8%

2.3%

7.0%

8.5%

4.0%

6.0%

0.8%

14.9%

12.8%

16.2%

16.8%

13.0%

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0%

Percentage of employmentPercentage of injuries and illnesses

7

Occupations with the highest median days away from work,2004

Of the occupations with at least 1/2% of the total days away from work cases, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; light or delivery truck drivers; and transportation workers, other had medians of 12 days.  Industrial machinery mechanics and 

farmworkers had medians of 11 days.  Construction laborers and electricians each had a median of 10 days.This compared to a median of 7 days for all occupations.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Median days away from work

7

9

9

9

10

10

11

11

12

12

12

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

All occupations

Industrial truck and tractor operators

Metal workers and plastic workers, all other

Carpenters

Electricians

Construction laborers

Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery,and greenhouse

Industrial machinery mechanics

Transportation workers, all other

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

8

Injuries and illnesses with days away from work

(Total = 1,259,320 injuries and illnesses)

Employment(BLS- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages) 

Goods producing industries made up about 21 percent of private industry employment but accounted for 32 percent of the injuries and illnesses with days away from work while service providing industries made up about 79 percent of the 

employment and 68 percent of the injuries and illnesses in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away from work and employment by major industry, 2004

Goods producing industries

Service providing industries

21.1%

78.9%

Goods producing industries

Service providing industries

32.4%

67.6%

9

Nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away from work and hours worked by gender of worker, 2004

Almost two-thirds of the injured or ill workers were men, well above their 59 percent share of the nation’s hours worked.

Injuries and illnesses with days away from work

(Total = 1,259,320 injuries and illnesses) Chart excludes unreported data.

Hours worked

(Current Population Survey, Private Wage and Salary Workers)

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Men

58.9%

Women

41.1%

Men

65.9%

Women

33.8%

10

Nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away from workand hours worked by age of worker, 2004

1,259,320 injuries and illnesses with days away from work.

Chart excludes unreported data.

Hours worked(Current Population Survey, 

Private Wage and Salary Workers) 

Workers 20 to 44 had a slightly higher share of injuries and illnesses in 2004, while workers 45 and older had a somewhat lower share, than each of their hours worked shares suggest.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

3.0%

11.3%

24.1%

26.3%

21.6%

10.2%

1.9%3.1%

10.4%

24.0%

26.2%

23.0%

11.1%

2.3%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

16 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 +

Injuries and illnessesHours worked

Age of worker

11

Age ofworker

Median days away from work due to nonfatal occupationalinjuries and illnesses with days away from work by age of worker,

2004

Median days away from work

Except for 14 to 15 year olds, the median days away from work due to nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses increased as the age of the worker increased in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

All agesmedian

7

4

5

6

8

10

12

18

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

14 to 15

16 to 19

20 to 24

25 to 34

35 to 44

45 to 54

55 to 64

65 and over

12

46.9

8.212.2

37.3

17.214.3

7.2

16.5

30.4

47.0

8.2

13.1

32.9

18.314.8

8.2

15.4

29.5

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

Whiteonly

Blackonly

Hispanic or Latino only

Natural

 reso

urces

and m

ining

Constructi

onMan

ufacturin

gEduca

tion an

d

health

 servi

ces

Leisure 

and

hospita

lity

Notreported

2003 2004

Total

Percentage of nonfatal injuries and illnesses with days away fromwork by race or ethnic origin and selected industries, 2003-2004

There were just over 164,000 injuries and illnesses with days away from work among Hispanic and Latino workersin 2004, up by 4,000 over 2003.  About 30 percent of cases do not report race and ethnicity data.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

13

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses withdays away from work by length of service, 2004

Workers who were with their employers for more than 5 years became injured or ill less often in 2004than their employment share suggests.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Injuries and illnesses Employment(Total =1,259,320 injuries and illnesses) (Current Population Survey, 

Private Wage and Salary WorkersJanuary 2005) 

Less than 1 year25.1%

1 to 5 years39.6%

More than 5 years35.3%

Not reported0.7%

Less than 1 year33.4%

1 to 5 years35.5%

More than 5 years30.4%

14

sprainsNurse

her back

lifting patient

while

her

Nature ofdisablingcondition

Eventor

exposure

Part of bodyaffected

Sourcedirectly

producingdisability

Injury and illness topology

Each injury or illness is described from four viewpoints.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

15

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away fromwork by the nature of the disabling condition, 2004

Nature of injury or illness(1,259,320 injuries and illnesses with days away from work)

Sprains and strains accounted for 525,390 cases or 42 percentof all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away from work in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Sprains, strains41.7%

Fractures7.5%

Cuts, lacerations, punctures9.1%

Chemical burns 0.6%

Amputations 0.6%

All other15.6%

Bruises, contusions 9.1%

Back pain 3.0%

Soreness, Pain 5.3%

Multiple injuries 4.0%Carpal tunnel syndrome 1.5%

Tendonitis0.6%

Heat burns 1.5%

16

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away fromwork by the part of body affected, 2004

Percent

The upper extremities and back were involved in almost one-half of all occupational injuries and illnesses.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

23.1% 22.4%21.4%

13.1%

10.0%

3.6% 2.9%1.7% 1.1% 0.7%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Upperextremities

Back Lowerextremities

Trunk,exceptback

Multipleparts

Head,except

eye

Eye Neck Bodysystems

All other

17

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away fromwork by source of injury or illness, 2004

Source of Injury or Illness(1,259,320 injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work)

Four sources accounted for over half of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses that resulted indays away from work in 2004: floor, ground surfaces 18.6 percent; worker motion or position 14.5 percent; 

containers 12.8 percent; and parts and materials 10.1percent.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Chemicals, chemical products, 1.4%

Containers, 12.8%

Furniture, fixtures, 3.6%

Machinery, 6.5%

Parts and materials, 10.1%

Worker motion or position, 14.5%Floor, ground surfaces, 18.6%

Handtools, 4.6%

Vehicles, 8.8%

Health care patient, 4.5%

All other, 14.4%

18

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away fromwork by event or exposure, 2004

Bodily reaction and exertion, contact with objects and equipment, and falls accounted for almost 90 percentof nonfatal injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

40.6%

26.6%

20.3%

5.0% 4.2%2.0% 1.1% 0.2%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

Assaultsand

violentacts

Exposureto harmful

substances

Firesand

explosions

OtherBodilyreaction

andexertion

Contact withobjects andequipment

Falls Transportationaccidents

19

Median days away from work due to nonfatal occupationalinjuries or illnesses by nature, 2004

Carpal tunnel syndrome and fractures each had a median of 28 days away from work, followed by amputations with 25 days in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Median days away from work

All natures7 days

3

4

4

5

8

9

13

25

28

28

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Chemical burns

Bruises, contusions

Cuts, lacerations

Heat burns

Sprains, strains

Multiple injuries

Tendonitis

Amputations

Fractures

Carpal tunnel syndrome

20

Median days away from work due to nonfatal occupationalinjuries or illnesses by part of body, 2004

Median days away from work

Injuries and illnesses to the shoulder (17 days), to the knee (15 days), and to the wrist (14 days) took the longest median time from which to recover in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

All parts of body7 days

22

555

666

77

99

1014

1517

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

HeadEye

Hand, except fingerFinger

Body systemsNeck

Foot, except toeToe

BackUpper extremities

TrunkLower extremities

Multiple partsWristKnee

Shoulder

21

Median days away from work due to nonfatal occupationalinjuries or illnesses by event or exposure, 2004

Repetitive motion, with a median of 20 days, resulted in the longest absences from work among the leadingevents and exposures.  Falls to a lower level with 14 days and transportation accidents with 10 days had the next

longest median days away from work.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Median days away from work

All events7 days

3

5

5

6

7

7

8

8

9

9

10

14

20

0 5 10 15 20 25

Exposure to harmful substances

Struck by object

Struck against object

Assaults and violent acts by person

Slips, trips, loss of balance--without fall

Fires and explosions

Caught in equipment or object

Overexertion in lifting

Fall to same level

Overexertion

Transportation accidents

Fall to lower level

Repetitive motion

22

Median days away from work due to nonfatal occupationalinjuries or illnesses by source, 2004

Median days away from work

Of the source of the injury or illness, vehicles; floors, walkways, ground surfaces; and worker motion or position had the highest median days away from work with 10 days each.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

All sources7 days

3

5

6

6

7

8

8

10

10

10

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Chemicals and chemical products

Tools, instruments, and equipment

Furniture and fixtures

Health care patient

Parts and materials

Containers

Machinery

Worker motion or position

Floors, walkways, ground surfaces

Vehicles

23

Comparison of total nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) cases 

involving days away from work,  2002-2004

The percentage of total cases involving lost worktime that result from musculoskeletal disordersdecreased slightly from 2002 to 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

1,436,194

1,315,9201,259,320

487,915435,180 402,700

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

2002 2003 2004

TotalMSDs

33.1 %of totalDAFWcases

32.0 %of totalDAFWcases

34.0%of totalDAFWcases

24

Musculoskeletal disorders with days away from workby nature of injury or illness, 2004

Sprains, strains, and tears accounted for over three-fourths of the musculoskeletal disorders that resultedin days away from work in 2004.

SOURCE:  Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Nature of Injury or Illness(402,700 MSD cases resulted in days away from work)

Sprains, strains, tears, 76.0%

Back pain, hurt back, 5.9%

Soreness, pain, hurt, except the back, 5.6%

Carpal tunnel syndrome, 4.6%

Hernia, 4.7%

MSD system and connective tissue diseases and disorders, except 

tendonitis, 1.7%

Tendonitis, 1.5%