For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Thursday, November 9, 2017 USDL-17-1482

Technical information: (202) 691-6170 • IIFSTAFF@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/iif 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

 EMPLOYER-REPORTED WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES – 2016 

There were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private 

industry employers in 2016, which occurred at a rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) 

workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ1_00.xlsx

and www.bls.gov/web/osh/summ2_00.xlsx.) Private industry employers reported nearly 48,500 fewer 

nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2016 compared to a year earlier, according to estimates from the 

Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII). 

Chart 1. Nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rates by case type, private industry, 2003-16

 The 2016 rate of total recordable cases (TRC) fell 0.1 cases per 100 FTE workers to continue a 

pattern of declines that, apart from 2012, occurred annually since 2004. (See chart 1.)

 The rate of other recordable cases (ORC) declined by 0.1 cases, while rates for remaining case 

types—days away from work, job transfer or restriction (DART); days away from work (DAFW); 

and days of job transfer or restriction only (DJTR)—were unchanged from a year earlier. 

 The rate for DJTR cases has remained at 0.7 cases per 100 FTE workers since 2011. 

 Nearly one-third of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses were of a more serious nature and 

resulted in days away from work. 

1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9

2.6 2.5 2.4 2.3

2.1 2.0

1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6

1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7

2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1

1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4

1.3

5.0

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

3.9

3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.2

3.0 2.9

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

DAFW (Cases with days away from work)

DART (Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction)

DJTR (Cases with days of job transfer or restriction only)

ORC (Other recordable cases)

TRC (Total recordable cases)

Incidence rates per 100 full-time equivalent workers

Changes To News Release Format

Beginning with the 2016 reference year, the SOII will issue a single release of national data. This 

release includes industry counts and rates, along with case circumstances and worker characteristics 

for cases requiring days away from work. In previous years, these data were released separately.
2 

Chart 2. Nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rates by selected private industry sector, 2003-16

 Four private industry sectors—construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and retail trade—

experienced statistically significant declines in the TRC rate of occupational injuries and illnesses in 

2016. (See chart 2.) 

 Finance and insurance was the only industry sector in which the TRC rate of injuries and illnesses 

increased in 2016; though, the relatively low number of cases reported in this sector yielded the 

lowest rate among all private industry sectors (0.6 cases per 100 FTE workers). 

 The TRC rate of work-related injuries and illnesses was unchanged among the 14 remaining private 

industry sectors in 2016. 

Cases resulting in days away from work 

There were 892,270 occupational injuries and illnesses in 2016 that resulted in days away from work in 

private industry, essentially unchanged from the number reported for 2015. The private industry 

incidence rate for DAFW cases was 91.7 per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2016. The 

median days away from work—a key measure of the severity of cases—was 8 days in 2016, unchanged 

from 2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r1.xlsx, www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx, and

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r65.xlsx.) 

Of the four private industry sectors whose rates of total recordable cases declined in 2016—

construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and retail trade—only retail trade (122,390) and 

manufacturing (118,050) had more than 100,000 DAFW cases. Of these two industry sectors, only 

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Construction Manufacturing Finance and insurance Retail trade Wholesale trade

Incidence rates per 100 full-time equivalent workers

Data and analysis in this section highlight case circumstances and worker characteristics—for 

example, worker occupation, event or exposure, and the nature of the injury or illness, among 

others—that are available for nonfatal injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work.

Note: Counts and incidence rates of case circumstances and worker characteristics for cases with 

days away from work (DAFW) estimates are presented at a different precision level than for other 

case types. Data users are cautioned to account for different levels of precision when analyzing 

estimates presented in this release. In this section, it is implied that statements refer to DAFW cases 

unless otherwise noted.
3 

manufacturing had a decrease in both the count and incidence rate for DAFW cases in 2016. (See 

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r1.xlsx and www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx.) 

 In manufacturing, the number of DAFW cases fell by 4,560 (4 percent) to 118,050 in 2016. (See 

chart 3.) This resulted in an incidence rate of 94.9 cases per 10,000 FTE workers in 2016, down from 

99.0 cases in 2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx.) 

 Workers in manufacturing who sustained occupational injuries and illnesses resulting in days away 

from work in 2016 required a median of 9 days to return to work, unchanged from 2015. (See 

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r65.xlsx.) 

 Injuries and illnesses to production workers accounted for 64 percent (75,070 cases) of total DAFW 

cases in manufacturing in 2016, a decrease of 3,510 cases from 2015. (See 

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r44.xlsx.) 

 Injuries and illnesses to transportation and material moving workers accounted for 18 percent 

(21,100 cases) of the total DAFW cases in manufacturing, which was a decrease of 950 cases from 

2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r44.xlsx.) 

Chart 3. Selected changes in days-away-from-work cases from 2015 to 2016 in manufacturing by event or exposure 

 In manufacturing, 19 percent (22,040) of the DAFW cases were the result of falls, slips, or trips in 

2016, a decline of 1,470 cases from 2015 levels. (See chart 3 and www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r4.xlsx.) 

This resulted in an incidence rate of 17.7 cases per 10,000 FTE workers in 2016, down from a rate of 

19.0 cases in 2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r8.xlsx.) 

 Other leading events or exposures in manufacturing in 2016 included contact with object or 

equipment (35.4 cases per 10,000 FTE workers) and overexertion and bodily reaction (34.1 cases). 

Both rates were essentially unchanged from 2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r8.xlsx.) 

Chart 4. Nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rates for days-away-from-work cases in manufacturing by 

leading nature of injury or illness, private industry, 2012-16

-5,000 -4,000 -3,000 -2,000 -1,000 0

Violence and other injuries by persons or animal

Fires and explosions

Exposure to harmful substances or enviroments

Falls, slips, trips

Total

Change in number of cases

(Total 2016 DAFW cases = 118,050)

0

10

20

30

40

Sprains, strains, tears Cuts, lacerations, punctures Soreness, pain Fractures

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Incidence rates per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers
4 

 In manufacturing, the rate of sprains, strains, or tears (28.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers); cuts, 

lacerations, or punctures (12.0 cases); soreness or pain (12.0 cases); and fractures (10.1 cases) were 

among the leading types of injury or illness cases resulting in days away from work in 2016. (See 

chart 4 and www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx.) 

 Sprains, strains, or tears accounted for 30 percent (35,110) of the DAFW cases in manufacturing, a 

decrease of 2,480 cases from 2015. (See www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r1.xlsx.) These cases occurred at 

a rate of 28.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers in 2016, down from 30.3 cases in 2015. (See chart 4 and 

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx.) 

 Cuts, lacerations, or punctures accounted for 13 percent (14,960) of the DAFW cases in 

manufacturing, a decrease of 720 cases from 2015. This contributed to a decrease in the incidence 

rate in 2016 for cuts, lacerations, or punctures to 12.0 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, down from 

12.7 cases in 2015. (See chart 4 and www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r1.xlsx and 

www.bls.gov/web/osh/cd_r5.xlsx.) 

Additional Information 

This news release is the first in a series of two releases from BLS covering occupational safety and 

health statistics for the 2016 calendar year. The SOII presents estimates of counts and incidence rates of 

employer-reported nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses by industry and type of case, as well as 

more detailed estimates of case circumstances and worker characteristics for cases that resulted in days 

away from work. 

A second release in December will provide data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) 

of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI uses diverse state, 

federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries to ensure that 

counts are as complete and accurate as possible. 

BLS has generated estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses for many industries as 

defined in the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) manual. Tables including 

cross-tabulations for various case circumstances and worker characteristics are also available. (See 

www.bls.gov/web/osh.supp.toc.htm.) A complete listing of SOII estimates is not available in this 

release. See www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum1.htm for additional information on nonfatal injury and illness 

industry estimates or see www.bls.gov/iif/oshcase1.htm for additional background information regarding 

case circumstances and worker characteristics among SOII estimates. 

Additional data from the SOII are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/iif/ or from BLS staff at 

(202) 691-6170 or by email at IIFSTAFF@bls.gov. Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 

877-8339. 

All statements of comparison made in this news release were found to be statistically significant at the 

95 percent confidence level. See www.bls.gov/iif/undercount.htm for additional information regarding 

completeness of SOII estimates. Additional background and methodological information regarding the 

BLS occupational safety and health statistics program can be found in Chapter 9 of the BLS Handbook 

of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/pdf/soii.pdf.