2008 State and Local Government 

Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and 

Illnesses 

Case and Demographics

February 24, 2010
1,078,140

206,580

71,100

0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000

Private industry

Local government

State government

Number of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, by 

ownership, 2008

113.3

194.6

170.0

0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0

Private industry

Local government

State government

Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work, 

by ownership, 2008

Local government had the highest incidence rate for injuries and illnesses at 194.6 per 10,000 full-time workers. State government had a high rate of 170. 

These were both much higher than the rate of injuries and illnesses in the private sector. 

Chart 1
Private 

industry

86%

State 

government

5%

Local 

government

9%

Private 

industry

80%

State 

government

5%

Local 

government

15%

Employment

(Current Population Survey,

Wage and Salary Workers) 

Injuries and illnesses with

days away from work

(Total cases= 1,355,820 )

Injuries and illnesses and employment

by ownership, 2008

In 2008, local government had 15 percent of all injuries and illnesses with days away from work, higher than its 9 percent share of employment. 

Private industry had a correspondingly lower share of injuries and illnesses than employment, and State government had the same share of 

employment and injuries and illnesses. 

Chart 2
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with 

days away from work by selected industry sectors, 2008

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Goods-producing Construction Service-providing Trade,

transportation, and

utilities

Education and 

health services

Public 

Administration

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry

Cases in government ownerships were concentrated in the construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health service; and public 

administration sectors. In construction, local government had a rate of 366.2 injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time workers, compared to 196.8 in state and 

174.3 in private industry. In public administration, local government had a rate of 273.0 compared to a rate in state government of 175.1.

Chart 3
Injuries in educational services were higher for local government than for other ownerships. State government and private industry had rates that were similar. 

State government had a very high rate of injuries and illnesses in hospitals compared to local government and private industry. State and local government 

both had higher rates of injury and illness in nursing and residential care facilities compared to the private sector. 

Chart 4

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Educational Services 

(NAICS 611) Elementary and 

Secondary Schools 

(NAICS 6111)

Colleges, Universities, 

and Professional 

Schools (NAICS 6113)

Hospitals (NAICS 622) Nursing and 

Residential Care 

Facilities (NAICS 623)

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry

Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with days away from work 

by industries in education and health services, 2008
Injury and illness cases in state government are split relatively evenly between men and women, even though there are more women employed in state 

government. In local government, men had 59% of cases despite only having 39% of employment. 

Distribution of injuries and illnesses with days away from work

and employment by gender, 2008

Male Female

Female

41%

Male

59%

Female

36%

Male

64%

Female

48%

Male

52%

Private Industry

Injuries and Illnesses

State Government

Injuries and Illnesses

Local Government

Injuries and Illnesses

54%

46%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

42%

58%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Employment

(Current Population Survey,

Wage and Salary workers)

39%

61%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Employment

(Current Population Survey,

Wage and Salary workers)

Employment

(Current Population Survey,

Wage and Salary workers)

Chart 5
Percent distribution of injuries and illnesses with 

days away from work and length of service with employer, 2008

The proportion of injuries and illnesses with days away from work occurring to workers with over five years of service with an employer 

was greater for both State government (58 percent) and local government (60 percent) compared to private industry (31 percent).

Chart 6

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Less than 3 months 3 - 11 months 1 - 5 years More than 5 years

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry
2,360

2,440

2,920

2,980

3,140

3,800

4,620

12,420

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000

Bus Drivers, Transit

and Intercity

Registered Nurses

Psychiatric Technicians

Police and Sheriff‘s

Patrol Officers

Nursing Aides, Orderlies,

and Attendants

Janitors and Cleaners, Except

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 

Psychiatric Aides

Correctional Officers and Jailers

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry

Injuries and illnesses with days away from work for occupations in state 

government with 2,000 or more cases, by ownership, 2008

In state government, correctional officers and jailers had the most cases in 2008 with 12,420. No other occupation had more than 5,000 cases. Psychiatric 

aides and psychiatric technicians both had large numbers of cases in state government, but almost no cases in local government. 

Chart 7
Injuries and illnesses with days away from work for occupations in local 

government with 4,000 or more cases, by ownership, 2008

4,560

4,590

4,660

4,700

4,750

4,750

8,290

8,430

16,800

20,880

24,020

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000

Bus Drivers, School

Landscaping and Groundskeeping

Workers

General Maintenance and

Repair Workers

Nursing Aides, Orderlies, 

and Attendants

Bus Drivers, Transit

and Intercity

Refuse and Recyclable

Material Collectors

Teacher Assistants

Elementary School Teachers,

Except Special Education

Fire Fighters

Local Government

State Government

Private Industry

Police and Sheriff‘s

Patrol Officers

Janitors and Cleaners, Except

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners 

Police and sheriff’s patrol officers had the most cases of injuries and illnesses with days away from work in local government in 2008. Firefighters had 16,800 

cases in local government, while in state government and private industry there were less than 200 cases each. Several other occupations have significant 

numbers of cases in local government, but very few cases in state government due to the differences in responsibilities of state and local government.

Chart 8
Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with 

days away from work by nature, 2008

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Punctures

Heat burns

Cuts, lacerations

Total multiple trauma

Fractures

Bruises

Pain (including back pain)

Sprain, Strains

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry

Sprains and strains had the highest rate for private industry and State and local government. Local government had a rate of 82.8 per 10,000 full-time 

workers, nearly twice that of private industry (43.8). Likewise, pain (including back pain) had high rates, but the rate for local government (23.1) was nearly 

twice as much as private industry (12.0).

Chart 9
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Caught in object

Repetitive motion

Harmful exposure

Slips or trips

Struck against object

Transportation accident

Fall to lower level

Struck by object

Fall at same level

Overexertion

Assaults

State Government

Local Government

Private Industry

Incidence rate of injuries and illnesses with 

days away from work by event, 2008

Assaults had a very high rate of injuries and illnesses (28.6 per 10,000 full-time workers) in State government, compared to local government (12.6) and private 

industry (2.4). Overexertion and falls on same level had the highest rates for local government.

Chart 10
Incidence rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) by ownership, 2008

36.7

48.7

33.4

0

50

100

150

200

250

State Government Local Government Private Industry

Incidence rate,

all cases

MSD rate

21.6%

of all

cases

25.0%

of all

cases

29.4%

of all

cases

Local government had the highest rate of MSDs, at 48.7 per 10,000 full-time workers. Private industry had the highest percentage of cases that were MSDs, at 

29 percent. 

Chart 11