April 12, 2004—A total of 1.4 million injuries and illnesses in private industry required recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident in 2002, according to recently released statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor.
The two occupations with the greatest number of such injuries and illnesses—truck drivers and nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants—offer examples of the characteristics of these cases. Of the 112,200 injured truck drivers, 93% were men. Half of their injuries were sprains or strains, often to the trunk or lower extremities, stemming from overexertion, contacts with objects or equipment, or falls. In contrast, 91% of the 79,000 injured nursing aides and related workers were women. They predominantly suffered sprains and strains to their trunk (typically their back), due to overexertion related to lifting or moving patients.
In goods-producing industries such as construction and manufacturing, which make up about 20% of private industry employment but account for one-third of injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, contact with objects and equipment—such as being struck by an object—was the most prevalent event.
This is in contrast to service-producing industries, which make up 80% of private industry employment and account for two-thirds of the most severe injuries and illnesses. In these industries, overexertion—especially overexertion by lifting—was the most prevalent event.
The BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses is based on employers’ records of injuries and illnesses. Due to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) revised recordkeeping rule effective January 1, 2002, the estimates from the 2002 survey are not comparable with those from previous years.
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