September 9, 2005—Many Americans jeopardize their health simply by going to work, according to the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), which says that six million US workers suffer from workplace illnesses and injuries and that the facts in the US are cause for concern:
- 5,703 work-related fatalities were recorded in the US in 2004, an increase of 2% from the number reported for 2003.
- 4.4 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 2003.
- Each day, 137 workers die from work-related diseases.
- The estimated direct costs for occupational injuries and illnesses reached $40.1 billion in 1999, with over $200 billion of indirect costs.
The good news however, is that work-related injuries and illnesses are preventable. A report released on Wednesday by CSTE in collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides some important data on workplace health risks.
The CSTE report utilizes 19 occupational health indicators to provide a snapshot of the health of workers in 13 states, while providing a model for other states to do the same.
According to CSTE and NIOSH, data such as this is fundamental for establishing benchmarks for worker safety and health in the US, determining occupational illness and injury prevention priorities, and helping workers and businesses find solutions that can reduce the number and cost of work-related diseases and injuries.
Workers’ health can be compromised by a variety of factors, ranging from exposure to poisonous substances to poorly designed workspaces. Collecting information on worker health in a systematic way can help to identify trends in accidents or occupation-related illnesses, information which can inform future prevention efforts.
For the complete report, “Putting Data to Work: Occupational Health Indicators from Thirteen States for 2000,” visit CSTE.
