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Rate of Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Texas Declined in 2008

11/05/09

Public Sector Data Included for First Time in Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

AUSTIN, TX - Private industry workplaces in Texas reported a total of 234,559 nonfatal injuries and illnesses during 2008. The incidence rate of 3.1 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers marks the sixth consecutive year that the incidence rate has dropped. The rate for 2008 is a 9% decrease from 3.4 in 2007. The Texas rate is below the national rate of 3.9 for 2008.

TX - Study Examines ODG Impact on Comp System Claims

10/01/09

By Bill Kidd, Central Bureau Chief billkidd@texas.net The Texas Department of Insurance has issued a preliminary report examining how using the Official Disability Guidelines in the state’s workers’ compensation system has affected both medical costs and utilization which indicates significant improvement in recent years. The report says that from 2005 to 2008, the number of claims decreased by 8%, total cost of claims dropped 24%, and the average claim cost declined 17%.

08/31/09

AUSTIN, TX - Texas recorded 457 work-related fatalities in 2008, a 13 percent decrease compared to 2007 when 528 fatalities occurred. Nationally, there were 5,071 fatal work injuries in 2008, a decrease of 20 percent from the revised total of 5,657 in 2007, according to the most recently available data released August 20, 2009, by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).