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.
This is the first time public sector data has been collected and released through this survey. State and local government reported a total of 77,985 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses and the incidence rate among state and local government employees was 5.8 cases per 100 full-time workers. This rate is lower than the national public sector rate of 6.3
The 2008 injury and illness data are the latest available from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (TDI-DWC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The occupational injury and illness rates are based on a statistical sample of private firms and state and local government employers in Texas. Beginning with the 2003 reference year, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses began using the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In this 2008 reference year release, we are able to compare six years of industry data and the rate of decline for previous years. This is the first time public sector data has been collected and released through this survey.
Highlights of the 2008 Annual Survey:
The incidence rate decreased for goods producing industries by 15% from 2007 and 29% from 2003. Within goods producing, the largest decrease was seen in construction, down 18% from 2007. Manufacturing continued to decline, down 11% from 2007 and 26% from 2003. Mining slightly decreased from 2.2 in 2007; however, it has decreased 38% since 2003.
The incidence rate for service providing industries showed a 6% decline from 2007. Within this group, leisure and hospitalities reported the largest decrease (23%) from 4.2 in 2007 to 3.2 in 2008. Meanwhile, utilities and professional and business services both declined 17% over the last year. Workplace injury and illness rates in private industries decreased within all sectors except wholesale trade and financial activities (Table 1).
Within local government and public administration industries, justice, public order and safety activities had an overall incidence rate of 16.2. More specifically within this sector, police protection has an incidence rate of 23.4 and fire protection a rate of 14.0. Transit and ground passenger transportation has a rate of 6.8, and hospitals have an incidence rate of 6.4 (Table 2).
| Industry Sector | Total Recordable Cases | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAICS Code (3) | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | ||||
| Private Industry - Nation | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.9 | |
| All Industries including State& Local Government | - | - | - | - | - | 3.5 | |
| Private Industry - Texas (6) | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | |
| Goods producing (6) | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.4 | |
| Natural resources and mining (6, 7) | - | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.3 | |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting (6) | 11 | - | 5.3 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| Mining (7) | 21 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Construction | 23 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 |
| Service providing | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.0 | |
| Trade, transportation, and utilities | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.0 | |
| Wholesale trade | 42 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Retail trade | 44-45 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 48-49 | 6.6 | 6.3 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| Utilities | 22 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Information | 51 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Financial activities | 52-53 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Professional and business services | 54-56 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Education and health services | 61-62 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| Educational services | 61 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Health care and social assistance | 62 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Leisure and hospitality | 71-72 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 |
| Other services, except public administration | 81 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 3.0 |
| State and Local Government | NAICS Code (3) | 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Local Government | 7.5 | |
| Trade, transportation, and utilities | 12.2 | |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 48-49 | - |
| Transit & ground passenger transportation | 485 | 6.8 |
| Utilities | 22 | 15.4 |
| Education Services | 61 | 5.2 |
| Health care and social assistance | 62 | 7.2 |
| Hospitals | 622 | 6.4 |
| Public Administration | 92 | 11.3 |
| Justice, public order & safety activities | 922 | 16.2 |
| Police protection | 92212 | 23.4 |
| Fire protection | 92216 | 14.0 |
At a more detailed level, workplace injury and illness incidence rates varied among the major industries of the private sector in 2008. Couriers and messengers (8.4) and air transportation (7.5) are the top two industries. The rates for these industries dropped 18% and 29% respectively from 2007. The industry with the largest rate increase was leather and allied product manufacturing (27%), followed by beverage and tobacco manufacturing (8%). Other industries that experienced increases include food and beverage stores and animal production. Hospitals maintained the same rate (6.7) from the previous year. Warehousing and storage and primary metal manufacturing had significant decreases of 34% and 24% from 2007 (Table 3).
| Industry | NAICS Code (3) | 2008 Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Couriers and messengers | 492 | 8.4 |
| Air transportation | 481 | 7.5 |
| Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing | 312 | 7.2 |
| Wood product manufacturing | 321 | 6.8 |
| Hospitals | 622 | 6.7 |
| Animal production | 112 | 6.6 |
| Food manufacturing | 311 | 6.4 |
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 623 | 6.4 |
| Food and beverage stores | 445 | 6.2 |
| Leather and allied product manufacturing | 316 | 5.9 |
1 Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where N = number of injuries and illnesses EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year 200,000= base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
3 North American Industry Classification System 2002 Edition.
6 Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
7 Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System -- United States, 2002) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore estimates for these industries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.
NOTE: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dash indicates data do not meet publication guidelines.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses , in cooperation with participating State agencies.
The TDI-DWC collects survey data in order to assist employers, safety professionals, and policymakers in identifying safety and health issues in the state. Likewise, the TDI-DWC Workplace Safety program area provides various safety and health services to help reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace through accident and illness prevention. Services include: free safety and health consultations on Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations; regional and statewide safety conferences; customized on-site safety training; free safety and health publications; free safety training video and DVD loans; and the Safety Violations Hotline. For more information on these services, visit the TDI-DWC website at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/safety/index.html, or call 800-687-7080. Employers with questions about participating in this survey may call 866-237-6405.
In November, the TDI-DWC will release more in-depth case and demographic data about the 2008 injury and illness cases involving days away from work. Additional Texas nonfatal occupational injury and illness data are available by contacting 512-804-4664 or injuryanalysis@tdi.state.tx.us.
Details about the national BLS injury and illness data can be found at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm.
