1995 Lost-Worktime Injuries: Characteristics and Resulting Time Away from Work — 1997-06-12

Half of all workers afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome missed 30 days or more of work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Work- related hernias, amputations (usually involving the finger), and fractures also commonly kept workers off the job for several weeks, as did about a fourth of sprains and strains involving workdays lost. A total of 500,000 injuries and illnesses of all types lasted 21 days or more, accounting for a fourth of the 2 million cases in private industry in 1995 that resulted in worktime lost beyond the day of the incident (table A). The number of workdays missed after sustaining a certain type of injury or illness can vary widely. Table A shows, for example, that a fourth of the work-related carpal tunnel syndrome cases lasted 10 days or less, compared with a median absence from work of 30 days.