2001 Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — 2002-12-19

A total of 5.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 2001, resulting in a rate of 5.7 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Employers reported a 1 percent decrease in hours worked and nearly an 8 percent decrease in cases compared with 2000, reducing the case rate from 6.1 in 2000 to 5.7 in 2001. The rate for 2001 was the lowest since the Bureau began reporting this information in the early 1970s. (See 'Background of the Survey' section for a discussion of the factors that can influence rate changes from one survey to the next.) The following tabulation on incidence rates for injuries and illnesses shows the decline in rates per 100 full-time workers since 1997: Among goods-producing industry divisions, incidence rates for 2001 ranged from 4.0 cases per 100 full-time employees in mining to 8.1 cases per 100 full-time employees