2002 Lost-Worktime Injuries: Characteristics and Resulting Time Away from Work — 2004-03-25

A total of 1.4 million injuries and illnesses in private industry required recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident in 2002, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The two occupations with the greatest number of such injuries and illnesses - truck drivers and nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants - offer examples of the characteristics of these cases. Of the 112,200 injured truck drivers, 93 percent were men. Half of their injuries were sprains or strains, often to the trunk or lower extremities, stemming from overexertion, contacts with objects or equipment, or falls. In contrast, 91 percent of the 79,000 injured nursing aides and related workers were women. They predominantly suffered sprains and strains to their trunk (typically their back), due to overexertion related to lifting or moving patients.