1998 Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — 1999-12-16

A total of 5.9 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 1998, resulting in a rate of 6.7 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 4 percent drop in the number of cases and a 3 percent increase in the hours worked compared with 1997, reducing the case rate from 7.1 in 1997 to 6.7 in 1998. The rate for 1998 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 1994: Among goods-producing industries, manufacturing had the highest incidence rate in 1998 (9.7 cases per 100 full-time workers).