2005 Workplace Injuries and Illnesses — 2006-10-19

Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred at a rate of 4.6 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers among private industry employers in 2005, according to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor. This was a decline from the rate of 4.8 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers reported by the BLS for 2004. The rate resulted from a total of 4.2 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses in private industry workplaces during 2005, relatively unchanged compared to 2004, and a 2 percent increase in the number of hours worked. Incidence rates for injuries and illnesses combined declined significantly in 2005 for most case types, with the exception of cases with days away from work. (See table 1 and chart 2.) This release is the second in a series of three releases from the BLS covering occupational safety and health statistics in 2005.