Nonfatal Injury, Illness Rate in Private Sector Continues Downward Trend
Annual data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the nonfatal injury and illness rate for private-sector U.S. employees continued to decline in 2017, along with the rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work. Reported nonfatal injuries and illnesses occurred at a rate of 2.8 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2017, compared with 2.9 in 2016 and 3.0 in 2015. According to the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, about 2.8 million nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in 2017, down by about 48,500 from the previous year. The overall total includes 882,730 cases that resulted in days away from work, or a rate of 89.4 injury and illness cases per 10,000 full-time workers, down from 91.7 in 2016 and 93.9 in 2015.