Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations News Release

Bob Holden
Governor

Catherine B. Leapheart
Director

Tammy Cavender
Public Information Coordinator

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:  Tammy Cavender (573) 751-7500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 6, 2003

MISSOURI’S WORKERS EXPERIENCED FEWER NONFATAL WORKPLACE INJURIES AND ILLNESSES IN 2001

Jefferson City, MO – The number and incidence rate of nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases in Missouri decreased in 2001 compared with 2000 and 1999.  There were a total of 118, 400 nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases reported in private industry workplaces in Missouri in 2001, compared with 132,000 cases in 2000.  The incidence rate (rate per 100 full-time workers) of these cases decreased to 6.1 in 2001, down from 6.8 in 2000.

The most serious nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases involve lost work time.  There were 26,596 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in Missouri in 2001.  This was a 21.6 percent reduction from 2000.

Manufacturing was the industry division with the highest number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses with days away from work in 2001 accounting for 25.8 percent of the total cases.  However, in 2001 the number of injuries and illnesses in manufacturing decreased 18 percent from 2000.  In addition, women were the injured or ill worker in 33.3 percent of the nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases involving days away from work.  Women accounted for 48 percent of the employment in Missouri in 2001.

Workers aged 35 to 44 years accounted for 28 percent of the total number of nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases with days away from work.  This number has decreased by 27.8 percent since 2000.  Truck drivers were the occupation with the most nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work.  This number decreased by 35.5 percent from 2000.

Each reported injury or illness listed the part of the body affected.  Trunk, including shoulder and back, was the part of body affected in 36.4 percent of all nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases.  The nature of injury or illness in 43.8 percent of the nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in 2001 was sprains, strains.  Both of these numbers have decreased since 2000.

Statistics on Missouri nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses are reported in the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Research and Analysis Section.  Occupational injury and illness data are collected from approximately 5,400 Missouri employers each year.