Texas Nonfatal Workplace Injury/Illness Rate at 5-Year Low in 2007

A total of 252,784 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry workplaces in Texas during 2007, the Texas Department of Insurance reported. The resulting rate of 3.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time employees marks a five-year low.

The rate of injuries and illnesses reflects a 15 percent decrease from 4.0 in 2003, when data collection began under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The Texas rate is below the national rate of 4.2 for 2007; the national rate for 2006 was 4.4.

The 2007 injury and illness data are the latest available from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The occupational injury and illness rates are based on a statistical sample of approximately 10,000 private employers in Texas.

Workplace injury and illness rates vary widely among private sector industries.

The goods producing industries reported an overall 7 percent decrease from 2006. Within this group, mining showed the largest decrease (29 percent) of all sectors, matching the rate in 2003 and 2004.

Manufacturing slightly decreased from 2006 and is down by 17 percent from 2003.

Meanwhile, construction remained the same and the industry maintained a 14 percent decrease from 2003.

The service providing industries also showed a decrease of almost 6 percent from 2006. Health care and social assistance reported the largest decrease (20 percent).

In 2007, the manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, utilities, financial activities, educational services and health care and social assistance (7 of 16) sectors experienced their lowest nonfatal injury and illness rate in the last five years (since collecting the data under NAICS).

Additional Texas fatal and nonfatal occupational injury and illness data are available by contacting the TDI-DWC’s Safety Information Systems at 512-804-4651 or injurystatistics@tdi.state.tx.us.

Details about the national BLS injury and illness data can be found at www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm.

Source: Texas Department of Insurance, www.state.tx.us