The Bureau of Labor Statistics published a new report on employer-related workplace injuries and illnesses, documenting changes over the last few years, based on data from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).
Private employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022, an increase of 7.5% from 2021.
This increase is driven by the rise in both injuries, up 4.5% to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses, up 26.1% to 460,700 cases. The increase in illness is driven by the rise of respiratory illness cases, up 35.4% to 365,000 cases in 2022. This 2022 increase in respiratory illness comes after a drop in 2021.
The combined illness-and-injury frequency rate was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022. Injury rates were 2.3 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022, while the illness rate was 45.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers.
Approximately 3.3 million DART cases – cases involving days away from work, restrictions, or job transfer – occurred from 2021-2022.
The report documents several characteristics of DART cases, including:
- Among transportation and material moving occupations, most DART cases (329,150) were due to overexertion and bodily reaction
- More than half of DART cases for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (127,530 cases) were due to exposure to harmful substances or environments
- 759,560 DART cases involved persons aged 25 to 34
- Rates of respiratory illness increased 37.5% for healthcare and social assistance workers, while nearly tripling across grocery store workers
- 502,380 musculoskeletal disorders resulted in at least one day away from work
