The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has disclosed a 7.5% increase in nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in the private industry for 2021-2022, amounting to 2.8 million cases. Illnesses surged by 26.1 percent, while injuries rose by 4.5 percent.
A total of 460,000 cases of illnesses were recorded, driven by a significant rise of 35.4 % in respiratory illnesses. Meanwhile, there were 2.3 million cases of injuries.
As reported by the BLS, the private industry observed a total recordable case (TRC) incidence rate of 2.7 per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022. The injury case rate was calculated at 2.3 per 100 FTE workers, whereas the illness rate escalated to 45.2 cases per 10,000 FTE workers from its previous figure of 37.7 in 2021.
According to a news release from the BLS, occupational patterns over the period of 2021-2022 indicate that healthcare and technical occupations accounted for a substantial proportion -78.6%- of Days Away from Work (DAFW) cases. Production occupations had their share with a contribution of 53.8% DAFW cases while transportation and material moving occupations topped the charts with an overwhelming number of total injuries and illnesses -835,040.
In another news release from the BLS, it was reported that fatal work injuries saw a rise of about 5.7% in the year 2022, reaching a count of approximately 5,486 cases as compared to the previous year's figure of around about 5,190 cases in 2021. The fatal work injury rate witnessed an increase from its previous value of around about3 .6 to nearly about3 .7 per every 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Data indicated that on average, a worker experienced a fatal work-related injury every 96 minutes in 2022, which is a slight decrease from the 101-minute interval recorded in 2021.
Safety by Design suggests the top ten tips for industrial workers which include fostering a safety culture, ensuring proper use of personal protective equipment, maintaining clear work areas, permitting authorized personnel for machinery, eliminating hazards, conducting regular inspections, promoting reporting of unsafe conditions, encouraging breaks, creating an emergency action plan and providing ongoing safety training.
According to the Grand Rapids Reporter, Forge Industrial Company based in Grand Rapids Michigan has offered some safety tips for the workplace. Forge emphasizes avoiding shortcuts in the workplace due to potential risks of problems or accidents. While acknowledging that industrial jobs often pose inherent safety risks, Forge stated "Every accident and injury is preventable on some level." The company's safety tips include wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), adhering to proper lifting techniques - particularly lifting with your legs -, seeking assistance for items exceeding 50 pounds and promptly notifying supervisors if weight becomes an issue. Emphasis is placed on machinery safety awareness where employees should familiarize themselves with safety features and the lock-out/tag-out process.