Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Fall to Lowest Level Since 2003
According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employer-reported private industry workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023 were down 8.2% to 2.6 million cases, largely due to a reduction in respiratory illnesses, which fell by 72.6% to 100,200 cases in 2023, and a 56.6% drop in workplace illnesses, which dropped to 200,100 cases, the lowest number since 2019.
The report shows a reduction in total recordable cases to 2.4 cases per 100 full-time workers, a 2.7 drop from 2022 and the lowest level since 2003. Nonfatal injuries in the workplace that required days away from work fell by 20.1% year-over-year to 946,500 cases. In healthcare and social assistance, total recordable injuries and illnesses fell from 4.5 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2022 to 3.6 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2023, with 562,500 cases reported compared to 665,300 cases in 2022.
“We are encouraged by these significant improvements in injury and illness rates in 2023. Looking at the BLS report and our own recent analysis showing fewer worker deaths in OSHA’s purview, our formula of strong enforcement combined with collaboration between government, labor and the private sector to make workplace safety and health as a core value is making a difference in the lives of America’s workers,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Douglas Parker.
OSHA previously announced that there had been an 11% reduction in workplace fatalities and that if COVID-19-related fatalities were excluded from the data, reported deaths in the workplace were at the lowest level since 2017.
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While the reduction in workplace injuries and illnesses is good news, Parker said that there are still too many cases of injuries and illnesses in the workplace and in the majority of cases, those injuries and illnesses arise from preventable incidents, and confirmed that OSHA is committed to ensuring that every worker is able to return home each day healthy and whole.
