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Survey shows Minnesota workplace injury rate sets another new all-time low

Minnesota’s estimated workplace injury and illness rate for 2015 decreased to its lowest rate since measurement started in 1973. According to the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, the state had an estimated 3.5 OSHA-recordable nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers in 2015. The estimated rate was 3.7 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2014 and 3.9 in both 2013 and 2012.

The survey estimated Minnesota had 75,000 workers with OSHA-recordable nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2015, compared to 78,700 estimated cases for 2014.

Minnesota’s employment covered by the survey increased from 2.63 million in 2014 to 2.67 million in 2015.

“In the past decade, Minnesota has seen a 31 percent decrease in its rate of work-related injuries and illnesses,” said Ken Peterson, Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) commissioner. “While this is good news overall, there is still much work to do to improve workplace safety and health to ensure more workers go home safe and healthy each night.”

For the survey, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry collects injury and illness records from randomly sampled Minnesota employers in the private and public sectors (excluding federal agencies). Approximately 4,800 employers participated in the 2015 survey. State agencies and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) compile the nationwide survey data, which is the primary source of workplace injury and illness statistics at the state and national levels.

Nationally, an estimated 3,658,500 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported in private- and public-sector workplaces for 2015, resulting in a rate of 3.3 cases per 100 FTE workers.

Other results from the Minnesota survey

The 2015 Minnesota survey estimated 35,500 injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, job transfer or restrictions after the day of injury, significantly lower than the 2014 estimate of 38,400 cases. The rate was 1.7 cases per 100 FTE workers; the 2014 rate was 1.8 per 100 FTE workers.

An estimated 1.0 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2015 led to one or more days away from work after the day of injury, unchanged from 2014.

The industry divisions with the highest total injury and illness rates were agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (6.5 cases per 100 FTE workers); construction (5.3); and transportation and warehousing (5.0).

Minnesota data tables are available on the DLI website at http://www.dli.mn.gov/RS/StatWSH.asp. National data tables are available on the BLS website at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshsum.htm.

 

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