Minnesota employers have some fresh numbers with which to work off of when it comes to workplace injuries and illness.
A survey estimates Minnesota’s workplace injury and illness rate for 2013 has remained unchanged from the 2012 rate and is slightly above the all-time low mark of 2011.
According to the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, the state had an estimated 3.9 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers in 2013 and 2012. This is up slightly from the 2011 estimate of 3.8 cases per 100 FTE workers.
The survey estimated the number of Minnesota’s nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses to be 81,200 for 2013, up from 77,600 for 2012.
Minnesota’s employment covered by the survey increased from 2.52 million in 2012 to 2.58 million in 2013.
Look to Continue Positive Trend over Last Decade
“In the past decade, Minnesota has seen a 29 percent decrease in its rate of work-related injuries and illnesses,” said Ken Peterson, Department of Labor and Industry commissioner. “To continue this positive trend, we need to build safer worksites so more workers go home 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 2013 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 3.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported in private- and public-sector workplaces for 2013, resulting in a rate of 3.5 cases per 100 FTE workers.
The 2013 Minnesota survey estimated 37,200 injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work, job transfer or restrictions after the day of injury. The rate of these cases was 1.8 per 100 FTE workers, unchanged from 2012 and 2011.
An estimated 1.0 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2013 led to one or more days away from work after the day of injury, slightly lower than the 2012 estimate of 1.1 cases per 100 FTW workers, but not statistically significant.
The industry divisions with the highest total injury and illness rates were: local government (6.2 cases per 100 FTE workers); construction (6.0); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (5.9); and health care and social assistance (5.5).
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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