A total of 6.2 million injuries and illnesses were reported in private industry workplaces during 1996, resulting in a rate of 7.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, according to a survey by the Bureau of Labour Statistics, U.S. Department of Labour. Employers reported a 5 percent decrease in the number of cases and a 3 percent increase in hours worked compared with 1995, reducing the case rate from 8.1 in 1995 to 7.4 in 1996. The rate for 1996 was the lowest on record since the Bureau began reporting this information in the early 1970s. The annual survey provides estimates of the number and frequency (incidence rates) of workplace injuries and illnesses based on logs kept by private industry employers during the year. records reflect not only the year's injury and illness experience, but also the employer's understanding of which cases are work related under current recordkeeping guidelines of the U.S. Department of Labour. The number of injuries and illnesses reported in any given year also can be influenced by the level of economic activity, working conditions and work practices, worker experience and training, and the number of hours worked. The survey measures the number of new work-related illness cases which are recognised, diagnosed, and reported during the year. Some conditions, e.g., long-term latent illnesses caused by exposure to carcinogens, often are difficult to relate to the workplace and are not adequately recognised and reported. These long-term latent illnesses are believed to be understated in the survey's illness measures. In contrast, the overwhelming majority of the reported new illnesses are those that are easier to directly relate to workplace activity (e.g., contact dermatitis or carpal tunnel syndrome). (A)
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