by Stacey Barnhart

Private sector results based on revised requirements
Oregon workers employed in the private sector during calendar year 2002 suffered work-related injuries and illnesses at a rate of 6.0 for every 100 full-time employees. Of the 63,449 total recordable cases in 2002, 52.7 percent resulted in lost work time.

The 2002 rates are based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised requirements for recording occupational injuries and illnesses, which became effective January 1, 2002. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, the primary source for the estimates of occupational injuries and illnesses in this summary, is based on employers’ records of injuries and illnesses. Due to the revised requirements, the estimates from the 2002 survey are not comparable with those from prior years. The survey was not designed to determine the impact of the revision on the estimates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses.

Industry lost-workday-cases rates
The private sector cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction rate (DART) was 3.2 in 2002. The DART rate replaces the lost-workday-cases incidence rate (LWDCIR), and includes injury and illness cases that resulted in one or more days away from work. The following figures compare 1992-2001 occupational injuries and illnesses incidence rates and present 2002 rates based on the revised requirements.

The highest rate in 2002 among industry divisions, 4.3, was recorded by the transportation and public utilities division. Finance, insurance, and real estate reported the lowest rate of 0.8.

Public sector results
The public sector reported a total-cases incidence rate of 6.5 in 2002. State government recorded a total-cases rate of 5.2, while local government registered a rate of 7.0.

The 2002 public sector DART rate consists of state government’s rate of 2.4 and local government’s rate of 3.3.

National survey results
The total-cases incidence rate for the private sector nationwide was 5.3 in 2002. The DART rate was 2.8, and the incidence rate for nonfatal cases without lost workdays was 2.5. The Oregon total-cases incidence rate and DART rate exceeded the national rates by 13.2 and 14.3 percent, respectively. The Oregon cases-without-lost-workdays incidence rate was 12.0 percent higher than the national figure. One reason Oregon rates are higher than national rates is attributable to a higher proportion of Oregon’s workforce in hazardous industries.

The number of injuries and illnesses reported in any year can be influenced by the level of economic activity, working conditions and work practices, worker experience and training, and the number of hours worked.

Data in this summary are based upon the annual Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) survey which collects data from a scientifically selected sample of employer establishments across the state. This should be distinguished from the data collected from workers’ compensation claims submitted to the department by insurers.

For further information, or to access the 2002 Oregon Occupational Injury and Illness tables and appendices, please call the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services, Research & Analysis Section at (503) 378-8254.

If you have questions about the information contained in this document, please contact by e-mail or phone: Stacey Barnhart, (503) 947-7367, Research Analyst, Research & Analysis Section, Information Management Division

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all IMD publications are available in alternative formats by calling (503) 378-4100 (V/TTY). The information in IMD publications is in the public domain and may be reprinted without permission.

This document was originally published in March 2004
[Printed form 440-2081 (03/04/IMD)]