View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2001/01/18/15154.htm
Job-related nonfatal injury/illness rates in 1999 continued to decrease, reaching a record low of 6.3 workers injured out of every 100, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Labor Statistics and Research.
The injury/illness rate decreased from 6.7 per 100 workers in 1998, while employment increased 3 percent. The workplace injury/illness rate is a statistic that counts nonfatal accidents and exposures caused on the job. Job-related injuries in agriculture and construction posted the greatest decline, with one injury per 100 agriculture employees and 0.7 injury per 100 construction employees.
This decrease is due in large part to the Cal/OSHA inspection programs targeting these two high-hazard industries. The programs are designed to decrease the number of injuries suffered by employees working for general building contractors and for farms producing crops.
The Cal/OSHA Consultation Service also has assisted employers in providing a safe work environment. The service offers on-site assistance, participation in safety seminars and incentives for employers who improve health and safety at their worksites. Of the eight high-hazard industries, finance, insurance and real estate was the only industry to record an increase in injuries and illnesses. The rate went up from 2.7 per 100 workers to 3.1.
However, the number of lost workdays due to injuries and illnesses declined from 3.3. to 3.1 days per incidence. For copies of statistical tables for the 1999 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in California, visit the DIR’s website at www.dir.ca.gov/DLSR/NonFatal1999Index.html.