Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in New Jersey — 2018

New Jersey’s private industry employers reported 74,400 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2018, resulting in an incidence rate of 2.6 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Chief Regional Economist Martin Kohli noted that New Jersey was among 12 states and the District of Columbia that had an incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) significantly lower than the national rate of 2.8. (New Jersey was 1 of 41 states and the District of Columbia for which statewide estimates are available. See Technical Note at the end of this release for more information about the survey.)
New Jersey’s findings from the 2018 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses include:
•
TRC incidence rates in private industry ranged from 0.7 in financial activities to 6.1 in natural resources andmining. (See table 1.)
•
Two supersectors, with about 44 percent of private industry employment, accounted for 60 percent of theoccupational injuries and illnesses: trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and health services.(See table 2.)
•
In private industry, the TRC injury and illness incidence rate ranged from 0.7 for establishments employingfewer than 11 workers to 3.5 for two size classes—establishments employing between 50 – 249 workers andestablishments employing over 1,000 workers. (See table 3.)
•
New Jersey’s private industry TRC rate of 2.6 was unchanged from 2017 to 2018. (See table 4.)
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals.
For Release: Monday, February 03, 2020
20-184-NEW
Table A. Number and rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in private industry, United States and New Jersey, 2018
Characteristic
United States
New Jersey
Number(in thousands)
Rate(per 100 workers)
Number(in thousands)
Rate(per 100 workers)
Total cases………………………………………………………….
2,834.5
2.8
74.4
2.6
Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction…………………………………………………………
1,578.7
1.6
42.4
1.5
Cases with days away from work……………………..
900.4
0.9
27.5
1.0
Cases with job transfer or restriction…………………
678.3
0.7
14.9
0.5
Other recordable cases……………………………………..
1,255.9
1.3
32.0
1.1
2
Private industry injury and illness case types
Of the 74,400 private industry injury and illness cases reported in New Jersey, 42,400 were of a more severe nature, involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction—commonly referred to as DART cases. These cases occurred at a rate of 1.5 cases per 100 full-time workers. Sixty-five percent of the DART cases in New Jersey were incidents that resulted in at least one day away from work, compared to 57 percent nationally. Other recordable cases (those not involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction) accounted for the remaining 32,000 cases in New Jersey, at a rate of 1.1. In comparison, the national rate for other recordable cases was 1.3.
In New Jersey, one private industry supersector, natural resources and mining, experienced a significant change in both the TRC and DART incidence rates, both up from the previous year. No other private industry supersector had a significant change in either its TRC or DART incidence rate.
In 2018, approximately 72,000 (96.8 percent) of private industry recordable injuries and illnesses were injuries. Workplace illnesses accounted for an additional 2,400 recordable cases. Four categories— skin disorders, hearing loss, respiratory conditions and poisonings—accounted for 42 percent of the occupational illnesses in New Jersey. Nationally, these four categories accounted for 38 percent of the work-related illness total.
State and local government injury and illness cases
In the state and local government sector in New Jersey, 20,800 injury and illness cases were reported in 2018, resulting in a rate of 5.3 cases per 100 full-time workers. Nationally, the rate was 4.8. Eighty percent of injuries and illnesses reported in New Jersey’s public sector occurred among local government workers.
State estimates
Private industry and public sector estimates are available for 41 participating states and for the District of Columbia for 2018. The private industry injury and illness rate was statistically higher in 22 states than the national rate of 2.8 cases per 100 full-time workers, lower in 12 states and in the District of Columbia, and not statistically different in 7 states. (See chart 1.) Caution should be taken when comparing rates among different states as some differences can be attributed to different industry composition within each state.
3
Technical Note
The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is a Federal/State cooperative program that publishes estimates on nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. Each year, approximately 200,000 employers report for establishments in private industry and the public sector (state and local government). In-scope cases include work-related injuries or illnesses to workers who require medical care beyond first aid. See the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the entire recordkeeping guidelines. The SOII excludes all work–related fatalities as well as nonfatal work injuries and illnesses to the self–employed; to workers on farms with 10 or fewer employees; to private household workers; to volunteers; and to federal government workers. For more information on the scope and sampling methodology see the SOII Handbook of Methods.
Additional occupational injury and illness data are available from our regional web page at www.bls.gov/regions/new-york-new-jersey.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202)-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800)-877-8339.
4
Footnotes:(1)Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.(2)Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the MineSafety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for miningoperators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes theOccupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore estimates for theseindustries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.(3)Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.(4)Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.(5)Data do not meet publication guidelines.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add up to totals. Dashes indicate data not available.Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where: N =number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
Table 1. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and case type, New Jersey, 2018
Industry(1)(2)(3)
Total recordable cases
Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction
Other recordable cases
Total
Cases with days away from work(4)
Cases with job transfer or restriction
All industries including state and local government…………………………………………………..
3.0
1.7
1.2
0.6
1.3
Private industry…………………………………………..
2.6
1.5
1.0
0.5
1.1
Goods-producing……………………………………..
3.1
1.9
1.2
0.7
1.2
Natural resources and mining………………..
6.1
2.9
1.3
1.5
3.2
Construction………………………………………..
3.1
1.8
1.4
0.4
1.3
Manufacturing………………………………………
3.0
1.9
1.1
0.8
1.1
Service-providing……………………………………..
2.6
1.4
0.9
0.5
1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities…………..
3.7
2.4
1.6
0.8
1.3
Information………………………………………….
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.3
0.3
Financial activities………………………………..
0.7
0.2
0.2(5)
0.4
Professional and business services………..
1.1
0.5
0.3
0.2
0.6
Education and health services……………….
3.9
2.0
1.1
0.9
1.9
Leisure and hospitality…………………………..
2.8
1.3
0.9
0.4
1.5
Other services, except public administration………………………………………
1.7
1.1
0.9
0.2
0.6
State and local government………………………….
5.3
3.1
2.4
0.7
2.2
State government…………………………………….
4.2
3.0
2.7
0.4
1.1
Local government…………………………………….
5.7
3.2
2.3
0.8
2.5
5
Footnotes:(1)Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.(2)Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the MineSafety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for miningoperators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes theOccupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore estimates for theseindustries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.(3)Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.(4)Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add up to totals. Dashes indicate data not available.Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where: N =number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
Table 2. Numbers of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, New Jersey, 2018 (numbers in thousands)
Industry(1)(2)(3)
Total recordable cases
Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction
Other recordable cases
Total
Cases with days away from work(4)
Cases with job transfer or restriction
All industries including state and local government…………………………………………………..
95.3
54.7
37.0
17.7
40.6
Private industry…………………………………………..
74.4
42.4
27.5
14.9
32.0
Goods-producing……………………………………..
12.2
7.5
4.7
2.8
4.7
Natural resources and mining………………..
0.7
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.4
Construction………………………………………..
4.4
2.6
2.0
0.6
1.8
Manufacturing………………………………………
7.1
4.6
2.6
2.0
2.5
Service-providing……………………………………..
62.2
34.9
22.8
12.1
27.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities…………..
26.8
17.5
11.8
5.8
9.3
Information………………………………………….
0.9
0.6
0.5
0.2
0.2
Financial activities………………………………..
1.5
0.5
0.5
0.1
1.0
Professional and business services………..
6.5
2.8
1.8
1.0
3.7
Education and health services……………….
18.2
9.4
5.4
4.0
8.8
Leisure and hospitality…………………………..
6.8
3.0
2.1
1.0
3.7
Other services, except public administration………………………………………
1.6
1.0
0.9
0.2
0.6
State and local government………………………….
20.8
12.3
9.5
2.8
8.5
State government…………………………………….
4.2
3.1
2.7
0.4
1.1
Local government…………………………………….
16.6
9.2
6.8
2.5
7.4
6
Footnotes:(1)Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.(2)Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the MineSafety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for miningoperators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes theOccupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore estimates for theseindustries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.(3)Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.(4)Data do not meet publication guidelines.
Note: Because of rounding, components may not add to totals. Dashes indicate data not available.Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where: N =number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
Table 3. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and employment size, New Jersey, 2018
Industry(1)(2)(3)
All establishments
Establishment employment size (workers)
1 to 10
11 to 49
50 to 249
250 to 999
1,000 or more
All industries including state and local government……………………………………………..
3.0
0.7
2.1
3.7
3.6
3.9
Private industry……………………………………..
2.6
0.7
2.0
3.5
3.1
3.5
Goods-producing……………………………….
3.1
–
3.6
3.7
3.3
1.2
Natural resources and mining…………..
6.1(4)
2.8
4.2
13.1
–
Construction…………………………………..
3.1
–
4.1
3.6
3.1
–
Manufacturing…………………………………
3.0
–
3.1
3.8
2.8
1.2
Service-providing……………………………….
2.6
0.6
1.8
3.4
3.1
3.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities……..
3.7
1.0
2.7
4.1
4.9
5.3
Information…………………………………….
1.3(4)
1.8
1.6
1.2
0.3
Financial activities…………………………..
0.7
–
0.8
0.7
0.5
0.5
Professional and business services…..
1.1
–
1.0
1.7
1.4
0.5
Education and health services………….
3.9
–
1.3
4.7
4.9
5.8
Leisure and hospitality……………………..
2.8(4)
2.4
4.3
3.4
4.4
Other services, except public administration…………………………………
1.7
–
1.3
4.1
2.5
–
State and local government…………………….
5.3
2.9
6.9
6.4
5.1
4.8
State government………………………………
4.2(4)(4)
4.3
4.7
3.9
Local government………………………………
5.7
2.9
7.0
6.5
5.3
5.4
7
Footnotes:(1)Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.(2)Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012 edition) include establishments not governed by the MineSafety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for miningoperators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes theOccupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore estimates for theseindustries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.(3)Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.(4)Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
Note: Dashes indicate data not available.Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where: N =number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).* An asterisk indicates a significant difference between the current year and prior year values, when testing at 95% confidence level.
Table 4. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and selected case type with measures of statistical significance, New Jersey, 2017–18
Industry(1)(2)(3)
Total recordable cases
Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (4)
2017
2018
2017
2018
All industries including state and local government…..
2.9
3.0
1.7
1.7
Private industry…………………………………………………
2.6
2.6
1.5
1.5
Goods-producing……………………………………………
2.7
3.1
1.8
1.9
Natural resources and mining………………………
1.8
6.1*
1.3
2.9*
Construction………………………………………………
2.5
3.1
1.7
1.8
Manufacturing…………………………………………….
2.9
3.0
1.9
1.9
Service-providing……………………………………………
2.6
2.6
1.5
1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities…………………
3.4
3.7*
2.2
2.4
Information………………………………………………..
1.9
1.3
1.4
1.0
Financial activities………………………………………
0.8
0.7
0.5
0.2
Professional and business services………………
1.3
1.1
0.6
0.5
Education and health services……………………..
3.8
3.9
2.0
2.0
Leisure and hospitality…………………………………
2.8
2.8
1.4
1.3
Other services, except public administration…..
1.3
1.7
0.9
1.1
State and local government………………………………..
5.2
5.3
3.1
3.1
State government…………………………………………..
4.1
4.2*
2.8
3.0*
Local government…………………………………………..
5.6
5.7
3.3
3.2