Occupational Hazards
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “In 1995, employers in this country reported 6.1 million occupational injuries, 495,000 occupational illnesses, and 6,210 job- related deaths.” (Smith, p.710)
According to the NIOSH, “An average of 137 people die each day from work-related disease; every 5 seconds a worker is injured on the job; every 10 seconds a worker is temporarily or permanently disabled.” (Smith, p.710)
In 1990, injuries struck 12 out of every 100 full-time workers on farms employing more than 10 people. Also 24 out of every 100,000 were killed in jobs related to agriculture, farming, and fishing. (National Agricultural Safety Database, 1993)
Healthy People 2010 health status objective: reduce deaths from work-related injuries to no more than 3.6 per 1,000 full-time workers. (Smith, 2000)
Health Service workers rank 2nd in work-related injuries. (Smith, 2000)