Report shows increase in non-fatal Arkansas workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022
by December 1, 2023 11:38 am 375 views
There was a 6.9% increase in non-fatal injury and illness among Arkansas private and public sector workers in 2022 compared with 2021, according to a report posted Friday (Dec. 1) by the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing.
Estimates show 27,800 incidents in 2022 and 26,000 in 2021. The injury and illness estimate are from the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), according to the department.
The 2022 incident rate was 2.6 and the 2021 incidence rate was 2.5. Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers.
According to the report, private industry employers reported 15,700 non-fatal injuries in 2022, compared to 15,500 in 2021. The incidence rate was 1.7 injury cases per 100 FTE workers, the same rate as 2021.
Following are other report details related to private sector workers.
• There were 7,400 illness cases reported from private industry employers in 2022, up from 5,600 in 2021. The incidence rate of illness cases increased from 0.6 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2021 to 0.8 cases in 2022. The increase was driven by the number of respiratory illness cases, which rose from 5,100 cases in 2021 to 6,900 cases in 2022. This comes after a decrease in respiratory illnesses in 2021 compared to 2020.
• There were 11,100 non-fatal injuries and illnesses that caused a private industry worker to miss at least one day of work in 2022, compared to 9,900 cases in 2021.
• The goods-producing sector had 7,800 total recordable cases in 2022, up from 7,600 cases in 2021. The incidence rate was 3.4, no change from 2021. Within this sector, animal production and aquaculture had the highest subsector incidence rate at 7.4, with the poultry and egg production industry group’s incidence rate of 8.0 being a significant contributor. The food manufacturing subsector followed a close 2nd with an incidence rate of 7.3.
• The service-providing sector had 15,300 total recordable cases in 2022, up from 13,500 cases in 2021. The incidence rate was 2.2, up from 2.0 in 2021. The nursing and residential care facilities subsector had the highest overall incidence rate of 15.5 for 2022.
PUBLIC SECTOR
In the state and local government public sector, there were 4,700 non-fatal injuries and illnesses in 2022, compared to 4,900 in 2021. The incidence rate was 3.1 injury and illness cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022, compared to 3.3 in 2021.
Following are other report details related to public sector workers.
• State government employers in Arkansas reported 1,300 non-fatal injury and illness cases in 2022, compared to 1,100 in 2021. The incidence rate for state government was 2.3 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022, compared to 1.8 in 2021.
• There were 400 non-fatal injury and illness cases that caused a state government employee to miss at least one day of work in 2022, same as 2021.
• Within state government, the nursing and residential care facilities subsector had the highest incidence rate at 9.1 for 2022. The second highest was the subsector of heavy and civil engineering construction at 6.3.
• Local government employers in Arkansas reported 3,400 non-fatal injury and illness cases in 2022, compared to 3,800 in 2021. The incidence rate for local government was 3.6 cases per 100 FTE workers in 2022, compared to 4.3 in 2021.
• There were 800 non-fatal injury and illness cases that caused a local government employee to miss at least one day of work in 2022, compared to 1,000 in 2021.
• Health care and social assistance had an incidence rate of 6.4. Public administration had an incidence rate of 3.5. Educational services had an incidence rate of 3.4.