Baton Rouge, LA – According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey, Louisiana remained one of the safest states in which to work. The state’s rate of non-fatal accidents and injuries has continually decreased over the past 16 years and remains among the lowest rates in the nation when compared to the national averages compiled since 2007.
The rate reported for Louisiana in 2017 remained steady at 1.9 incidents per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, equal to the rate reported in 2016. The national average was 2.8. Louisiana had the lowest incidence rate among 41 participating states, trailing only the District of Columbia for the rate of nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses. Louisiana has continuously been below the national average since the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration revised its recordkeeping rules in 2002.
“Louisiana has remained one of the safest places to do business, which is a testament to the awareness of all of our business leaders and organizations throughout the state that work in hazardous conditions on a daily basis,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie. “While we have had the honor of holding this high ranking for the past few years, our work is never done until there are zero on-the-job accidents.”
The state’s injury and illness rate showed improvement in multiple industry sectors. Among the leaders:
- Information: Down 0.8 incidents per 100 FTE workers from 2017.
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation- Down 0.8 incidents per 100 workers.
- Educational Services – Down 0.6 incidents per 100 workers.
- Real estate and rental and leasing – Down 0.4 incidents per 100 workers.
- Healthcare and social assistance – Down 0.3 incidents per 100 workers.
- Accommodation and food services – Down 0.3 incidents per 100 workers.
The state also saw a decrease in the missed work case incidence rate. Louisiana’s 2017 incidence rate was 64.7cases per 10,000 FTE workers when considering nonfatal workplace injuries or illnesses resulting in missed work, compared to 70.5 cases per 10,000 FTE in 2016. Louisiana remains below the national missed work case incidence rate average of 89.4 cases per 10,000 FTE workers reported in 2017.
The most common injuries and illnesses were sprains, strains and tears to the lower extremities caused by contact with objects and equipment. Floors, walkways and ground surfaces were the most common source of cases resulting in time away from work in Louisiana.
The LWC collects workplace safety data in partnership with BLS and has created a website where current and archived Louisiana-specific information can be downloaded. Additional state and national data is available on the BLS website in the section on injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
Source: LWC