Work Time Off for Injury, Illness in '06 up in Texas

In 2006, the number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in private industry in Texas increased by nearly 5 percent compared to 2005. Although 3,230 more of these types of injuries and illnesses were reported in 2006 compared to 2005, the 2006 total is less than the numbers reported in 2004 and 2003.

In 2006, the rate of injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers in Texas was 104.4 compared to a national rate of 128.0. Other Texas results from the 2006 Survey of Occupational Injury and Illness include:

• Service-providing industries reported 60 percent more nonfatal injuries and illnesses than the goods-producing industries, although the rate per 10,000 full-time workers was 14 percent less.
• Workers aged 35 to 44 years experienced the largest percentage (27) of the total number of cases involving days away from work.
• Among the ten occupations reporting the most cases with days away from work, construction workers experienced the highest median days away from work (27) although they experienced the fifth highest number of injuries or illnesses.