Texas Reports 3rd-Year Decline in Private Industry Injuries, Illnesses

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) reports there were 213,507 total cases of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in Texas in 2009 that involved days away from work.

Of those, 60,240 occurred at private industry employers. This is a 6.9 percent decrease from the 64,700 private industry cases reported in 2008. In 2007, 69,320 private industry nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported.

The survey revealed that there were 81.2 injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time equivalent employees in Texas in 2009. This rate was 4 percent lower than the rate of 84.6 in 2008 and is lower than the national rate of 117.

The median days away from work – a key measure of severity of injuries and illnesses – for Texas in 2009 was 8, which is the same as the median days away from work reported nationally.

The figures are based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

Source: TDI-DWC