U.S. private industry employers reported 2.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses last year, a decrease from 2.8 million in 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Nov. 3.
Six takeaways related to healthcare, as reported by the bureau:
1. Healthcare and social assistance was the only private industry sector that saw a year-over-year increase in injury and illness cases. Injury and illness cases in that sector climbed 40.1 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year.
2. The healthcare and social assistance sector reported 806,200 private industry injury and illness cases last year, and 447,890 of those cases resulted in at least one day away from work.
3. In 2019, the healthcare and social assistance sector had 575,200 private industry injury and illness cases, and 151,410 of those cases resulted in at least one day away from work.
4. The total incidence rate for the healthcare and social assistance sector was 5.5 private industry injury and illness cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers in 2020, up from 3.8 per 100 full-time equivalent workers the previous year.
5. Nursing and residential care facilities, hospitals and ambulatory healthcare services all reported increases last year in incidence rates for injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work. Their rates in 2020 were 791.7, 371.7 and 121.4 cases per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers, respectively. This compares with rates of 170.9, 129.7 and 53.5 cases per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers, respectively, in 2019.
6. For registered nurses, the incidence rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work climbed from 102.1 cases per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers in 2019 to 390.6 last year.
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