Historical Foundations
Established in 1884, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has been compiling and publishing statistics on workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Its initial projects included investigations into phosphorus poisoning among match workers, as well as reports on lead exposure and fatalities in mining. In 1912, the agency released its first annual report on injury rates within the iron and steel sector, which represented the beginning of consistent, formal data collection.[S1]
Cooperative arrangements with states like Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio began in the 1910s for reporting industrial accidents. These state records, driven by new workers' compensation laws, provided broader data but lacked uniformity. Ironically, some policymakers believed these laws had eliminated the problem, hindering national statistics until the OSH Act of 1970.[S1]
Modern Surveys and Declines
The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) began publishing 1972 data in 1974, covering nonfatal cases. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) followed, starting with 1992 data in 1994. In 2013, SOII estimated 3,007,300 nonfatal injuries and illnesses among private workers, a rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers, down from 5.0 a decade earlier.[S1]
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CFOI data for 2013 recorded 4,585 fatal work injuries, down from 5,575 in 2003. These declines reflect improved safety measures and more accurate data collection methods. BLS continues to refine its approaches, including new classification systems and computer-assisted coding, to ensure precise tracking of workplace hazards.[S1]
