The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its 2015 Workplace Injury and Illness Data. For the waste and remediation sector, the report highlighted a decrease in total recordable workplace injury and illness cases, a slight decrease in injuries that resulted in job transfers or job restrictions, and the rate of lost workday cases also declined year-over-year. Nationally, the report indicates across all industries a downward trend of incidence rates, with the total recordable cases for private industry fell to 3.0 per 100 full time workers in 2015, down from 3.2 in 2014.
The BLS data for the waste and remediation sector shows:
- The total recordable cases of workplace injury and illness in the Waste Management and Remedial Services category was 4.5 per 100, an decrease from the 2014 rate of 5.1 per 100.
- The rate for cases with days away from work was 1.9 per 100, a decrease from 2.2 per 100 in 2014.
- The rate for cases that resulted in job transfer or restriction was 1.2 per 100, the same rate as in 2014.
- In addition, the BLS data found that in the subcategory for solid waste collection employees within the waste and remediation category was lower in two of three measurements:
- The total rate of recordable cases for solid waste collection employees was 6.6 per 100, down from the 2014 rate of 7.1 per 100.
- The rate of cases with days away from work was 2.9 per 100, down from the 2014 rate of 3.3 per 100. The rate of cases with job transfer or restrictions was 1.7 per 100, slightly up from the 2014 rate of 1.5 per 100.
The first chart attached shows the waste and recycling industry total recordable cases by line of business, including solid waste collection, landfill, waste-to-energy and material recovery facilities. “NWRA is engaged in a comprehensive data collection effort as part of our strategic initiatives to directly impact industry safety performance,” commented Bret Biggers, director of statistics and standards for NWRA. “We monitor both long-term trends and current performance data from our member companies to continuously evaluate the impact of our programs that are designed to prevent and reduce accidents and injuries.. What we see in the 2015 BLS data is favorable for the waste and recycling industry, reflecting the continuing safety efforts of industry companies.”
The next chart attached shows injury and illness incidence rates for total recordable cases and lost work day cases over the past five years. “Earlier this year, NWRA convened an unprecedented industry-wide Safety Summit with the goal of significantly reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities as we build a stronger safety culture,” said Anthony Hargis, NWRA national director of safety. “As a result, the tools and tactics we have deployed all focus on specific areas where performance can be improved, including weekly safety reminders for front line employees, to nationwide week long ‘Stand Down’ programs and Safety Professional Development sessions with our chapters across the country. These efforts are directly driven by the data collection and analysis we perform so we can have the greatest impact in creating a safer work environment for our employees across the United States.”
For more information, visit www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/osh.pdf or wasterecycling.org.