The Kentucky Labor Cabinet announced today that the state’s latest incidence rate involving all employer-reported workplace injury and illnesses was 3.8 per 100 equivalent full-time workers – the lowest rate in Kentucky since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording the data in 1996. This rate is for the 2014 calendar year.
However, Kentucky’s incidence rate is slightly higher than the national average of 3.2. The national average has dropped from 3.3 in 2013 and 3.4 in 2012.
“Simply put, workers are safer now in Kentucky than ever before,” said Kentucky Labor Secretary Larry L. Roberts. “This is a work in progress, however, because safety doesn’t just happen by accident.”
The incidence rate represents the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers per year. Each year in Kentucky, employers report approximately 16,000 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses involving days away from work, job transfer or restricted duty. There were 15,650 reported in Kentucky in 2014; 16,660 in 2013; and 16,620 in 2012.
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet provides this information to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which conducts an annual survey of occupational injuries and illnesses. The survey also captures data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logs of workplace injuries and illnesses maintained by employers as required by law.
From Kentucky Labor Cabinet