The number of workers killed on the job in Minnesota reached what may be an all-time low in 2000, but workers here are more likely to be injured on the job than elsewhere in the country, according to the latest federal and state statistics.
Sixty-eight people died from workplace incidents in Minnesota in 2000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the lowest total since at least the 1950s, based on available statistics.
Those killed and injured on the job will be remembered at Workers Memorial Day ceremonies around the state and nation this week. View the schedule for Minnesota.
The chance of being injured on the job is the lowest since the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry began tracking such statistics in 1976. The rate of workplace injury and illness remained at 6.8 per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the same as in 1999, the department said.
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However, the state's workplace injury rate, especially in the private sector, remains higher than the national average, continuing a trend that began in the early 1990s. The U.S. injury rate in the private sector was 6.1, an all-time low, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Rate comparable with similar states
Brian Zaidman, a senior research analyst at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, said there is no clear answer about why workplace injury rates are higher in Minnesota. The injury rate here is comparable with states that have a similar mix of industries, he said: It's lower than Wisconsin's, higher than Illinois', and similar to Missouri's and Oregon's. The fatality rate in Minnesota is noticeably lower than in those states, he said.
Also, Zaidman noted, in at least one measure of the seriousness of those injuries - days away from work - Minnesota's rate is virtually identical to the national average, 1.9 compared with 1.8 per 100 workers.
Zaidman speculated that the most likely explanation for Minnesota's higher-than-average injury rate is that the state has more workers in sectors with more injuries. That would include manufacturing, construction, health care, and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Sectors with lower injury rates include state and local government, services, and finance and insurance.
The leading causes of workplace fatalities in 2000 were vehicle accidents (37 percent), equipment accidents (26 percent), and falls (19 percent), according to the labor bureau.
This article was written for the April 24, 2002, issue of The Union Advocate newspaper. Used by permission. The Union Advocate is the official publication of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org
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The number of workers killed on the job in Minnesota reached what may be an all-time low in 2000, but workers here are more likely to be injured on the job than elsewhere in the country, according to the latest federal and state statistics.
Sixty-eight people died from workplace incidents in Minnesota in 2000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is the lowest total since at least the 1950s, based on available statistics.
Those killed and injured on the job will be remembered at Workers Memorial Day ceremonies around the state and nation this week. View the schedule for Minnesota.
The chance of being injured on the job is the lowest since the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry began tracking such statistics in 1976. The rate of workplace injury and illness remained at 6.8 per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the same as in 1999, the department said.
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However, the state’s workplace injury rate, especially in the private sector, remains higher than the national average, continuing a trend that began in the early 1990s. The U.S. injury rate in the private sector was 6.1, an all-time low, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Rate comparable with similar states
Brian Zaidman, a senior research analyst at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, said there is no clear answer about why workplace injury rates are higher in Minnesota. The injury rate here is comparable with states that have a similar mix of industries, he said: It’s lower than Wisconsin’s, higher than Illinois’, and similar to Missouri’s and Oregon’s. The fatality rate in Minnesota is noticeably lower than in those states, he said.
Also, Zaidman noted, in at least one measure of the seriousness of those injuries – days away from work – Minnesota’s rate is virtually identical to the national average, 1.9 compared with 1.8 per 100 workers.
Zaidman speculated that the most likely explanation for Minnesota’s higher-than-average injury rate is that the state has more workers in sectors with more injuries. That would include manufacturing, construction, health care, and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Sectors with lower injury rates include state and local government, services, and finance and insurance.
The leading causes of workplace fatalities in 2000 were vehicle accidents (37 percent), equipment accidents (26 percent), and falls (19 percent), according to the labor bureau.
This article was written for the April 24, 2002, issue of The Union Advocate newspaper. Used by permission. The Union Advocate is the official publication of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org