Fatal Occupational Injury by Event or Exposure

In addition to the safety statistics which are generated from warehouses, a much larger problem with all workplace injuries has been recently recognized. The American Medical Association published a detailed study on workplace injuries in July 1997. The report stated that workplace injuries and illnesses cost an estimated 171 billion each year and result in approximately 6,500 workplace deaths and over 60,000 deaths from disease. 

The study reported that to our knowledge, no prior study uses national data to generate estimates of the burden and costs of occupational injuries and illnesses in the U.S. The report studied fourteen primary sources and 200 secondary sources of data, and went on to identify larger numbers than previously reported in national studies. Between 66,000 and 111,000 new cases of cancer are caused by occupational factors each year, while an estimated 36,000 to 73,000 new or recurrent cases of coronary heart disease are associated with workplace factors. 

According to this very detailed study, the figures usually sited underestimate the true burden and costs of occupational illness in the United States. The costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses are large compared with other diseases. 

A comparison of the costs of on-the-job illnesses to the costs of illnesses in the general public, is quite revealing. The cost of acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was estimated at 30 billion. Alzheimer s disease was estimated to cost 66 billion. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease is estimated at 164 billion. In 1992 the costs of cancer were estimated at 170 billion. 

The National Safety Council, in another statistics-related article, stated that the total cost of injuries and illnesses is staggering. The total cost is equal to the combined 1996 profits of the 20 largest corporations in America, stated Gerry Scannell, NSC president. Mr. Scanned, former head of OSHA during President George Bush s administration, stated that companies need to make safety a value in their workplace not only do effective safety programs save lives, they re also good business.  

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Table 9.2 Causes of Fatal Occupational Injuries by Event or Exposure, 2006...

Table 1-1. Fatal Occupational Injury by Event or Exposure ...

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