The 2000 lost workday cases incidence rate fell to 3.1, the lowest rate since the start of the survey in 1972. The rate of nonfatal cases without lost workdays decreased to 3.2, the lowest rate ever recorded. Compared to the 10-year average, the 2000 lost workday cases incidence rate decreased 20.5 percent while the rate of nonfatal cases without lost workdays decreased 22.0 percent.

Of the 71,976 total recordable cases in 2000, 49.4 percent resulted in lost worktime. An estimated 834,058 workdays were lost in Oregon’s private sector during 2000. This represents a 19.2 percent decrease from the 1,032,098 workdays lost in 1999.

Industry lost workday cases rates
The record low private sector lost workday cases incidence rate of 3.1 is a 11.4 percent drop from the 3.5 rate recorded in 1999. Three industry divisions—manufacturing, transportation and public utilities, and services—posted record lows in 2000. Retail trade remained at its record low rate established in 1999.

The highest lost workday cases incidence rate of the industry divisions, 4.6, was recorded by the manufacturing industry. Although this is the highest rate, it represents a 17.9 percent decrease from the 1999 rate. Finance, insurance, and real estate reported the lowest rate of 1.2, but it also reported the largest percentage increase from 1999, increasing 200 percent from 0.4. The largest percentage decrease came from the transportation and public utilities division, which dropped 35.5 percent.

Public Sector Results
The 2000 public sector total cases incidence rate of 5.7 was a record low. This rate represents a 3.4 percent decrease from the 1999 rate of 5.9. State government recorded a record low total cases rate of 4.3 in 2000, down 2.3 percent from the record low rate of 4.4 set in 1999. Local government reported 6.3, the second lowest rate ever reported in Oregon.

The 2000 public sector lost workday cases incidence rate of 2.4 is 7.7 percent lower than the 1999 rate of 2.6. The 2000 rate consists of the state government lost workday cases rate of 1.8, and the local government rate of 2.6. The public sector logged an estimated 9,025 total recordable cases in 2000. Of these, 3,769 (41.8 percent) resulted in lost workdays. Lost workdays were estimated to be 78,959, down 23.7 percent from 103,454 days in 1999.

National Survey Results
The total cases incidence rate for the private sector nationwide was 6.1 in 2000, down 3.2 percent from 6.3 in 1999, and a new record low. The lost workday cases incidence rate remained at its record low of 3.0. The incidence rate for nonfatal cases without lost workdays fell 3.0 percent to 3.2. The Oregon total cases incidence rate and lost workday cases incidence rate each exceeded the national rates by 3.3 percent. The Oregon cases without lost workdays incidence rate was the same as the national figure. One reason Oregon rates are typically higher than national rates is the higher proportion of the Oregon workforce in hazardous industries.

Data in this summary are based upon the annual Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) survey which collects data from a scientifically selected sample of employer establishments across the state. This should be distinguished from the data collected from workers’ compensation claims submitted to the department by insurers.

For further information, please call the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services, Research & Analysis Section at (503) 378-8254.

If you have questions about the information contained in this document please contact by e-mail or phone: Stacey Barnhart, Research Analyst, Research & Analysis Section, Information Management Division (503) 947-7367.

This document was originally published in January 2002.
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