The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) today released the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.
Employers in Montana reported a total of 13,700 recordable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) injuries and illnesses in 2019, with 11,500 of those in the private industry. Of the private industry injuries and illnesses in 2019, 5,600 were serious enough to require recuperation away from work, a transfer from or restricted duties at work, or both.
The survey found that private industry workplaces in Montana reported a rate of 3.8 injury and illness cases per hundred full-time workers in 2019. An incident rate of 3.9 cases per hundred full-time workers was recorded in 2018. A total of 14,100 recordable injuries and illnesses were reported in 2018.
DLI’s Data Management Section conducts the annual survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Participating employers maintain injury and illness recordkeeping forms, which are then analyzed to determine incidence rates of workplace injuries and illnesses experience by year. Injuries and illnesses are reported when they result in lost work time, medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of consciousness, restriction of work or motion, or require a transfer to another job.
Montana’s incidence rate of injuries and illnesses varied by major industry sector in 2019. The industries with the higher incidence rates per 100 full-time workers were arts, entertainment and recreation, at 5.7, manufacturing, with 5.3, and health care and social assistance at 5.1. The industries with lower incidence rates were finance and insurance with 0.5 incidence rates per 100 full-time workers, professional, scientific and technical services with 1.1, and information at 1.2.
The entire 2019 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses publication can be viewed by clicking the button.
2019 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
DLI’s Safety & Health Bureau provides free on-site consultation services to assist with compliance of OSHA regulations in both the private and public sectors. Staff can help employers identify safety and health hazards and provide recommendations to reduce hazards and improve overall workplace safety. To learn more about the Safety & Health Consultation Program, visit erd.dli.mt.gov/safety-health/onsite-consultation.
DLI is hosting a free, virtual SafetyFestMT Bozeman event from November 16 through 20. Montana employers and workers are encouraged to register for the safety trainings by visiting safetyfestmt.dli.mt.gov/bozeman-2020. Forty topics are included on the agenda, including an Assistance for Business Clinic and a panel coveringCOVID-19 and Workers’ Compensation.
