Utah Labor Commission

The Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides information annually on the rates and frequency of nonfatal injuries and illnesses occurring in the workplace. Utah samples approximately 3,000 establishments in both the private and public sectors. It excludes the self-employed, farms with fewer than 11 employees and private households. The Annual Survey uses a stratified random sample of industry employers. The establishments included in the sample are selected based on their standard industrial classification and employment size. Establishments are classified in industry categories based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. The definitions of occupational injuries and illnesses are from Recordkeeping Guidelines for Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 1986). BLS Glossary is another site.

The Annual Survey products provide three types of occupational injury and illness data: 1) incidence rates and number of cases; 2) case characteristics; and 3) worker demographics. Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers. Case Characteristics reflect specific information about the injury or illness, such as the nature of the injury of illness, the part of body affected, the source of injury or illness, the event or exposure responsible for the injury or illness, and any secondary source that may have been involved. Worker demographics information refers to selected information about the injured or ill worker, such as: occupation, age, race, sex, and length of service.

The CFOI program collects, compiles, and publishes detailed information on all work related fatalities occurring in Utah, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Approximately 30 fatality data elements are collected, coded, and tabulated, including information about the worker, the fatal incident, and the machinery or equipment involved. Data are compiled from various State and Federal administrative sources, including death certificates, workers’ compensation reports and claims, reports to various regulatory agencies, medical examiners reports, news reports, and information provided by the employer. Multiple sources are used because no single source captures all on-the-job fatalities. Source documents are matched so that each fatality is counted only once. To ensure that a fatality occurred while the decedent was at work, information is verified from two or more independent source documents, or from a source document and a follow-up questionnaire.

The UOSH Statistics section also conducts the Occupation Safety and Health Administration’s Log Data Collection Initiative. The objective of this program is to collect occupational injury and illness data from private and public sector establishments in selected high-hazard industries.

Utah Occupation Safety and Health Program uses the data to develop safety and health intervention programs, such as targeting safety inspections, consultations, outreach initiatives and technical assistance to help reduce accidents and illnesses in Utah workplaces.