Workers’ Compensation Statistics

  • In Pennsylvania, 92,719 work injury and illness cases were reported to the bureau during FY 2004/05. This year's total was 5.4 percent lower than the 98,041 reported in FY 2003/04.
     
  • Pennsylvania's Work Injuries and Illnesses Rate (the number of lost-time work injuries per 1,000 workers) was 16.1 in FY 2004/05. The 2003/04 FY rate was 17.3. Natural Resources and Mining had the highest injury and illness rate among the major industry divisions in FY 2004/05 at 40.2.
     
  • The divisions of industry with the highest percentage of accidents were Trade, Transportation and Utilities (20%), Education and Health Services (16%), and Manufacturing (14 %).
     
  • Sprain and strain injuries (39,872) accounted for 43 percent of the total cases reported in FY 2004/05. Over 23 percent of the cases were cuts, lacerations and punctures (10.2%) and contusions, crushes and bruises (12.7%).
     
  • The most frequent types of accidents in Pennsylvania in FY 2004/05 were due to overexertion (31.7%), resulting in a sprain or  strain in 79.1 percent of the overexertion cases.  The second leading cause of injury resulted in a sprain or strain in 56.6 percent of the bodily exertion cases. Cuts, lacerations or punctures were the result in 29.9 percent of all "struck-by" accidents and 51.9 percent of all "struck-against" accidents.
     
  • Injuries to the upper extremities (arms, wrists, hands, fingers, shoulders) accounted for over 30.3 percent (29,660) of the total cases reported in FY 2004/05. Back injuries alone (17,780) represented over 18.1 percent of the cases. Injuries to legs and fingers represented 16.9 percent of the total.
     
  • Industry divisions with the highest number of work-related fatalities were Trade, Transportation and Utilities (29), Construction (25), and Manufacturing (16).
     
  • Almost half (40,135) of the 92,719 cases reported in FY 2004/05 came from eight of the commonwealth's 67 counties. Those counties, which represent 48 percent of Pennsylvania's workforce, were Philadelphia (11,949), Allegheny (7,498), Montgomery (4,284), Lancaster (4,231), Bucks (3,248), Delaware (3,098), Berks (3,187)and York (2,640).

 

< Back to Legal Help