Occupational injury and illness rates, 1992-96: Why they fell

Monthly Labor Review

Volumn 121, Issue 11, 1998, Pages 36-54

  Conway, Hugh ^a   Svenson, Jens ^b  

^a NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b NONE

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 0002217923     PISSN: 00981818     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (28)

1. Peter Dorman, Markets and Mortality (Cambridge, U.K., Cambridge University Press, 1996), p. 15.
2. Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Counts, Rates, and Characteristics, 1992, Bulletin 2455 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 1995).
3. Compare Joseph R. Meisenheimer II, "The services industry in the 'good' versus 'bad' jobs debate," Monthly Labor Review, February 1998, pp. 22-47.
4. Memorandum from Jim Maddux, Office of Statistics, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Apr. 1, 1998.
5. William M. Eisenberg and Helen McDonald, "Evaluating workplace injury and illness records; testing a procedure," Monthly Labor Review, April 1988, pp. 58-60; see especially p. 59.
6. Norwood Plans BLS Action to Improve Occupational Safety and Health Data, News Release USDL-87-444 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oct. 16, 1987).
7. Interview with David Schmidt, Office of Statistics, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, May 28, 1998.
8. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, "Workers' Compensation Reform: The Bottom Line Is Jobs," on the Internet at http://www.state.pa.us/ PA_Exec/Governor/wcleg3.html (visited Aug. 15, 1996).
9. Insurance Industry Institute, "Workers Compensation," May 1998; an updated version is on the Internet at http://www.iii.org/media/issues/ workers.html.
10. Lost-Worktime Injuries and Illnesses: Characteristics and Resulting Time Away from Work, 1996, News Release USDL 98-157 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Apr. 23, 1998).
11. Results of this analysis may be obtained from the authors.
12. State Insurance Fund, New York, Mar. 17,1998. Workers' compensation rates were reduced an average of 26.2 percent from 1996 to 1997 as a result of legislative reforms passed in 1996. Changes included requirements for employers with poor safety records (an experience rating above 1.2) to adopt safety programs or face tough new sanctions, the creation of a new Workers' Compensation Inspector General with broad investigative powers, making workers' compensation fraud a felony punishable by time in jail, expanded use of managed care to treat workplace injuries, and the reduction of excessive paperwork in the claims process.
13. Insurance Industry Institute, "Workers Compensation."
14. Ibid.
15. News release, Office of Governor, Trenton, New Jersey, Oct. 16, 1997. Workers' compensation insurance premiums will be reduced for the third consecutive year, beginning January 1998, rates will be reduced by an average of 9.3 percent. Contributing factors to the reductions that were cited in the news release were stepped-up workplace safety efforts by employers to reduce the number and severity of work-related injuries and a decline in the cost of providing medical services by insurers through the use of quality managed care. The 9.3-percent reduction for 1998 follows reductions of 11.2 percent in 1997 and 3.6 percent in 1996.
16. Announcement by National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc., Feb. 19, 1997.
17. Nina Munk, "Can't lift boxes? Then sweep the floors," Forbes, Nov. 4, 1996, on the Internet at http//www.forbes.com/forbes/110496/ 5811167a.htm.
18. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, Oct. 3, 1997. Workers' compensation rates were reduced by 10.5 percent beginning Nov. 1, 1997; this figure follows a reduction of 27 percent last year. Legislative reforms since 1995 credited with the reductions are the formation of a nonprofit insurance, corporation to cover small businesses facing high premiums, the creation of the aformentioned special unit in the State labor department, and the creation of incentives for employers who set up prevention programs.
19. Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, Feb. 13, 1998. Workers' compensation legislative reforms were enacted in 1991, and costs are expected to drop even further as the reforms continue to work. Rates charged to employers for workers' compensation insurance will decrease by 21.1 percent in 1998, the fourth year in a row with a reduction and the largest reduction yet. The number of claims filed has been reduced from more than 40,000 to 22,000.
20. National Council on Compensation Insurance, Inc., July 1, 1997, announcement of changes in Virginia workers' compensation.
21. Insurance Industry Institute, "Workers Compensation."
22. Workplace Injuries and Illnesses in 1996, News Release USDL 97-453 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dec. 17, 1997), p. 3.
23. Insurance Industry Institute, "Workers Compensation."
24. "Small Business Best Practices for Workplace Safety," in The Rewards of Managing Risk: A Guide for Entrepreneurs and Managers (Warren, NJ, Chubb Group, 1997), also on the Internet at http://www.chubb. com.businesses/entguide.html.
25. Insurance Research Council, in cooperation with the National Federation of Independent Business Education Foundation, Motivating Safety in the Workplace, survey carried out June 1995; available from the Insurance Research Council, Inc., 211 S. Wheaton Ave., Suite 410, Wheaton, IL, 60187.
26. George R. Gray, Donald W. Myers, and Phyllis S. Myers, "Collective bargaining agreements: safety and health provisions," Monthly Labor Review, May 1998, pp. 13-35.
27. OSHA Potential to Reform Regulatory Enforcement Efforts, GAO/T-HEHS-96-42 (General Accounting Office, Oct. 17, 1995).
28. OSHA Inspections, revised edition, OSHA 2098 (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1996), p. 14.