States With Highest Workplace Injury & Illness Rates

The 2012 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses from BLS shows that 24 states exhibited nonfatal injury and illness incidence rates that exceeded the national average of 3.4 nonfatal injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers. Those states (ranked highest to lowest) are:

1. Maine (5.6)
2. Montana and Vermont (5.0)
3. Washington (4.8)
4. Alaska (4.6)
5. Iowa (4.5)
6. Kentucky, Nevada and West Virginia (4.1)
7. Michigan and Wisconsin (4.0)
8. Connecticut, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon and Pennsylvania (3.9)
9. Hawaii and Minnesota (3.8)
10. Kansas and Oklahoma (3.6)
11. California, Tennessee and Wyoming (3.5)

Seventeen states (ranked lowest to highest) showed occupational injury and illness rates that were lower than the national average:

1. Louisiana (2.3)
2. New York (2.5)
3. Texas and Virginia (2.7)
4. Delaware and Georgia (2.8)
5. North Carolina (2.9)
6. South Carolina (3.0)
7. Maryland, Massachusetts and New Jersey (3.1)
8. Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio (3.2)
9. Alabama and Missouri (3.3)

Ohio’s incidence rate was identical to the national average of 3.4. Washington D.C. reported a considerably low rate with only 1.6 injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers.

Data were not available for Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island and South Dakota.