Lowest Injury Rates in Indiana’s History

When you take a broad look at Hoosier companies, one of the most common traits you’ll find is a major emphasis on workplace safety. This is especially true in the heavier sectors like construction, manufacturing, health, and logistics, but you’ll find stringent safety practices in just about every company you examine. The reason for all of this effort is no secret – a safer place to work leads to a much more profitable outcome. But lately, this commitment to working safely has been paying off better than ever before.

Towards the end of last year, when the Department of Labor’s Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) was released, the data showed that 2022 had the lowest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses in Indiana’s history.

In a big way, there’s never been a safer time to be a Hoosier employee. Vicariously, this means that Hoosier firms have the opportunity to capitalize on this momentum and take things ever further.

Safest Year on Record

According to 2022’s data, which is the most recent year we have available, Indiana’s performance in workplace safety was the best we’ve ever seen. Specifically:

• There were 2.9 injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in 2022.
• That’s a 74.3% decrease from the high of 11.3 in 1994.
• The 2022 estimated rate marks the eighth consecutive year that the rate has been below 4.0.
• In total, 72,400 Hoosier workers experienced a nonfatal workplace injury or illness in 2022.

“2022 was a highly encouraging year in reducing injuries and illnesses among Hoosier workers,” said Indiana Department of Labor Commissioner David Redden. “We see the strides that employers continue to make in improving workplace health and safety on the whole. The Indiana Department of Labor will continue to work with Hoosier companies across the state to drive this trend.”

Which Industries Performed the Best?

With the injury and illness rate for all industries at 2.9, there were a number of sectors that had much lower totals and others that were higher.

The construction sector was a notable example with a rate of 2.1, as was the mining/quarrying sector at 2.1, and the utilities sector at 1.9. These are all industries that are commonly thought to be more dangerous than others, but all three of them place stringent priorities on their respective safety practices. This commitment has clearly been making a big impact in the areas of injury and illness prevention overall, as all three saw declines when compared to their 2021 rates. Furthermore, the way these groups continually refine and update their safety practices has them well positioned to make further improvements in the future.

As for the industries that had much higher rates than the overall total of 2.9, local government topped the list with a rate of 4.4, followed by health care and social assistance at 4.3, and transportation and warehousing at 4.1.

Additionally, four industries experienced an uptick in their rates from 2021 to 2022, although some still beat the overall rate. Those were:

• Finance and insurance (0.6)
• Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services (2.2)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation (3.6)
• Other services, except public administration (3.1)

Encouraging News

2022’s outstanding rates for occupational safety should be encouraging to all the professionals out there that make it their mission to keep workers protected on the job. It means we’re headed in the right direction, and Indiana is becoming a much safer place for people to work. Although there’s always going to be room for even more improvement, and we shouldn’t stop here, this data is a great milestone for everyone working in the Hoosier state.

What Counts as a Recordable Incident?

To be recorded as an incident, a worker must be injured or made ill while engaged in the course of their job and require medical attention.

There are three principal classes of injuries and illnesses:

• A Recordable Incidentis any work-related injury or illness that requires medical attention.
• Restriction or Transfermeans the injury required the worker to be restricted in performance of their work or transferred to other duties.
• An incident which results in Days Away from Workrequires the worker to be absent from work in order to heal.

Source: Indiana DOL, Nov. 2023