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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Midwest > News Release
News Release Information

22-2288-CHI
Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Employer-reported workplace injuries and illnesses in Iowa — 2021

Private industry employers reported 34,900 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in Iowa in 2021, resulting in an incidence rate of 3.3 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table A.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Iowa was among 19 states that had an incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) significantly greater than the national rate of 2.7. (See Technical Note at the end of this release for more information about the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.)

Iowa’s findings from the 2021 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses include:

  • TRC incidence rates in private industry ranged from 0.6 in information to 4.4 in both manufacturing and education and health services. (See table 1.)

  • Two supersectors, with 58 percent of private industry employment, accounted for 71 percent of the occupational injuries and illnesses: manufacturing and trade, transportation, and utilities. (See table 2.)

  • In private industry, the TRC injury and illness incidence rate ranged from 2.7 for establishments employing 11-49 workers to 3.9 for establishments employing 50 to 249 workers. (See table 3.)

  • Iowa’s private industry TRC rate of 3.3 in 2021 was the same as the 2020 rate. (See table 4.)

    Table A. Number and rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in private industry, United States and Iowa, 2021
    Characteristic United States Iowa
    Number
    (in thousands)    		 Rate (1) Number
    (in thousands)    		 Rate (1)

    Total cases (2)

    		 2,607.9 2.7 34.9 3.3

    Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction

    		 1,617.3 1.7 20.6 2.0

    Cases with days away from work

    		 1,062.7 1.1 12.3 1.2

    Cases with job transfer or restriction

    		 554.6 0.6 8.3 0.8

    Other recordable cases

    		 990.7 1.0 14.3 1.4

    Footnotes:
    (1) Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where N = number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
    (2) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.

    Note: Due to rounding, components may not add to totals.
Private industry injury and illness case types

Of the 34,900 private industry injury and illness cases reported in Iowa, 20,600 were of a more severe nature, involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction—commonly referred to as DART cases. These cases occurred at a rate of 2.0 cases per 100 full-time workers. Sixty percent of the DART cases in Iowa were incidents that resulted in at least one day away from work, compared to 66 percent nationally. Other recordable cases (those not involving days away from work, job transfer, or restriction) accounted for the remaining 14,300 cases in Iowa, at a rate of 1.4. In comparison, the national rate for other recordable cases was 1.0.

In Iowa, the professional and business services supersector had significant increases in the TRC and DART incidence rates from the previous year. In contrast, the education and health services supersector had significant decreases in the TRC and DART incidence rates from the previous year. The financial activities supersector had a significant increase in its DART rate from the previous year while the manufacturing supersector had a significant decrease in its DART rate over the year. No other private industry supersector had a significant change in its TRC or DART rate from the previous year.

In 2021, 30,300 (87.0 percent) of private industry recordable injuries and illnesses were injuries. Workplace illnesses accounted for an additional 4,600 recordable cases.

State and local government injury and illness cases

In the state and local government sector in Iowa, 5,700 injury and illness cases were reported in 2021, resulting in a rate of 3.4 cases per 100 full-time workers. Nationally, the rate was 4.5. Seventy-seven percent of injuries and illnesses reported in Iowa’s public sector occurred among local government workers.

State estimates

Private industry estimates are available for 41 participating states and for the District of Columbia for 2021. The private industry injury and illness rate was statistically higher in 19 states than the national rate of 2.7 cases per 100 full-time workers, lower in 12 states and in the District of Columbia, and not statistically different in 10 states. (See chart 1.) Caution should be taken when comparing rates among different states as some differences can be attributed to different industry composition within each state.

  Chart 1. State nonfatal occupational injury and illness measures of incidence rate significance, private industry, 2021
View Chart Data
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact in SOII Results

Occupational injuries and illnesses collected in the 2021 SOII include cases of COVID-19 when a worker was infected as a result of performing their work-related duties and met other recordkeeping criteria. COVID-19 is considered a respiratory illness under criteria established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).


Technical Note

The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is a Federal/State cooperative program that publishes estimates on nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. Each year, approximately 200,000 employers report for establishments in private industry and the public sector (state and local government). In-scope cases include work-related injuries or illnesses to workers who require medical care beyond first aid. See the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the entire recordkeeping guidelines. The SOII excludes all work–related fatalities as well as nonfatal work injuries and illnesses to the self–employed, to workers on farms with 10 or fewer employees, to private household workers, to volunteers, and to federal government workers. For more information on the scope and sampling methodology see the SOII Handbook of Methods.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202)-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and case type, Iowa, 2021
Industry (1) Total recordable cases (2) Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (2)(3) Other recordable cases (2)
Total Cases with days away from work (3) Cases with job transfer or restriction

All industries including state and local government

 3.3 1.9 1.1 0.8 1.4

Private industry (4)

 3.3 2.0 1.2 0.8 1.4

Goods-producing

 4.2 2.6 1.5 1.1 1.6

Natural resources and mining (4)(5)

 3.5 2.5 1.8 0.7 1.1

Construction

 3.9 2.0 1.6 0.5 1.8

Manufacturing

 4.4 2.8 1.5 1.3 1.6

Service-providing

 3.0 1.7 1.0 0.7 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities (6)

 3.4 2.1 1.1 0.9 1.3

Information

 0.6 0.2 0.2 - 0.4

Financial activities

 0.8 0.6 0.6 - 0.2

Professional and business services

 2.8 1.5 0.9 0.6 1.3

Education and health services

 4.4 2.5 1.4 1.0 2.0

Leisure and hospitality

 2.1 0.8 0.6 0.2 1.3

Other services, except public administration

 3.4 1.8 1.4 - 1.5

State and local government

 3.4 1.5 0.9 0.6 1.9

State government

 3.0 1.7 1.2 0.5 1.3

Local government

 3.6 1.4 0.8 0.6 2.1

Footnotes:
(1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
(2) Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where N = number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
(3) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
(4) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
(5) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.
(6) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Note: Due to rounding, components may not add to totals. Dash indicates data not available.
Table 2. Numbers of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by selected industries and case types, Iowa, 2021 (numbers in thousands)
Industry (1) Total recordable cases Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (2) Other recordable cases
Total Cases with days away from work (2) Cases with job transfer or restriction

All industries including state and local government

 40.5 23.1 13.8 9.3 17.5

Private industry (3)

 34.9 20.6 12.3 8.3 14.3

Goods-producing

 12.8 8.0 4.7 3.3 4.8

Natural resources and mining (3)(4)

 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.2

Construction

 2.7 1.4 1.1 0.3 1.3

Manufacturing

 9.5 6.1 3.3 2.9 3.4

Service-providing

 22.1 12.6 7.6 5.0 9.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities (5)

 8.6 5.3 2.9 2.4 3.3

Information

 0.1 - - - 0.1

Financial activities

 0.8 0.7 0.7 - 0.2

Professional and business services

 3.5 1.9 1.1 0.8 1.6

Education and health services

 6.5 3.6 2.1 1.5 2.9

Leisure and hospitality

 1.5 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.9

Other services, except public administration

 1.1 0.6 0.5 - 0.5

State and local government

 5.7 2.5 1.5 1.0 3.2

State government

 1.2 0.7 0.5 0.2 0.5

Local government

 4.4 1.8 1.0 0.8 2.6

Footnotes:
(1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
(2) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
(3) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
(4) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.
(5) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Note: Due to rounding, components may not add to totals. Dash indicates data not available.
Table 3. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and employment size, Iowa, 2021
Industry (1) All establishments (2) Establishment employment size (workers) (2)
1 to 10 11 to 49 50 to 249 250 to 999 1,000 or more

All industries including state and local government

 3.3 3.4 2.8 3.8 3.3 3.4

Private industry (3)

 3.3 3.5 2.7 3.9 3.2 3.4

Goods-producing

 4.2 5.2 3.8 4.8 3.2 4.8

Natural resources and mining (3)(4)

 3.5 - 4.7 2.6 - -

Construction

 3.9 5.0 3.7 3.8 1.4 -

Manufacturing

 4.4 7.1 3.6 5.3 3.3 4.9

Service-providing

 3.0 3.2 2.5 3.5 3.1 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities (5)

 3.4 1.4 3.1 4.4 4.8 2.4

Information

 0.6 - - 1.0 - -

Financial activities

 0.8 3.0 - - 0.3 0.1

Professional and business services

 2.8 5.2 2.9 1.3 1.3 -

Education and health services

 4.4 3.1 2.8 5.5 4.4 6.1

Leisure and hospitality

 2.1 - 1.7 2.8 4.1 -

Other services, except public administration

 3.4 4.7 2.1 2.0 - -

State and local government

 3.4 - 2.9 3.5 4.0 3.6

State government

 3.0 - 5.7 2.6 5.8 2.4

Local government

 3.6 - - 3.6 3.7 8.0

Footnotes:
(1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
(2) Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where N = number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
(3) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
(4) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.
(5) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Note: Dash indicates data not available.
Table 4. Incidence rates of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry sector and selected case type with measures of statistical significance, Iowa, 2020–21
Industry (1) Total recordable cases (2) Cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (2)(3)
2020 2021 2020 2021

All industries including state and local government

 3.4 3.3 2.1 1.9*

Private industry (4)

 3.3 3.3 2.1 2.0

Goods-producing

 4.1 4.2 2.8 2.6

Natural resources and mining (4)(5)

 4.0 3.5 2.9 2.5

Construction

 2.7 3.9 1.6 2.0

Manufacturing

 4.6 4.4 3.2 2.8*

Service-providing

 2.9 3.0 1.8 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities (6)

 3.0 3.4 1.9 2.1

Information

 - 0.6 - 0.2

Financial activities

 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.6*

Professional and business services

 1.1 2.8* 0.7 1.5*

Education and health services

 5.9 4.4* 3.9 2.5*

Leisure and hospitality

 2.3 2.1 1.2 0.8

Other services, except public administration

 4.1 3.4 0.5 1.8

State and local government

 4.0 3.4 2.0 1.5*

State government

 4.4 3.0* 2.8 1.7*

Local government

 3.9 3.6 1.7 1.4

Footnotes:
(1) Data are coded using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). For more information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our Handbook of Methods concepts page: https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/concepts.htm.
(2) Incidence rates represent the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers and were calculated as: (N/EH) x 200,000 where N = number of injuries and illnesses; EH = total hours worked by all employees during the calendar year; and 200,000 = base for 100 equivalent full-time workers (working 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year).
(3) Days-away-from-work cases include those that result in days away from work with or without job transfer or restriction.
(4) Excludes farms with fewer than 11 employees.
(5) Data for mining (Sector 21 in the North American Industry Classification System) include establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction and related support activities. Data for mining operators in coal, metal, and nonmetal mining are provided to BLS by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. Independent mining contractors are excluded from the coal, metal, and nonmetal mining industries. These data do not reflect the changes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration made to its recordkeeping requirements effective January 1, 2002; therefore, estimates for these industries are not comparable to estimates in other industries.
(6) Data for employers in rail transportation are provided to BLS by the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.

Note: Dash indicates data not available. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference between the current year and prior year values, when testing at 95% confidence level.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2023