Industry, Especially Construction, Show Improved Job Sites

Washingtons job sites were safer in 2010 continuing a trend that began nearly a decade ago according to survey results released by the Department of Labor & Industries.

The Occupational Injury and Illness Survey for Washington State showed that 5 out of every 100 full-time workers in Washington in both the private and public sector industries suffered a job-related injury or illness in 2010 down from the 5.3 rate in 2009.

It is the lowest rate recorded since 2003 when the injury rate in Washington state was 6.9. That is when L&I began using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) which had been adopted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The news is even better for the construction industry which improved at an even greater rate than the state as a whole: Construction’s injury rate decreased from 8.2 in 2009 to 7.2 in 2010.

“That is consistent with what we have seen over the last three years” says AGC’s Safety Director Mandi Kime. “Construction has had a sharp decline in injury rates and fatality rates more so than what could be attributed to the down economy. Jobsites are simply safer.”

Kime added a cautionary note. “Although this is great news it’s no time to rest. We as an industry need to continue to invest in safety and individual companies should use this as an opportunity to look at their policies and procedures and make sure they are effective in practice to evaluate what might need updating. AGC is ready to help as we offer free safety consultations and a free library of resources.”

AGC members can contact the AGC Safety Department at 206-284-0061 or www.agcwa.com/SafetyServices.

For more info on the report released by Labor and Industries click here.