The rate of work-related injuries and illnesses recorded by Louisiana’s private sector employers in 2013 improved to an estimated 2.2 incidents per 100 full-time workers, down from 2.3 incidents the previous year.
According to data released today by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the 2013 rate is the lowest the state has achieved since the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration revised its record-keeping rules in 2002. It was also the second-lowest rate that year among all 50 states and the District of Columbia for non-fatal work-related injuries and illnesses, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Private-sector employers and their workforce continue to do the right things to make working in Louisiana safer,” says LWC Executive Director Curt Eysink in a prepared release. “Year after year of improvement has made Louisiana one of the safest states in the nation to work and, as a direct result, employers are saving money.”
The LWC says workers’ compensation rates in Louisiana were reduced in 2014 by 5.1% at the recommendation of the National Council of Compensation Insurance, which reported reduced claims costs for providers. The organization has recommended rates be reduced by another 2.4% in 2015, and the Louisiana Department of Insurance is expected to announce a decision later this week.
