Identifying High-Risk Small Business Industries - The Basis for Preventing Occupational Injury, Illness, and Fatality

In this report, 253 small business industries were identified with data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the years 1994–1995. These industries represent nearly 4 million establishments and more than 30 million employees roughly one-third of all employees in private industry. Occupational injury, illness, and fatality data were available for 105 of these industries. From the data for these industries, the top 25% (n=26) were ranked according to their injury, illness, and fatality experience. A combined risk index (i.e., the combined risk of occupational injury, illness, and fatality) was also used to rank these small business industries. The highest-ranked small business industries include Logging; Cut Stone and Stone Products; Trucking Terminal Facilities; Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Work; Camps and Recreational Vehicle Parks; Landscape and Horticultural Services; Animal and Marine Fats and Oils; Concrete, Gypsum, and Plastic Products; and Taxicabs. This information can be used by the small business community, labor officials, occupational safety and health practitioners and agencies, and others to target prevention activities to small business industries with the greatest need.