THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA JOB MARKET: WHERE THE JOBS ARE : BEARINGS : Sting of Work-Related Injuries Can Linger

Workplace injuries may be hurting employees--and their employers--far more than was previously thought.

A recent study by researchers at University of Michigan’s School of Public Health found that the number of missed workdays due to job-related injuries and illnesses is five to nine times higher than U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show.

The BLS numbers fall far short because they don’t fully account for recurring or prolonged disabilities, said Arthur Oleinick, an associate professor of public health law who directed the study. The government logs the work days lost only during the year the initial injury or illness occurred.

So, if someone was hurt in 1986 and then missed workdays in 1987 and 1988 after suffering relapses, the time lost in the latter two years never shows up in federal statistics. What’s more, Oleinick said, these neglected long-term disabilities are a major cause of lost work time.

Why do these numbers matter? Mainly, Oleinick said, because government regulators base their safety programs on them. And with improved safety programs, he said, employers “could put more money into producing products more effectively.

“Most importantly,” he added, “we’d get people back to work who want to work. We have to think about the human element.”

A spokeswoman for the BLS responded that the Michigan study unfairly criticizes the agency for “not doing something we never intended to do.” She said the agency’s goal with its annual survey is to spot the industries currently suffering the most injuries, not to tally how much time Americans miss at work due to injuries or illnesses.