Repeat-Stress Injuries Up Sharply in OSHA Report : Safety: ’93 figures show virtual epidemic of motion-related ailments. Other workplace mishaps declined.

Reports of repetitive motion injuries in the workplace continue to rise at epidemic rates while the overall number of other nonfatal injuries and illnesses declines, the Labor Department reported Wednesday.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ survey of workplace injuries and illnesses for 1993 showed a significant drop in overall reports of injuries.

The drop was particularly strong in industries that have been targets of Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement efforts, such as meatpacking and auto manufacturing.

By far the biggest exception to the trend was repetitive motion injuries. The number of cases reported in 1993 was 302,000, up from 281,000 the year before. In 1984, reported cases totaled 34,700 nationwide.

The conditions include muscle strain such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and shoulder pain.

Many analysts attributed this rise to new technologies, particularly computers, on which workers type all day long. Others, however, said the numbers were due more to heightened awareness and reporting rather than a real rise in occurrences.

Overall, reports of illness and injury dropped from 8.9 per 100 workers in 1992 to 8.5 per 100 in 1993.

The survey showed that of the 6.7 million nonfatal illnesses and injuries reported in 1993, 6.3 million resulted in time lost from the job. Manufacturing accounted for nearly three-fifths of all new reports of occupational illnesses and injuries.

Joseph Dear, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, said the department was encouraged by the overall improvement but concerned about the continuing rise in repetitive motion injuries.

He said that such injuries were declining in the meatpacking and automotive industries, where OSHA has taken significant enforcement action in recent years and companies have started programs to head off problems.