The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry released their annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, and it shows that their workplace injury and illness rate in 2017 is the lowest rate since the survey began in 1973.

The state estimated 3.3 recordable nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers in 2016. In 2017 there were an estimated 72,500 workers with nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in Minnesota, down from 73,600 in 2016. The national rate of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2017 was reported at 3.1 cases per 100 FTE workers.

According to Ken Peterson, the Department of Labor and Industry commissioner, the state has seen a 40 percent decrease in its rate of work-related injuries and illnesses.

The industries with the highest total injury and illness rates were construction (5 cases per 100 workers), local government (4.8 cases per 100 workers) and health care and social assistance (4.7 cases per 100 workers). The rate of workers with one or more days away from work after the day of injury remained unchanged between 2016 and 2017, 1 case per 100 FTE workers.

Sprains, strains and tears accounted for 36 percent of injuries for workers with days away from work. Soreness and pain accounted for 19 percent of cases.

The back was the most commonly injured body part followed by hands and the head. The most common injury events were falls on the same level, being struck by objects or equipment and overexertion while lifting.

The DLI collects injury and illness records from randomly sampled Minnesota establishments in the private and public sectors, and there were 4,700 responses in the 2017 survey.

Read more from the Department of Labor and Industry.