California Occupational I&I Rate Hit a Record Low in 1998

OAKLAND -- California workplace injuries and illnesses reached their lowest rate in 1998 since data began being collected some 27 years earlier.The rate of non-fatal injuries and illnesses (I&Is) dropped to 6.7 per 100 workers, from 7.1 in 1997 and '96. The lost workday rate also declined, to 3.3/100, from 3.6.The rates for eight of 10 major industries were down significantly, the data showed. The statistics were recently released by the state's Division of Labor Statistics and Research. I&I r