Getting Safer: Printing Industry's Injury and Illness Rates Fall Again in 2024
by Gary Jones, Vice President of Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs Feb 13, 2026

The printing industry has extended its improvement in safety, with injury and illness rates for 2024 showing another decrease. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of reported workplace injuries and illnesses in printing operations dropped by 500 incidents from 2023 to 2024, marking an 8.5% decrease.  

The new lower injury rate marks a two-year decline. The 2024 data demonstrates that the printing industry's injury and illness rates are among the lowest in manufacturing, maintaining its historical trend of safety. 

Overall, in U.S. private industry, nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses fell by 3.1% from 2023 to 2024. The incidence rate of total recordable cases (TRC) dropped to 2.7 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, a decrease from the previous year. Similarly, the printing industry saw its TRC rate drop from 1.7 in 2023 to 1.6 in 2024. 

Key Statistics

The following tables provide a detailed comparison of injury and illness rates for printing and related support activities (NAICS 323) versus the manufacturing sector:

Table 1 - Injury and Illness Rates Per 100 Full-Time Workers for Printing (NAICS 323) Compared to Manufacturing

Table 2 – Total Number of Injuries and Illnesses in Printing (NAICS 323) 

 

Additional details on injury and illness data by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for the printing, packaging, and publishing subsegments can be found here. 

A Bright Outlook for Printing Industry Safety

This year’s data is a testament to the commitment of the printing industry to improve workplace safety. The reduction in injury and illness rates reflects ongoing efforts to implement effective safety measures and promote a culture of health and safety within the sector.

For more information about past years' data, visit PRINTING United Alliance’s web page at OSHA Injury and Illness Rates For a copy of the BLS report, Workplace Injuries and Illnesses visit https://www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm.  

In this article, Gary Jones, Vice President, EHS Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, addresses injury and illness rates. More information about OSHA can be found at BLS or reach out to Gary should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: gjones@printing.org.   

To become a member of PRINTING United Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org. 

Business Health / Safety
Gary Jones Vice President of Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs
Hire This Expert

Gary A. Jones is the Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Affairs at PRINTING United Alliance. His primary responsibility is to monitor and analyze EHS and sustainability related legislative and regulatory activities at the federal and state levels, including some international actions. He provides representation on behalf of the printing, packaging, and graphic arts industry. Mr. Jones works closely with the federal and state-level Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and other agencies. He also provides membership assistance on EHS compliance and sustainability programs through a variety of approaches including responding to inquiries, presentations, writing, and consulting services.

Mr. Jones is also supporting PRINTING United Alliance’s efforts for the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). SGP is dedicated to assisting printing operations respond to customer demands for sustainable printing.

He holds a BS in biology from LaRoche College and an MS in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

Speaking Topics:

  • EPA and OSHA compliance topics for the printing industry
  • Sustainability trends, impacts, and compliance requirements
  • Customized seminars and workshops, including: Compliance Today, Beyond Compliance Tomorrow, OSHA Compliance Essentials, and Hazardous Waste Boot Camp
  • Customized seminars and workshops on EPA and OSHA Compliance and Sustainability

Related Content

Direct Marketing Solutions Acquires 150-Year-Old Johnson & Quin

Direct Marketing Solutions (DMS), a nationally recognized provider of integrated direct marketing services, announced the acquisition of Johnson & Quin, a respected, family-owned direct marketing firm with a 150-year operating history.

Scodix and HEIDELBERG Extend Strategic Partnership to Transform the Italian Digital Embellishment Market

Scodix, the global leader in digital print embellishment, announces the extension of its long-term strategic partnership with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG). Under the expanded agreement, HEIDELBERG Italy will lead the distribution of the Scodix’s Ultra Series presses.

The State of Textile EPR Legislation in the U.S.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation is expanding across the U.S., and textiles are increasingly being discussed as the next major product category for EPR policy action. While most enacted EPR programs today focus on packaging, electronics, batteries, paint, and other consumer goods, textile waste is drawing growing attention due to landfill impacts, limited recycling infrastructure, and rising public pressure for circularity.
}