The construction industry's nonfatal injury and illness rate continued to decline in 2007, the Labor Dept.'s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. In its latest annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, issued Oct.

23, BLS said that construction's rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses at the workplace decreased last year to 5.4 cases per 100 full-time workers, from 5.9 in 2006.

The overall U.S. injury and illness rate for private industries also improved, to 4.2 cases per 100 workers in 2007, from 4.4 the year before.

Construction's 5.4 rate last year is below the rate for the manufacturing sector (5.6), even with agricultural, forestry, fishing and hunting (5.4), but worst than mining (3.1)

Looking at the long-range trend, Construction's nonfatal injury and illness rates show a steady decline since 1994, when the rate was 11.8 per 100 workers: