| Millwork, Furniture, and Fixtures Industry |  | |
Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) — Research for Safe Work
Companies in these industry sectors predominately take raw materials and make doors, windows, moldings, railings, plywood, cabinets, furniture, and shelves.
Although millwork and furniture manufacturing are economically important to Washington State, this industry also has one of the highest workers' compensation claim rates. From 1995 to 1999, there were 11,456 claims accepted by the state-managed workers' compensation system. These injuries included cuts, amputations, back injuries, eye injuries, and hearing loss.
Highlights from SHARP's second industry study include:
- Overall, organizationally healthy companies did not have lower workers' compensation rates than less organizationally healthy companies. However, among a small group of companies that SHARP visited, the organizationally healthy companies did have lower injury rates.
- About 75% of small companies (those with ten or fewer employees) performed accident investigations, kept track of injuries, and had a dedicated safety and health budget, and almost half had a safety committee.
- Over 90% of larger companies (11 employees or more) performed accident investigations, tracked injuries and had a safety committee, and over 75% had a dedicated health and safety budget.
Millwork, Furniture, and Fixtures Industry resources
| Healthy Workplaces publications | |
|---|---|
| Number | Title/Description |
| 67-3-2003 | Millwork, Furniture, and Fixtures Industry Final Report (73 KB PDF). Executive summary only; please contact SHARP for the entire technical report. |
 Get Help Downloading Files (files open in a new window). |
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Additional publications and resources
Reaching Managers at an Industry Association Conference: Evaluation of Ergonomics Training, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal. Volume 51, No 11, November 2003. By C. Curwick, C. Reeb-Whitaker, and C. Connon.
Nippers, Grabbers and Throwers - Beware! Wood & Wood Products. Volume 109, No 2, February 2004. By C. Reeb-Whitaker.
For market and labor information in the Millwork, Furniture, and Fixtures Industry see the Washington State Employment Security Department's Millwork Industry Profile (access.wa.gov) and Furniture and Fixtures Industry Profile (access.wa.gov).
