Summery: Tennessee ranks as the nation’s third-safest state for warehouse workers, recording 2.40 injuries per 100 employees between 2020 and 2024—half the national benchmark—despite operating the country’s 10th-largest warehouse workforce. The findings are especially significant for Rutherford County, one of the Nashville region’s largest industrial and logistics centers, with an estimated 43 million to 45 million square feet of industrial space, hundreds of manufacturing establishments and major distribution operations in Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne. Although Tennessee’s overall safety record remains strong, warehouse injuries increased from 1,213 in 2020 to 1,361 in 2024, signaling the need for continued attention as industrial development and employment expand. Read the full news story by scrolling down, which includes additional photos, facts and figures.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WGNS News) - Tennessee’s expansive warehouse and distribution sector has recorded one of the lowest workplace injury rates in the nation, according to a new analysis of federal labor and occupational safety data.
The study ranked Tennessee as the third-safest state for warehouse workers between 2020 and 2024, with 2.40 reported injuries for every 100 workers. During that five-year period, Tennessee warehouses reported 6,424 injuries across an average annual workforce of 53,430 employees.
The findings are particularly notable because Tennessee operates the nation’s 10th-largest warehouse workforce. The state employs approximately 3.48% of all warehouse workers in the United States but accounts for only 2.05% of the country’s reported warehouse injuries.
Tennessee’s warehouse injury rate was exactly half of the 4.8-per-100-worker national benchmark used in the analysis. Only Louisiana, with a rate of 2.32, and Alaska, at 2.39, ranked safer. Tennessee was the only state among the 10 safest with an average annual warehouse workforce exceeding 40,000 employees.
The state also recorded the lowest warehouse injury rate among all nine states it borders. Arkansas was the closest at 2.47 injuries per 100 workers, followed by Mississippi at 2.69 and Alabama at 2.85. Virginia had the highest rate among Tennessee’s neighboring states at 4.38 injuries per 100 workers.
The results carry particular relevance in Rutherford County, which has become one of the Nashville region’s largest industrial, manufacturing and distribution centers. The county’s access to Interstate 24 and Interstate 840 has helped attract major warehouses, fulfillment centers and manufacturing operations throughout Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne.
Local industrial activity is especially concentrated in northern Rutherford County, where La Vergne serves as a major corporate distribution center. Facilities connected with companies such as Amazon, Saks Fifth Avenue and General Mills are among the operations helping establish the county as a regional logistics hub.
Industrial and warehouse properties are also concentrated around the La Vergne Business Park, Stones River Industrial Park and Sand Hill Business Park. Local market data supplied for this report estimates that Rutherford County has approximately 43 million to 45 million square feet of existing industrial and logistics space, with about 4.25 million square feet available for lease or purchase.
The county’s industrial vacancy rate has reportedly remained between 9.5% and 10%, reflecting an increase in available space following several years of speculative warehouse construction. Development continues, including plans for approximately 1.8 million additional square feet across 12 buildings at Cornerstone Business Park in Smyrna.
The county’s manufacturing and distribution economy supports an estimated 27,000 jobs. Rutherford County is home to 369 manufacturing establishments, according to the local community profile data cited for this report, with more than 11,000 workers employed directly in manufacturing.
Major local employers include Nissan North America’s assembly plant in Smyrna, General Mills in Murfreesboro, Schwan Cosmetics and Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. The county also contains significant Bridgestone and Ingram Content Group operations, along with a growing network of suppliers, transportation companies and fulfillment businesses.
While Tennessee’s overall safety performance remains strong, the new analysis also found signs that warehouse injuries have recently increased. Annual injuries rose from 1,213 in 2020 to 1,361 in 2024, an increase of 12.2%, while the state’s warehouse workforce grew by 9.5%.
The injury rate peaked at 2.89 per 100 workers in 2021 before dropping to 2.12 in 2022. It subsequently increased to 2.28 in 2023 and 2.43 in 2024. Despite that upward movement, the 2024 rate remained approximately 37% below the national rate for that year.
Tyler Wilk, founding attorney of the law firm that conducted the study, suggested Tennessee demonstrates that a large warehouse industry does not necessarily have to produce a high rate of worker injuries. However, he cautioned that the recent increase in the state’s injury rate deserves attention.
The number of Tennessee warehouses submitting injury reports increased from 200 in 2020 to 298 in 2024. At the same time, the average number of injuries per reporting warehouse declined from 6.1 to 4.6, indicating that newer facilities entering the reporting system may be recording fewer injuries per location.
The analysis used workplace injury reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Injury Tracking Application and employment figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Researchers calculated injury rates by dividing each state’s reported warehouse injuries by total employee-years from 2020 through 2024.
Applying the national benchmark to Tennessee’s warehouse workforce would have resulted in an estimated 12,823 injuries during the five-year period. Instead, Tennessee recorded 6,424—approximately 6,399 fewer injuries than the national rate would have predicted.
For Rutherford County, the statewide ranking highlights both the size of the local logistics economy and the importance of maintaining workplace safety as industrial development continues. With millions of square feet of warehouse space already in operation and additional projects in the pipeline, the number of employees working in distribution, manufacturing, transportation and fulfillment is likely to remain a major component of the county’s economy.
