This is the second of the three-part paper on nonfatal occupational injuries in the United States. This part focuses on injuries to the back. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) are used to examine injury statistics to different regions of the back including the spine and spinal column, the lumbar region, and injuries to multiple back regions. Injuries to these different regions of the back are categorized by common measures of magnitude such as the number and the incidence rates; by major US industrial classifications; by different types of events or exposures such as contact with objects, slip and fall accidents, overexertion injuries, etc.; by different natures of injuries such as sprains and strains, fractures, bruises, etc.; by different sources of injuries such as parts or materials, worker motion, healthcare patient, etc.; by different US occupations such as service, technical, sales and administrative support, etc.; by age of the injured; by ethnic origin of the injured; by gender of the injured; by length of service of the injured with the employer; and by the number of lost workdays. Relevance to industry This paper provides focused and specific information on injuries in the United States. Knowledge of back injury trends is essential for instituting efforts to control them. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.