There has been a steady increase in the number of days lost to work-related injury and illness in recent years.
The latest figures released by the Health and Safety Authority today show that illness rather than injury causes more days absent from work.
HSA CEO Martin O'Halloran said occupational illness is an area that the group will be targeting further.
He said it is important that employers and employees do not focus solely on occupational injuries.
Illness as a result of work activity is just as serious as having a physical injury, he added.
The figures are included in the Annual Report and Summary of Workplace Injury, Illness and Fatality Statistics 2006/07, which is being launched by Minister for Labour Affairs, Billy Kelleher TD.
The number of work-related deaths in 2007 was 67. This compares to 51 in 2006 and 74 in 2005.
The agriculture sector had the highest fatality rate at 8.3 fatalities per 100,000 workers.
Of the injuries reported to the Authority in 2007, approximately 14% involved non-Irish workers.
A total of 13,631 workplace inspections were carried in 2007 and enforcement action was necessary in 12% of those workplaces.
Manual handling continues to trigger approximately one-third of all reported incidents with 'slip, trip and fall' incidents the next most common. Together they accounted for over 50% of all reported accidents in 2007.
The most recent data available shows that Ireland has the second lowest non-fatal injury rate in the EU 15 but a higher than average fatality rate.
