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CF NR 8/12/98 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1997
Technical information: (202) 606-6175 USDL 98 - 336
Media information: (202) 606-5902 FOR RELEASE: 10 a.m. EDT
Wednesday, August 12, 1998
Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/oshhome.htm
NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES, 1997
The number of fatal work injuries that occurred during 1997 was
6,218, about the same as the previous year's total, according to the
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Decreases in deaths from
job-related homicides and aircraft crashes in 1997 were offset by
increases in work-related deaths from highway crashes, falls, and being
caught in running equipment. (See table 1.) The construction industry
reported the largest number of fatal work injuries and accounted for half
of worker fatalities from falls. Taxicab drivers and police and detectives
were among the occupations with the largest increases in fatalities over
the previous year.
Profiles of 1997 fatal work injuries
In 1997, job-related highway fatalities reached their highest
level since the BLS fatality census began in 1992. Increases in the
number of workers killed in crashes with objects on the side of the road,
jack-knifing tractor-trailer rigs, and overturning vehicles were largely
responsible for the rise in highway fatalities over the 1996 total. The
following table shows the major types of highway incidents in which
workers were killed in 1997.
Type of highway incident Number Percent
Collision between vehicles 639 46
Moving in opposite directions 229 17
Moving in intersection 142 10
Moving in same direction 103 7
Moving and standing vehicle 45 3
Vehicle struck object on side of road 258 19
Vehicle struck object in roadway 22 2
Noncollision incident 384 28
Jack-knifed or overturned 295 21
Ran off highway 48 3
Other type of incident 84 6
Highway crashes were the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities
and accounted for 22 percent of the 1997 fatal work injury total. (See
table 1) Ninety percent of workers killed in highway crashes were
driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. Almost half of the
highway fatality victims were employed as truckdrivers or in other jobs
operating motor vehicles as a profession. The number of highway
- 2 -
fatalities among these occupations increased by about one-fifth over the
1996 total. Other victims worked in various fields in which highway
travel is incidental to the primary work activities, including sales,
farming, nursing and social work, police and firefighting, construction,
and management.
Twenty percent of the worker fatalities resulted from other types
of transportation-related incidents, such as tractors and forklifts
overturning in fields or in warehouses, workers being struck by vehicles,
aircraft and railway crashes, and water vessels capsizing. Worker deaths
from railway crashes, while relatively few in number, were at the highest
level in the last six years. Most of these fatalities occurred when the
vehicle the worker was driving or riding in was struck by a train at a
railroad crossing. Because there were no major commercial airline crashes
in 1997, worker deaths from aircraft crashes were at their lowest level in
the last six years.
Workplace homicides fell to their lowest level in the past six
years, but continued as the second leading cause of job-related deaths.
The 7 percent drop in workplace homicides from 1996 was consistent with a
decline in homicides nationally during the period, as reported by the
Department of Justice. Four-fifths of the workplace homicides resulted
from shootings. Robbery continued to be the primary motive of job-related
homicide when a motive could be ascertained from the source documents.
Disputes among coworkers and with customers and clients accounted for
about one-tenth of the total and declined by over one-third from the
previous year.
Circumstances or alleged perpetrator Number Percent
Robberies and other crimes 731 85
Robberies 338 39
Work associates 81 9
Coworker, former coworker 56 7
Customer, client 25 3
Relatives 24 3
Husband, ex-husband 16 2
Other relative 8 1
Other personal acquaintances 20 2
Boyfriend, ex-boyfriend 11 1
Other acquaintance 9 1
Deaths resulting from on-the-job falls rose slightly over 1996
totals to their highest level in the six years data have been collected
and accounted for 11 percent of the fatality total. About one-half of
the falls occurred to workers in the construction industry. Falls from
roofs, scaffolds, and ladders predominated. Services accounted for
about one-tenth of the total.
Nine percent of the worker fatalities occurred when workers were
struck by objects, such as vehicles falling from jacks during repair,
beams or other objects falling from cranes or forklifts, and trees
falling while being cut down. Another 7 percent of the fatal work
injuries resulted from workers being caught in running equipment, trench
cave-ins, or collapsing structures. Workers fatally injured from being
caught in running equipment, such as agricultural and manufacturing
equipment, were at a six-year high.
Electrocutions accounted for 5 percent of the fatal injuries, and
fires and explosions accounted for 3 percent. Job-related electrocutions
resulting from contact with overhead power lines increased by almost
- 3 -
one-fifth over the 1996 total, yet were consistent with counts reported
for the previous five years.
On average, about 17 workers were fatally injured each day during
1997. Eighty-four percent of fatally injured workers died the day they
were injured; 97 percent died within 30 days. There were 220
multiple-fatality incidents (incidents that resulted in two or more
worker deaths), resulting in 544 job-related deaths. This was an
increase of 16 percent more multiple-fatality incidents than in 1996,
when 189 events resulted in 546 fatal work injuries.
Occupation highlights (table 2):
* Occupations with large numbers of fatal injuries included truck
drivers, construction trades, farm occupations, and sales occupations.
Fatal injuries to truck drivers were at their highest level in the
six-year period, while the number of fatalities to workers in sales
occupations fell to its lowest level in the six-year period.
* Primarily as a result of increases in homicides and highway fatalities,
on-the-job fatalities to police and detectives and taxicab drivers rose
by about one-third after falling in 1996.
* Commercial fishers experienced a 24 percent drop in fatal work injuries
in 1997 over the 1996 total, yet this remains one of the most dangerous
occupations. (For more information on fatalities to fishers, see
"Fishing for a Living is Dangerous Work" in BLS Report 922, Fatal
Workplace Injuries in 1996: A Collection of Data and Analysis.)
Relative risk (tables 3 and 4):
A comparison of percent distributions of fatalities and employment
can be used to evaluate the relative risk of a job-related fatality for a
given occupation, industry, or worker characteristic. For example, the
construction industry accounted for about 18 percent of the fatality
total, 3 times its 6-percent share of total employment. While employment
can be used to evaluate the relative risk of a fatal work injury, other
measures, such as employee exposure hours, also can be used. (The annual
average employment data shown in tables 3 and 4 are from the Current
Population Survey.)
Industry highlights (table 3):
* Construction and transportation and public utilities together accounted
for about one-third of the fatal work injuries and reported increases over
1996 fatality totals consistent with increases in their employment totals.
* Industry divisions with large numbers of fatalities relative to their
employment include agriculture, forestry, and fishing; construction;
transportation and public utilities; and mining.
Demographic highlights (table 4):
* Men, the self-employed, and older workers suffer fatal injuries more
often than their employment shares would suggest. Differences in the
industries and occupations of these worker groups explain in part their
high relative risk of fatal injury on the job. (For more information
on relative risk among worker groups, see "Denominator Choice in the
Calculation of Workplace Fatality Rates" in BLS Report 922.)
- 4 -
* The majority of fatally injured workers under 16 years of age were
killed while doing farm work, often involving a farm vehicle.
* Highway-related incidents were the leading events for job-related
fatalities among both men and women in 1997. In prior years, homicides
had been more frequent than highway deaths for women.
State highlights (table 5):
* In general, states that have the largest number of persons employed
also reported the largest number of work-related fatalities. Twelve
of the largest states accounted for almost half of the total fatality
count; three of the states--California, Texas, and Florida--accounted
for one-fourth of the total. A state's industry mix, however, also
must be considered when evaluating its occupational fatality profile,
especially when large numbers of workers are employed in relatively
dangerous industries, such as agriculture, mining, and construction.
(For more information on variations in state fatality counts, see
"State and Industry Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1992-96" in BLS
Report 922.)
Background of the program
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS safety
and health statistics program, provides the most complete count of fatal
work injuries available because it uses diverse state and federal data
sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries.
Information about each workplace fatality (occupation and other worker
characteristics, equipment being used, and circumstances of the event) is
obtained by cross-referencing source documents, such as death
certificates, workers' compensation records, and reports to federal and
state agencies. This method assures counts are as complete and accurate
as possible.
This is the sixth year that the fatality census has been conducted
in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The BLS fatality census
is a federal/state cooperative venture in which costs are shared equally.
Additional state-specific data are available from the participating state
agencies listed in table 6.
Another BLS program, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and
Illnesses, profiles worker and case characteristics of nonfatal workplace
injuries and illnesses that result in lost worktime and presents
frequency counts and incidence rates by industry. Copies of the 1996
news release on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are available from BLS by
calling (202) 606-6304. Incidence rates for 1997 by industry will be
published in December 1998, and information on 1997 worker and case
characteristics will be available in April 1999. For additional
occupational safety and health data, access the BLS World Wide Web
Internet site: http://www.bls.gov/oshhome.htm. To request a copy of BLS
Report 922, e-mail your address to CFOIstaff@bls.gov or write to Bureau
of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Room 3180, Washington,
DC 20212.
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1992-97
Fatalities
------------------------------------
Event or exposure(1) 1992-96
average 1996(2) 1997
------- ------- ---------------
Number Number Percent
Total.................... 6,331 6,202 6,218 100
Transportation incidents... 2,587 2,601 2,599 42
Highway.................. 1,287 1,346 1,387 22
Collision between
vehicles, mobile
equipment........... 640 667 639 10
Moving in same
direction......... 104 96 103 2
Moving in opposite
directions,
oncoming.......... 228 220 229 4
Moving in
intersection...... 125 153 142 2
Vehicle struck
stationary object or
equipment........... 231 243 280 5
Noncollision........... 343 352 384 6
Jack-knifed or
overturned--no
collision......... 250 266 295 5
Nonhighway (farm,
industrial premises).. 400 374 377 6
Overturned............. 213 206 216 3
Aircraft................. 334 324 261 4
Worker struck by a
vehicle............... 369 353 367 6
Water vehicle............ 106 119 109 2
Railway.................. 78 74 93 1
Assaults and violent acts.. 1,275 1,165 1,103 18
Homicides................ 1,032 927 856 14
Shooting............... 839 761 705 11
Stabbing............... 78 80 73 1
Other, including
bombing............. 115 86 78 1
Self-inflicted injury.... 213 204 212 3
Contact with objects and
equipment............... 998 1,010 1,034 17
Struck by object......... 568 582 578 9
Struck by falling
object.............. 365 403 384 6
Struck by flying object 69 58 53 1
Caught in or compressed
by equipment or
objects............... 289 285 320 5
Caught in running
equipment or
machinery........... 147 146 189 3
Caught in or crushed in
collapsing materials.. 122 131 118 2
Falls...................... 645 691 715 11
Fall to lower level...... 562 610 652 10
Fall from ladder....... 87 97 116 2
Fall from roof......... 130 149 154 2
Fall from scaffold,
staging............. 79 88 87 1
Fall on same level....... 56 52 44 1
Exposure to harmful
substances or
environments............ 596 533 550 9
Contact with electric
current............... 327 281 297 5
Contact with overhead
power lines......... 128 116 138 2
Contact with temperature
extremes.............. 42 33 40 1
Exposure to caustic,
noxious, or allergenic
substances............ 121 123 123 2
Inhalation of substance 75 76 59 1
Oxygen deficiency........ 105 95 87 1
Drowning, submersion... 81 70 70 1
Fires and explosions....... 193 185 196 3
Other events or
exposures(3)............ 37 17 21 -
1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness
Classification Structures.
3 The BLS news release issued August 7, 1997, reported a total of
6,112 fatal work injuries for calendar year 1996. Since then, an
additional 90 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the
total job-related fatality count for 1996 to 6,202.
3 Includes the category "Bodily reaction and exertion."
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not
shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of
rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are
not available or that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in
cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries, 1992-97.
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or exposure,
1997
Major event or exposure (2)
Fatalities (percent)
---------------- --------------------------------------
Struck by Fall to
Occupation(1) Total Percent Highway(3) Homicide object lower
level
Total.......... 6,218 100 22 14 9 10
Managerial and
professional
specialty..... 667 11 26 23 4 8
Executive,
administrat-
ive, and
managerial. 417 7 23 30 5 11
Professional
specialty... 250 4 32 12 2 3
Technical, sales,
and
administrative
support....... 733 12 20 41 2 3
Technicians and
related
support
occupations. 172 3 14 2 - 2
Airplane
pilots and
navigators 100 2 - - - -
Sales
occupations. 458 7 19 59 2 3
Supervisors
and
proprieto-
rs, sales
occupatio-
ns........ 223 4 10 67 2 4
Sales
workers,
retail and
personal
services.. 182 3 19 63 2 2
Cashiers... 84 1 - 92 - -
Administrative
support
occupations,
including
clerical.... 103 2 36 27 3 4
Service
occupations... 492 8 20 37 3 7
Protective
service
occupations. 283 5 24 39 2 2
Firefighting
and fire
prevention
occupatio-
ns,
including
superviso-
rs........ 49 1 22 - 8 -
Police and
detective-
s,
including
superviso-
rs........ 156 3 32 43 - 4
Guards,
including
superviso-
rs........ 78 1 8 55 - -
Farming,
forestry, and
fishing....... 923 15 9 1 21 6
Farming
operators
and managers 386 6 10 - 12 5
Farmers,
except
horticult-
ural...... 296 5 10 - 12 6
Managers,
farms,
except
horitcult-
ural...... 71 1 11 - 13 -
Other
agricultural
and related
occupations. 349 6 13 2 15 10
Farm workers,
including
superviso-
rs........ 213 3 14 2 11 6
Forestry and
logging
occupations. 128 2 2 - 74 4
Timber
cutting
and
logging
occupatio-
ns........ 110 2 3 - 75 3
Fishers,
hunters, and
trappers.... 60 1 - - 5 -
Fishers,
including
vessel
captains
and
officers.. 58 1 - - 5 -
Precision
production,
craft, and
repair........ 1,094 18 10 3 12 26
Mechanics and
repairers... 325 5 13 6 18 13
Construction
trades...... 593 10 8 2 6 39
Carpenters
and
apprentic-
es........ 98 2 13 4 11 43
Electricians
and
apprentic-
es........ 94 2 6 - 4 17
Painters..... 39 1 - - - 64
Roofers...... 55 1 5 - - 75
Structural
metal
workers... 45 1 - - - 80
Operators,
fabricators,
and laborers.. 2,161 35 34 7 9 9
Machine
operators,
assemblers,
and
inspectors.. 221 4 6 5 17 10
Transportation
and material
moving
occupations. 1,271 20 52 9 7 3
Motor vehicle
operators. 1,026 17 63 11 4 2
Truck
drivers. 857 14 68 3 5 3
Driver-sal-
es
workers. 44 1 66 25 - -
Taxicab
drivers
and
chauffe-
urs..... 100 2 23 76 - -
Material
moving
equipment
operators. 169 3 8 2 20 5
Handlers,
equipment
cleaners,
helpers, and
laborers.... 669 11 9 5 11 20
Construction
laborers.. 333 5 9 - 11 30
Laborers,
except
construct-
ion....... 208 3 7 4 13 11
Military(4)...... 94 2 14 1 3 2
1 Based on the 1990 Occupational Classification System developed by the
Bureau of the Census.
2 The figure shown is the percent of the total fatalities for that
occupational group.
3 "Highway" includes deaths to vehicle occupants resulting from traffic
incidents that occur on the public roadway, shoulder, or surrounding area.
It excludes incidents occurring entirely off the roadway, such as in parking
lots and on farms; incidents involving trains; and deaths to pedestrians or
other nonpassengers.
4 Resident armed forces.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown
separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. There
were 51 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine
an occupation classification. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or
data that are not available or that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in
cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, 1992-97.
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1997
1992-96 1996 Employment(2)
Industry(1) average (revised) 1997 (in thousands)
------- --------- ------------------ --------------------
Number Number Number Percent Number Percent
------- --------- -------- ------- ------- --------
Total............. 6,331 6,202 6,218 100 130,810 100
Private industry.... 5,638 5,597 5,594 90 111,417 85
Agriculture, for-
estry and fishing 826 806 830 13 3,479 3
Agricultural
production -
crops.......... 390 337 373 6 985 1
Agricultural
production -
livestock...... 174 157 182 3 1,205 1
Agricultural
services....... 157 172 176 3 1,199 1
Mining.............. 169 153 158 3 632 -
Coal mining....... 45 39 32 1 84 -
Oil and gas
extraction..... 87 83 85 1 369 -
Construction........ 996 1,047 1,107 18 7,844 6
General building
contractors.... 176 184 194 3 - -
Heavy
construction,
except building 247 248 252 4 - -
Special trades
contractors.... 568 606 648 10 - -
Manufacturing....... 751 725 743 12 20,765 16
Food and kindred
products....... 81 73 78 1 1,697 1
Lumber and wood
products....... 204 204 199 3 817 1
Transportation and
public utilities. 922 970 1,002 16 7,594 6
Local and
interurban
passenger
transportation. 113 79 106 2 551 -
Trucking and
warehousing.... 484 520 569 9 2,560 2
Transportation by
air............ 93 115 83 1 822 1
Electric, gas, and
sanitary
services....... 85 89 89 1 1,060 1
Wholesale trade..... 260 270 241 4 4,896 4
Retail trade........ 741 681 665 11 21,782 17
Food stores....... 209 180 189 3 3,643 3
Automotive dealers
and service
stations....... 120 98 115 2 2,217 2
Eating and
drinking places 182 166 150 2 6,581 5
Finance, insurance,
and real estate.. 119 116 97 2 8,080 6
Services............ 782 776 722 12 36,346 28
Business services. 207 168 181 3 6,024 5
Automotive repair,
services, and
parking........ 102 104 109 2 1,623 1
Government(3)....... 693 605 624 10 19,393 15
Federal government
(including
resident armed
forces)........ 228 184 162 3 4,461 3
State government.. 127 130 127 2 5,031 4
Local government.. 331 289 331 5 9,901 8
Police protection. 99 76 113 2 - -
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987.
2 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of
age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current Population
Survey, 1997.
3 Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations
regardless of industry.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately.
Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. There were 31 fatalities for
which there was insufficient information to determine a specific industry classification,
though a distinction between private sector and government was made for each. Dashes
indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are not available or that do not meet publication
criteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with
State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1992-97.
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker
characteristics, 1997
Characteristics Fatalities Employment
(in thousands)(1) Most frequent events(2)
Number Percent Number Percent (percent of total)
------ ------- ------- ------- -----------------------
Total 6,218 100 130,810 100 Highway (22 percent),
homicide (14 percent)
Employee status
Wage and salary workers 4,959 80 120,126 92 Highway (24), homicide (13)
Self-employed(3) 1,259 20 10,684 8 Homicide (18), highway (14)
Sex and age
Men 5,743 92 70,769 54 Highway (21), homicide (12)
Women 475 8 60,041 46 Highway (36), homicide (31)
Both sexes(4)
Under 16 years 21 - - - Nonhighway vehicle-related (38)
16 to 17 years 41 1 2,650 2 Highway (22), homicide (22)
18 to 19 years 113 2 4,102 3 Highway (16), struck by object (16)
20 to 24 years 503 8 12,758 10 " (23)
25 to 34 years 1,319 21 32,288 25 " (21)
35 to 44 years 1,520 24 36,174 28 " (20)
45 to 54 years 1,298 21 26,780 20 " (24)
55 to 64 years 870 14 12,297 9 " (25)
65 years and over 519 8 3,761 3 " (22)
Race
White 5,098 82 110,819 85 Highway (23)
Black 676 11 14,211 11 HIghway (24)
Asian or Pacific Islander 189 3 - - Homicide (46)
American Indian, Aleut,
Eskimo 35 1 - - Fall to lower level (17)
Other or not reported 220 4 - - Highway (18)
Hispanic origin
Hispanic(5) 656 11 12,813 10 Homicide (17)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of
age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current Population Survey,
1997.
2 "Highway" includes deaths to vehicle occupants resulting from traffic incidents
that occur on the public roadway, shoulder, or surrounding area. It excludes
incidents occurring entirely off the roadway, such as in parking lots and on
farms. "Nonhighway" includes transport-related deaths of vehicle occupants
that occur or originate entirely off the roadway. Incidents involving
trains and deaths to pedestrians or other nonpassengers are excluded from
both categories.
3 Includes paid and unpaid family workers and may include owners of
incorporated businesses or members of partnerships.
4 There were 14 fatalities for which age was not reported.
5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. Hispanic employment does
not include resident armed forces.
NOTE: Totals may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages
may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5
percent or data that are not available or that do not meet publication
criteria.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in
cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, 1997.
Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by State and event or exposure, 1997
Event or exposure(2)
State of injury (percent of State total for 1997)
Trans- Assaults Contact Exposure
Total Fatalities(1) portation and with objects to harmful
1996 1997 incidents(3) violent and substances or Fires and
(revised) acts(4) equipment Falls environments explosions
------ ------ ------------ ------- ----------- ------- ------------ ----------
Total(5) 6,202 6,218 42 18 17 11 9 3
Alabama 155 139 50 19 17 6 7 -
Alaska 63 51 65 12 12 - 8 -
Arizona 77 58 36 26 14 12 9 -
Arkansas 88 102 47 15 19 5 10 5
California 641 636 36 26 12 13 8 3
Colorado 90 120 48 14 15 15 6 -
Connecticut 35 32 47 - 16 22 - -
Delaware 18 17 53 - - - - -
District of Columbia 19 23 - 52 - 22 - -
Florida 333 366 39 22 12 13 10 3
Georgia 213 241 43 16 17 12 10 2
Hawaii 27 19 37 - - - 21 -
Idaho 62 56 45 9 34 - - -
Illinois 262 240 39 21 14 15 8 2
Indiana 143 190 42 19 17 11 6 4
Iowa 70 80 44 5 22 14 11 -
Kansas 85 93 61 5 16 11 - 4
Kentucky 141 143 52 16 15 7 8 -
Louisiana 134 137 41 12 16 12 15 4
Maine 23 19 47 - 26 - - -
Maryland 82 82 32 29 12 13 12 -
Massachusetts 62 69 36 19 13 25 6 -
Michigan 155 174 35 18 20 13 7 6
Minnesota 92 72 47 10 21 12 7 -
Mississippi 103 104 40 22 12 14 11 -
Missouri 140 123 44 16 14 10 15 -
Montana 50 56 45 29 14 7 - -
Nebraska 56 46 48 - 17 11 13 -
Nevada 52 55 38 25 16 13 7 -
New Hampshire 11 23 30 30 26 - - -
New Jersey 100 101 31 18 13 16 20 -
New Mexico 60 50 44 10 8 - 24 8
New York
(except N.Y.C.) 169 155 43 10 21 8 7 9
New York City 148 109 13 47 9 25 4 -
North Carolina 191 210 43 15 23 10 7 2
North Dakota 23 35 40 - 26 26 - -
Ohio 201 201 45 13 23 10 6 2
Oklahoma 87 104 46 14 15 12 5 7
Oregon 85 84 49 12 20 12 - -
Pennsylvania 282 259 43 15 17 13 9 4
Rhode Island 6 10 80 - - - - -
South Carolina 109 129 36 36 16 5 5 -
South Dakota 32 23 52 - 30 - - -
Tennessee 152 168 41 18 18 10 7 5
Texas 514 460 46 14 16 9 12 4
Utah 64 66 50 8 27 6 - -
Vermont 7 9 78 - - - - -
Virginia 153 166 40 16 19 13 8 -
Washington 128 112 46 13 18 11 10 -
West Virginia 66 53 38 - 34 - 15 -
Wisconsin 108 114 40 10 19 13 13 4
Wyoming 28 29 41 - 14 - - -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes other events and exposures such as bodily reaction, in addition to those shown separately.
2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structures.
3 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities and fatalities to workers struck by vehicles.
4 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injuries, and assaults by animals.
5 Includes fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the 50 States.
NOTE: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are
not available or that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with State and Federal Agencies,
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1996-1997.
Table 6. CFOI participating State agencies and telephone numbers
State Agency Telephone
Alabama Department of Labor (334) 242-3460
Alaska Department of Labor/Research & Analysis (907) 465-4539
Arizona Industrial Commission (602) 542-3739
Arkansas Department of Labor (501) 682-4542
California Department of Industrial Relations (415) 972-8625
Colorado Department of Public Health (303) 692-2163
Connecticut Labor Department (860) 566-4380
Delaware Department of Labor (302) 761-8221
District of Columbia Center for Health Statistics (202) 645-5963
Florida Dept. of Labor and Employment Security (850) 922-8953
Georgia Department of Labor (404) 656-2966
Hawaii Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations (808) 586-9001
Idaho Industrial Commission (208) 334-6090
Illinois Department of Public Health (217) 785-7130
Indiana Department of Labor (317) 232-2679
Iowa Workforce Development (515) 281-3661
Kansas Department of Health & Environment (785) 296-5641
Kentucky Labor Cabinet (502) 564-6895
Louisiana Department of Labor (504) 342-3126
Maine Department of Labor (207) 624-6454
Maryland Division of Labor and Industry (410) 767-2356
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (617) 624-5628
Michigan Dept. of Consumer and Industry Services (517) 322-1850
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (612) 297-7429
Mississippi Department of Health (601) 960-7741
Missouri Department of Health (573) 751-6103
Montana Department of Labor and Industry (406) 444-3297
Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court (402) 471-3547
Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (702) 687-3298
New Hampshire Department of Public Health (603) 271-4647
New Jersey Department of Health (609) 984-1863
New Mexico Health and Environment Division (505) 827-4230
New York Department of Health (518) 458-6228
New York City Department of Health (212) 788-4585
North Carolina Department of Labor (919) 733-0337
North Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483
Ohio Department of Health (614) 466-4183
Oklahoma Department of Labor (405) 528-1500
Oregon Dept. of Consumer/Business Services (503) 378-8254
Pennsylvania Department of Health (717) 783-2548
Rhode Island Department of Health (401) 277-2812
South Carolina Department of Labor/Licensing & Regulation (803) 734-4298
South Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483
Tennessee Department of Labor (615) 741-1748
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (512) 440-3852
Utah Labor Commission (801) 530-6823
Vermont Bureau of Labor Statistics (617) 565-2300
Virginia Department of Labor & Industry (804) 786-8011
Washington Department of Labor & Industries (360) 902-5510
West Virginia Department of Labor (304) 558-7890
Wisconsin DWD, Workers' Compensation Research (608) 266-7850
Wyoming Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483
TECHNICAL NOTES
Definitions
For a fatality to be included in the census, the decedent must have
been employed (that is working for pay, compensation, or profit) at the
time of the event, engaged in a legal work activity, or present at the
site of the incident as a requirement of his or her job. These criteria
are generally broader than those used by federal and state agencies
administering specific laws and regulations. (Fatalities that occur
during a person's commute to or from work are excluded from the census
counts.)
Data presented in this release include deaths occurring in 1997
that resulted from traumatic occupational injuries. An injury is defined
as any intentional or unintentional wound or damage to the body resulting
from acute exposure to energy, such as heat, electricity, or kinetic
energy from a crash or from the absence of such essentials as heat or
oxygen caused by a specific event, incident, or series of events within
a single workday or shift. Included are open wounds, intracranial and
internal injuries, heatstroke, hypothermia, asphyxiations, acute
poisonings resulting from short-term exposures limited to the
worker's shift, suicides and homicides, and work injuries listed as
underlying or contributory causes of death.
Information on work-related fatal illnesses are not reported in the
BLS census and are excluded from the attached tables because the latency
period of many occupational illnesses and the difficulty of linking
illnesses to work make identification of a universe problematic. Partial
information on fatal occupational illnesses, compiled separately, is
available in BLS Report 922.
Measurement techniques and limitations
Data for the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries are compiled from
various federal, state, and local administrative sources--including death
certificates, workers' compensation reports and claims, reports to various
regulatory agencies, medical examiner reports, and police reports--as
well as news reports. Diverse sources are used because studies have
shown that no single source captures all job-related fatalities. Source
documents are matched so that each fatality is counted only once. To
ensure that a fatality occurred while the decedent was at work, information
is verified from two or more independent source documents or from a
source document and a follow-up questionnaire. Approximately 30 data
elements are collected, coded, and tabulated, including information
about the worker, the fatal incident, and the machinery or equipment
involved.
Identification and verification of work-related fatalities.
Because some state laws and regulations prohibit enumerators from
contacting the next-of-kin, it was not possible to independently verify
work relationship (whether a fatality is job related) for 274 fatal work
injuries in 1997; however, the information on the initiating source
document for these cases was sufficient to determine that the incident
was likely to be job-related. Data for these fatalities, which primarily
affected self-employed workers, are included in the Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries counts. An additional 21 fatalities submitted by
states were not included because the initiating source document had
insufficient information to determine work relationship, which could not
be verified by either an independent source document or a follow-up
questionnaire.
States may identify additional fatal work injuries after data
collection closeout for a reference year. In addition, other fatalities
excluded from the published count because of insufficient information to
determine work relationship may subsequently be verified as work related.
States have up to one year to update their initial published state counts.
This procedure ensures that fatality data are disseminated as quickly as
possible and that no legitimate case is excluded from the counts. Thus,
each year's report should be considered preliminary until the next year's
data are issued. Increases in the published counts based on additional
information have averaged less than 100 fatalities per year or less
than 1.5 percent of the total.
Federal/state agency coverage
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all
fatal work injuries, whether they are covered by the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or
are outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison
between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other
agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements
and definitions being used.
Several federal and state agencies have jurisdiction over workplace
safety and health. OSHA and affiliated agencies in states with approved
safety programs cover the largest portion of America's workers. However,
injuries and illnesses occurring in several other industries, such as
coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and water, rail, and air transportation,
are excluded from OSHA coverage because they are covered by other federal
agencies, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the U.S.
Coast Guard, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal Aviation
Administration. Fatalities occurring in activities regulated by federal
agencies other than OSHA accounted for about 15 percent of the fatal work
injuries for 1997.
Fatalities occurring among several other groups of workers are
generally not covered by any federal or state agencies. These groups
include self-employed and unpaid family workers, which accounted for
about 20 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting
for about 3 percent of the fatalities; and state and local government
employees in states without OSHA-approved safety programs, which
accounted for about 4 percent. (Approximately one-half of the states have
approved OSHA safety programs, which cover state and local government
employees.)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: BLS thanks the participating states for their efforts
in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work
injuries. BLS also appreciates the efforts of all federal, state,
local, and private sector agencies that submitted source documents used
to identify fatal work injuries. Among these agencies are the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the National
Transportation Safety Board; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Mine Safety
and Health Administration; the Employment Standards Administration
(Federal Employees' Compensation and Longshore and Harbor Workers'
divisions); the Department of Energy; the National Association of
Chiefs of Police; United Steelworkers of America; state vital
statistics registrars, coroners, and medical examiners; state departments
of health, labor, and industries and workers' compensation agencies;
state and local police departments; and state farm bureaus.