The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
Technical information: (202) 691-6175 Media information: (202) 691-5902 Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/oshhome.htm USDL 00-236 FOR RELEASE: 10 a.m. EDT Thursday, August 17, 2000 NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES, 1999 The number of fatal work injuries that occurred during 1999 was 6,023, nearly the same as the previous year's total despite an increase in employment, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Decreases in job-related deaths from homicides and electrocutions in 1999 were offset by increases from workers struck by falling objects or caught in running machinery. Homicides fell from the second-leading cause of fatal work injuries to the third, behind highway fatalities and falls. Construction reported the largest number of fatal work injuries for any industry and accounted for one-fifth of the fatality total. Profiles of 1999 fatal work injuries Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities during 1999, accounting for one-fourth of the fatal work injury total. (See table 1 and chart 1.) The number of these fatalities increased slightly over 1998 to reach the highest level since the BLS fatality census began in 1992. Slightly over two-fifths of the 1,491 victims of job-related highway fatalities were employed as truck drivers. In contrast to fatalities resulting from crashes that occurred on public roadways, the number of workers killed in nonhighway crashes and overturnings or killed after being struck by a vehicle declined from the previous year. The number of workers killed in air, water, and rail vehicle incidents during 1999 was about the same as in 1998. In 1999, deaths resulting from on-the-job falls increased slightly to 717. This increase, coupled with a decline in homicides, made falls the second-leading cause of fatal work injuries for the first time since the fatality census began in 1992. (See chart 2.) About half of the fatal falls were from a roof, ladder, or scaffold, and slightly over half of the fatal falls occurred in the construction industry. Now the third-leading cause of on-the-job deaths, workplace homicides fell to the lowest level since the fatality census' inception in 1992. Job-related homicides totaled 645 in 1999, a 10 percent drop from the 1998 total and a 40 percent decline from the 1,080 homicides that occurred in 1994, which had the highest count in the 8-year period. The drop in homicides at work was most pronounced in retail trade, where homicides fell by 51 percent from 1994. The following table shows counts of workplace homicides for selected industries during 1994-99. (Chart 1. and Chart 2. appear here in the printed version of the News Release.) Industry 1994 ---------------------------- ---Total homicides 1,080 1995 ---1,034 1996 ---927 1997 ---860 1998 ---714 1999 ---645 Retail trade Grocery stores Eating and drinking places Gasoline service stations Taxicab Detective and armored car services Police protection 530 196 135 41 87 422 152 121 36 68 437 146 135 23 50 395 141 109 34 74 286 95 69 24 48 260 76 94 17 51 49 65 27 61 29 45 21 61 18 50 17 41 Among the job-related homicides for which a motive could be ascertained from the source documents, robbery continued to be the primary motive, followed by violence by co-workers and customers or clients. Occupations with high numbers of homicides include those that typically engage in cash transactions or have valuables on hand, including managers of food and lodging establishments, sales supervisors and proprietors, cashiers, and taxicab drivers. Workers struck by objects or equipment accounted for 10 percent of the fatal work injuries in 1999. These types of injuries increased from the previous year. Electrocutions accounted for 5 percent of the fatal injuries and decreased by 17 percent from 1998. Contact with overhead power lines accounted for about two-fifths of the electrocutions. On average, about 17 workers were fatally injured each day during 1999. Eighty-three percent of fatally injured workers died the day they were injured; 97 percent died within 30 days. There were 235 multiple-fatality incidents (incidents that resulted in two or more worker deaths), resulting in 617 job-related deaths. Although this was a slight increase over the 227 multiple-fatality events reported for 1998, there was a more substantial increase in the number of deaths resulting from these types of incidents in 1999 than in the previous year, when 555 worker deaths occurred. Occupation highlights (table 2 and chart 3): * Occupations with large numbers of fatal injuries included truck drivers, construction trades, and farm occupations. * Fatal injuries to truck drivers were at their highest level in the 8-year period. * Mechanics and repairers also reported a noticeable increase in fatal work injuries over the previous year, reaching its highest level in the 8-year period. * In contrast, the number of fatalities in sales occupations fell to its lowest level during the same period, primarily because of the drop in homicides. (Chart 3 appears here in the printed version of the News Release.) 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 industry or worker characteristic. For example, the construction industry accounted for 20 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 hours worked, also can be used. Industry highlights (table 3): * Industry divisions with large numbers of fatalities relative to their employment include agriculture, forestry, and fishing; construction; transportation and public utilities; and mining. * Retail trade posted a substantial decline in the number of fatal work injuries in 1999 over the previous year; transportation and public utilities posted a substantial increase. * A decline in fatal work injuries among government workers resulted in the lowest levels during the 8-year period. Demographic highlights (table 4): * Men, the self-employed, and older workers suffered 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. * Highway-related incidents were the leading cause of job-related fatalities among both men and women. Homicides, which had been the leading cause for women, were the second-leading cause in 1999. Falls ranked second for men. * Two-fifths of fatally injured workers under 18 years of age were killed while doing farm work; another one-fifth were killed while working for a retail trade establishment. State highlights by major regional area (table 5): * In general, the states with the largest number of persons employed have the largest number of work-related fatalities. Four of the largest states--California, Texas, Florida, and New York--accounted for over one-fourth of the total fatalities in the U.S. Each state's and region's industry mix, geographical features, age of population, and other characteristics of the workforce must be considered when evaluating state and region fatality profiles. * In all four regions of the U.S.--Northeast, Midwest, South, and West--highway motor vehicle incidents were the leading event for occupational fatalities. In the Southern and Western states, the second leading event was homicide. In the Northeast and Midwest states, the second-leading events were falls to lower level and being struck by an object, respectively. * About 44 percent of the fatal occupational highway incidents and almost half of the work-related homicides occurred in the South, which has 35 percent of total employment. Background of the program The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational 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 eighth 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 1998 news release on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are available from BLS by calling (202) 691-6179 or by accessing the Website listed below. Incidence rates for 1999 by industry will be published in December 2000, and information on 1999 worker and case characteristics will be available in April 2001. For additional data, access the BLS Internet site: http://www.bls.gov/oshhome.htm. To request a copy of BLS Report 934, which includes several articles and highlights 1997 fatality data, 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, 1994-99 Event or exposure(1) Fatalities 1994-98 Average 1998(2) Number 1999 Number Percent Total Transportation incidents Highway Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment Moving in same direction Moving in opposite directions, oncoming Moving in intersection Vehicle struck stationary object or equipment Noncollision Jackknifed or overturned--no collision Nonhighway (farm, industrial premises) Overturned Aircraft Worker struck by a vehicle Water vehicle Rail vehicle 6,280 2,640 1,374 6,055 2,645 1,442 6,023 2,613 1,491 100 43 25 662 113 707 120 711 129 12 2 240 136 272 143 269 160 4 3 272 368 307 375 334 388 6 6 280 302 321 5 387 215 304 382 104 78 388 217 224 413 112 60 353 206 227 377 102 56 6 3 4 6 2 1 Assaults and violent acts Homicides Shooting Stabbing Other Self-inflicted injuries 1,168 923 748 68 107 215 962 714 574 61 79 221 893 645 506 60 79 208 15 11 8 1 1 3 984 944 1,029 17 Contact with objects and equipment Struck by object Struck by falling object Struck by flying object Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects Caught in running equipment or machinery Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials 520 319 59 585 358 55 10 6 1 281 266 302 5 148 129 163 3 124 140 128 2 686 609 101 146 89 53 706 625 111 157 98 51 717 634 96 153 92 66 12 11 2 3 2 1 583 322 576 334 529 278 9 5 136 45 153 48 124 50 2 1 118 66 96 77 105 48 87 75 106 55 93 75 2 1 2 1 199 206 216 4 21 16 26 - Falls Fall to lower level Fall from ladder Fall from roof Fall from scaffold Fall on same level 564 364 60 Exposure to harmful substances or environments Contact with electric current Contact with overhead powerlines Contact with temperature extremes Exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances Inhalation of substance Oxygen deficiency Drowning, submersion Fires and explosions Other events or exposures(3) 1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structures. 2 The BLS news release issued Aug. 4, 1999, reported a total of 6,026 fatal work injuries for calendar year 1998. Since then, an additional 29 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related fatality count for 1998 to 6,055. 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1994-99. Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or exposure, 1999 Occupation(1) Fatalities Number Total..................| | Managerial and | 6,023 Major event or exposure(2) (percent of total for occupation) Percent | | | 100 Highway | | | 25 Homicide | | | 11 Struck by object | | | 10 Fall to lower level | | | 11 professional specialty..| Executive, | administrative, and | managerial...........| Professional specialty.| | Technical, sales, and | administrative support..| Technicians and related| support occupations...| Airplane pilots and | navigators..........| Sales occupations......| Supervisors and | proprietors, sales | occupations.........| Sales workers, retail| and personal | services............| Cashiers...........| Administrative support | occupations, including| clerical..............| | Service occupations......| Protective service | occupations...........| Firefighting and fire| prevention | occupations, | including | supervisors.........| Police and | detectives, | including | supervisors.........| Guards, including | supervisors.........| | Farming, forestry, and | fishing.................| Farming operators and | managers..............| Farmers, except | horticultural.......| Managers, farms, | except horitcultural| Other agricultural and | related occupations...| Farm workers, | including | supervisors.........| Forestry and logging | occupations...........| Timber cutting and | logging occupations.| Fishers, hunters, and | trappers..............| Fishers, including | vessel captains and | officers............| | 597 371 226 610 158 94 356 140 144 55 96 468 261 57 132 72 897 362 233 118 335 206 122 102 78 78 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 6 4 10 3 2 6 2 2 1 2 8 4 1 2 1 15 6 4 2 6 3 2 2 1 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 22 27 27 16 28 13 27 - 44 20 26 18 39 10 13 13 13 13 18 22 6 4 - - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 26 8 32 49 62 51 80 19 33 32 - 36 50 2 1 4 4 - - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 5 3 2 3 2 4 - 1 1 - - 21 15 17 10 14 9 67 73 - - | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 8 6 3 3 2 2 - 4 9 3 5 4 5 3 3 4 8 4 3 3 - - Precision production, | craft, and repair.......| Mechanics and repairers| Construction trades....| Carpenters and | apprentices.........| Electricians and | apprentices.........| Painters.............| Roofers..............| Structural metal | workers.............| | Operators, fabricators, | and laborers............| Machine operators, | assemblers, and | inspectors............| Transportation and | material moving | occupations...........| Motor vehicle | operators...........| Truck drivers......| Driver-sales | workers...........| Taxicab drivers and| chauffeurs........| Material moving | equipment operators.| Handlers, equipment | cleaners, helpers, and| laborers..............| Construction laborers| Laborers, except | construction........| | Military.................| 1,142 353 633 103 105 38 59 43 2,194 216 1,320 1,063 898 42 74 205 658 341 193 80 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 6 11 2 2 1 1 1 36 4 22 18 15 1 1 3 11 6 3 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 12 11 6 15 5 - 37 5 56 67 70 79 28 14 11 11 11 24 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 7 1 - 5 4 6 8 2 10 69 - 4 6 - 12 19 7 13 4 19 10 14 7 5 6 14 14 14 16 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 28 13 39 48 12 68 85 77 8 15 2 2 2 5 17 25 10 - 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 35 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1999. Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1999 Industry SIC Code(1) Fatalities Employment(2) --------------------------------------(in thousands) 1994-98 1998 1999 -------------------Average (revised) Number Percent Number Percent Total..................| | Private industry.........| | Agriculture, forestry | and fishing...........| Agricultural | production - crops..| Agricultural | production | livestock...........| Agricultural services| | Mining.................| Coal mining..........| Oil and gas | extraction..........| | Construction...........| General building | contractors.........| Heavy construction, | except building.....| Special trades | contractors.........| | Manufacturing..........| Food and kindred | products............| Lumber and wood | products............| | Transportation and | public utilities......| Local and interurban | passenger | transportation......| Trucking and | warehousing.........| Transportation by air| Electric, gas, and | sanitary services...| | Wholesale trade........| | Retail trade...........| Food stores..........| Automotive dealers | and service stations| Eating and drinking | places..............| | Finance, insurance, and| real estate...........| | Services...............| Business services....| Automotive repair, | services, and | parking.............| | Government...............| 01 02 07 12 13 15 16 17 20 24 41 42 45 49 54 55 58 73 75 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,280 5,625 826 379 170 168 159 37 84 1,082 191 253 629 733 75 191 948 100 528 90 88 253 683 187 116 155 109 773 203 111 656 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,055 5,457 840 380 174 170 147 30 76 1,174 213 272 680 698 72 172 911 85 564 74 83 229 570 135 120 107 92 763 196 133 598 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,023 5,461 807 350 163 164 121 35 50 1,190 183 280 709 719 83 190 1,006 102 605 74 86 237 507 115 82 145 105 732 161 132 562 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 100 91 13 6 3 3 2 1 1 20 3 5 12 12 1 3 17 2 10 1 1 4 8 2 1 2 2 12 3 2 9 | 134,666 | | | | 114,570 | | | | | | 3,349 | | | | 955 | | | | | | 993 | | 1,317 | | | | 563 | | 84 | | | | 329 | | | | 8,479 | | | | - | | | | - | | | | - | | | | 19,994 | | | | 1,643 | | | | 824 | | | | | | 7,947 | | | | | | 593 | | | | 2,679 | | 864 | | | | 1,029 | | | | 5,173 | | | | 22,300 | | 3,511 | | | | 2,238 | | | | 6,718 | | | | | | 8,610 | | | | 38,240 | | 6,756 | | | | | | 1,576 | | | | 20,096 | 100 85 2 1 1 1 6 15 1 1 6 2 1 1 4 17 3 2 5 6 28 5 2 15 | Federal (including | resident armed forces)| State..................| Local..................| Police protection......| | | | | | | 9221 204 126 319 104 | | | | | | | | | | | | 162 136 296 102 147 108 301 91 | | | | | | 2 2 5 2 | | | | | | 4,427 5,237 10,433 - | | | | | | 3 4 8 - 1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition. 2 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older from the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense. 3 Includes fatalities to workers employed by government 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 37 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1994-99. Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 1999 Characteristics Fatalities Number Total Percent Employment (in thousands)(1) Number Percent Most frequent events(2) (percent of total) 6,023 100 134,666 100 Highway (25), falls (12) 4,884 1,139 81 19 124,445 10,221 92 8 Highway (27), falls (13) Highway (14), homicides (14) 5,582 441 93 7 72,457 62,209 54 46 Highway (24), falls (12) Highway (34), homicides (29) 26 46 122 450 1,171 1,499 1,326 814 559 1 2 7 19 25 22 14 9 2,796 4,494 13,242 31,280 36,983 28,671 13,317 3,883 2 3 10 24 28 21 10 3 Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway 4,990 626 83 10 113,023 15,284 84 11 Highway (26), falls (12) Highway (23), homicides (19) 57 1 - - Highway (18), falls (14) 191 3 - - Homicides (46), highway (13) Employee status Wage and salary workers Self-employed(3) Sex Men Women Age(4) Under 16 16 to 17 18 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 years years years years years years years years years and over (35), (28), (26), (26), (24), (24), (25), (25), (23), nonhighway (19) homicides (17) struck by object (11) homicides (11) homicides (12) falls (13) homicides (12) falls (14) nonhighway (16) Race White Black American Indian, Aleut, Eskimo Asian, Pacific Islander Other or not reported (13) 159 3 - - Highway (20), falls and homicides 725 12 13,811 12 Highway (21), falls (16) Hispanic origin Hispanic(5) 1 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense. 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 10 fatalities for which age was not reported. 5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. 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, 1999. Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 1999 Fatalities(1) State of injury Event or exposure(2) (percent of state total for 1999) Trans- Assaults Contact with portation and objects violent and Exposure to harmful Fires 1998 1999 Falls sub and (revised) in- stances explosiocidents(3) acts(4) equipment or ns environments Total(5) 4 Northeast 5 Connecticut Maine Massachusetts 15 New Hampshire New Jersey - 6,055 6,023 43 15 17 12 9 853 756 36 18 15 17 8 57 38 34 34 13 11 - 26 32 50 9 22 9 - 44 82 32 10 13 24 6 23 14 36 21 - - - 103 103 34 17 17 21 9 New York (incl. N.Y.C.) 2 New York City 3 Pennsylvania 7 Rhode Island Vermont Midwest 4 Illinois 4 Indiana 3 Iowa 8 Kansas Michigan 10 Minnesota Missouri 3 Nebraska 5 North Dakota Ohio 2 South Dakota Wisconsin 3 South 3 Alabama 8 Arkansas 8 Delaware District of Columbia Florida 2 Georgia 3 Kentucky 3 Louisiana 4 Maryland Mississippi - 243 241 30 25 12 18 11 94 120 13 44 8 22 8 235 221 41 12 18 15 5 12 11 36 - - - 27 16 14 43 29 - - - 1,340 1,417 44 12 20 11 9 216 208 34 17 19 14 11 155 171 46 15 16 12 7 68 80 52 - 26 4 10 98 81 49 5 23 12 6 179 182 34 15 18 13 10 88 72 65 7 17 7 4 145 164 48 11 19 10 10 56 65 51 9 26 6 - 24 22 36 - 41 - - 186 222 43 12 20 15 9 28 45 58 7 16 - 13 97 105 45 11 22 10 10 2,619 2,565 44 15 16 11 10 135 123 38 10 22 11 10 86 76 49 8 12 5 17 11 14 36 29 - - - 13 14 21 21 - 36 - 384 345 39 17 15 16 10 202 229 44 17 16 10 9 117 120 49 14 18 8 7 159 141 39 9 26 8 16 78 82 40 29 12 11 6 113 128 52 6 20 14 6 North Carolina 2 Oklahoma 5 South Carolina 6 Tennessee 4 Texas 3 Virginia 3 West Virginia West 2 Alaska Arizona California 3 Colorado 4 Hawaii Idaho Montana 6 Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming - 228 222 43 19 14 11 10 75 99 44 14 13 11 12 111 139 53 16 9 9 8 150 154 49 12 18 8 8 523 468 44 15 15 12 12 177 154 42 17 12 12 13 57 57 35 12 33 9 9 1,334 1,264 46 16 17 11 6 43 42 74 7 12 - - 74 70 39 23 24 4 9 626 591 44 19 14 12 7 77 98 47 18 15 10 5 12 32 28 56 - - - 51 43 44 9 23 12 7 58 49 45 10 29 6 - 60 57 37 18 19 18 7 48 39 54 13 10 13 - 72 69 52 7 26 7 7 67 54 56 6 24 11 - 113 88 49 9 19 15 7 33 32 56 - 28 9 - 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 homicides, self-inflicted injuries, and animal attacks. 5 Includes 21 fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the United States in 1999. 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, 1998-99. Table 6. State CFOI participating state agencies and telephone numbers Agency Telephone number Alabama Department of Labor Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Arizona Industrial Commission of Arizona Arkansas Department of Labor California Department of Industrial Relations Colorado Department of Public Health Connecticut Labor Department Delaware Department of Labor District of Columbia Center for Health Statistics Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security (334) (907) (602) (501) (415) (303) (860) (302) (202) (850) 242-3460 465-4539 542-3739 682-4542 703-4757 692-2173 566-4380 761-8223 442-5922 922-8953 Georgia Department of Labor Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Idaho Industrial Commission Illinois Department of Public Health Indiana Department of Labor Iowa Department of Labor Services Kansas Department of Health and Environment Kentucky Labor Cabinet Louisiana Department of Labor Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (404) (808) (208) (217) (317) (515) (785) (502) (225) (207) 656-2966 586-9001 334-6090 785-1873 232-2668 281-5151 296-1058 564-3070 342-3126 624-6440 Maryland Division of Labor and Industry Massachusetts Department of Public Health Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Mississippi Department of Health Missouri Department of Health Montana Department of Labor and Industry Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court Nevada Division of Industrial Relations New Hampshire Department of Public Health (410) (617) (517) (651) (601) (573) (406) (402) (775) (603) 767-2356 624-5628 322-5258 296-3885 576-7400 571-6155 444-3297 471-3547 687-3298 271-4647 New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau New York State Department of Health New York City Department of Health North Carolina Department of Labor North Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics Ohio Department of Health Oklahoma Department of Labor Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services Pennsylvania Department of Health (609) (505) (518) (212) (919) (312) (614) (405) (503) (717) 984-1863 827-4230 402-7900 788-4585 733-0337 353-7200 466-4183 528-1500 378-8254 783-2548 Rhode Island Department of Health South Carolina Department of Labor South Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Texas Workers' Compensation Commission Utah Labor Commission Vermont Department of Labor and Industry Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Washington Department of Labor and Industries West Virginia Department of Labor Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Wyoming Bureau of Labor Statistics (401) 277-2812 (803) 734-4298 (312) 353-7200 TECHNICAL NOTES (615) (512) (801) (802) (804) (360) (304) (608) (816) 741-1749 804-4651 530-6823 828-2195 786-6427 902-5510 558-7890 266-7850 426-2483 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 1999 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 934. 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 102 fatal work injuries in 1999; 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 19 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 certain industries or activities such as coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and highway, 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 and various agencies within the Department of Transportation. Fatalities occurring in activities regulated by federal agencies other than OSHA accounted for about 16 percent of the fatal work injuries in 1999. 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 19 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting for about 2 percent of the fatalities; and state and local government employees in states without OSHA-approved safety programs, which accounted for about 3 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. Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1994-99 Event or exposure(1) Fatalities 1994-98 Average 1998(2) Number 1999 Number Percent Total Transportation incidents Highway Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment Moving in same direction Moving in opposite directions, oncoming Moving in intersection Vehicle struck stationary object or equipment Noncollision Jackknifed or overturned--no collision Nonhighway (farm, industrial premises) Overturned Aircraft Worker struck by a vehicle Water vehicle Rail vehicle 6,280 2,640 1,374 6,055 2,645 1,442 6,023 2,613 1,491 100 43 25 662 113 707 120 711 129 12 2 240 136 272 143 269 160 4 3 272 368 307 375 334 388 6 6 280 302 321 5 387 215 304 382 104 78 388 217 224 413 112 60 353 206 227 377 102 56 6 3 4 6 2 1 Assaults and violent acts Homicides Shooting Stabbing Other Self-inflicted injuries 1,168 923 748 68 107 215 962 714 574 61 79 221 893 645 506 60 79 208 15 11 8 1 1 3 984 564 364 60 944 520 319 59 1,029 585 358 55 17 10 6 1 281 266 302 5 148 129 163 3 124 140 128 2 686 609 101 146 89 53 706 625 111 157 98 51 717 634 96 153 92 66 12 11 2 3 2 1 576 334 529 278 9 5 153 48 124 50 2 1 Contact with objects and equipment Struck by object Struck by falling object Struck by flying object Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects Caught in running equipment or machinery Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials Falls Fall to lower level Fall from ladder Fall from roof Fall from scaffold Fall on same level Exposure to harmful substances or environments 583 Contact with electric current 322 Contact with overhead powerlines 136 Contact with temperature extremes 45 Exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances Inhalation of substance Oxygen deficiency Drowning, submersion 105 48 87 75 106 55 93 75 2 1 2 1 199 206 216 4 21 16 26 - Fires and explosions 118 66 96 77 Other events or exposures(3) 1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structures. 2 The BLS news release issued Aug. 4, 1999, reported a total of 6,026 fatal work injuries for calendar year 1998. Since then, an additional 29 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related fatality count for 1998 to 6,055. 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1994-99. Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or exposure, 1999 Occupation(1) Fatalities Number Total..................| | Managerial and | professional specialty..| Executive, | administrative, and | managerial...........| Professional specialty.| | Technical, sales, and | administrative support..| Technicians and related| support occupations...| Airplane pilots and | navigators..........| Sales occupations......| Supervisors and | proprietors, sales | occupations.........| Sales workers, retail| and personal | services............| Cashiers...........| Administrative support | occupations, including| clerical..............| | Service occupations......| 6,023 597 371 226 610 158 94 356 140 144 55 96 468 Major event or exposure(2) (percent of total for occupation) Percent | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 100 10 6 4 10 3 2 6 2 2 1 2 8 Highway | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 25 24 22 27 27 16 28 13 27 - 44 20 Homicide | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 19 26 8 32 49 62 51 80 19 33 Struck by object | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 4 5 3 2 3 2 4 - 1 Fall to lower level | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 7 8 6 3 3 2 2 - 4 9 Protective service | occupations...........| Firefighting and fire| prevention | occupations, | including | supervisors.........| Police and | detectives, | including | supervisors.........| Guards, including | supervisors.........| | Farming, forestry, and | fishing.................| Farming operators and | managers..............| Farmers, except | horticultural.......| Managers, farms, | except horitcultural| Other agricultural and | related occupations...| Farm workers, | including | supervisors.........| Forestry and logging | occupations...........| Timber cutting and | logging occupations.| Fishers, hunters, and | trappers..............| Fishers, including | vessel captains and | officers............| | Precision production, | craft, and repair.......| Mechanics and repairers| Construction trades....| Carpenters and | apprentices.........| Electricians and | apprentices.........| Painters.............| Roofers..............| Structural metal | workers.............| | Operators, fabricators, | and laborers............| Machine operators, | assemblers, and | inspectors............| Transportation and | material moving | occupations...........| Motor vehicle | operators...........| Truck drivers......| Driver-sales | 261 57 132 72 897 362 233 118 335 206 122 102 78 78 1,142 353 633 103 105 38 59 43 2,194 216 1,320 1,063 898 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 1 2 1 15 6 4 2 6 3 2 2 1 1 19 6 11 2 2 1 1 1 36 4 22 18 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 26 18 39 10 13 13 13 13 18 22 6 4 - - 11 12 11 6 15 5 - 37 5 56 67 70 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 32 - 36 50 2 1 4 4 - - 3 7 1 - 5 4 6 8 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 - - 21 15 17 10 14 9 67 73 - - 12 19 7 13 4 19 10 14 7 5 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 5 4 5 3 3 4 8 4 3 3 - - 28 13 39 48 12 68 85 77 8 15 2 2 2 workers...........| Taxicab drivers and| chauffeurs........| Material moving | equipment operators.| Handlers, equipment | cleaners, helpers, and| laborers..............| Construction laborers| Laborers, except | construction........| | Military.................| 42 74 205 658 341 193 80 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 1 3 11 6 3 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 79 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 28 14 11 11 11 24 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 69 - 4 6 - 14 14 14 16 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 17 25 10 - 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 35 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1999. Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1999 Industry Fatalities Employment(2) --------------------------------------(in thousands) 1994-98 1998 1999 -------------------Average (revised) Number Percent Number Percent Total..................| | Private industry.........| | Agriculture, forestry | and fishing...........| Agricultural | production - crops..| Agricultural | production | livestock...........| Agricultural services| | Mining.................| Coal mining..........| Oil and gas | extraction..........| | Construction...........| General building | contractors.........| Heavy construction, | except building.....| SIC Code(1) 01 02 07 12 13 15 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,280 5,625 826 379 170 168 159 37 84 1,082 191 253 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,055 5,457 840 380 174 170 147 30 76 1,174 213 272 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6,023 5,461 807 350 163 164 121 35 50 1,190 183 280 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 100 91 13 6 3 3 2 1 1 20 3 5 | 134,666 | | | | 114,570 | | | | | | 3,349 | | | | 955 | | | | | | 993 | | 1,317 | | | | 563 | | 84 | | | | 329 | | | | 8,479 | | | | - | | | | - | 100 85 2 1 1 1 6 - Special trades | contractors.........| | Manufacturing..........| Food and kindred | products............| Lumber and wood | products............| | Transportation and | public utilities......| Local and interurban | passenger | transportation......| Trucking and | warehousing.........| Transportation by air| Electric, gas, and | sanitary services...| | Wholesale trade........| | Retail trade...........| Food stores..........| Automotive dealers | and service stations| Eating and drinking | places..............| | Finance, insurance, and| real estate...........| | Services...............| Business services....| Automotive repair, | services, and | parking.............| | Government...............| | Federal (including | resident armed forces)| State..................| Local..................| Police protection......| 17 20 24 41 42 45 49 54 55 58 73 75 9221 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 629 733 75 191 948 100 528 90 88 253 683 187 116 155 109 773 203 111 656 204 126 319 104 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 680 698 72 172 911 85 564 74 83 229 570 135 120 107 92 763 196 133 598 162 136 296 102 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 709 719 83 190 1,006 102 605 74 86 237 507 115 82 145 105 732 161 132 562 147 108 301 91 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 12 1 3 17 2 10 1 1 4 8 2 1 2 2 12 3 2 9 2 2 5 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - | | 19,994 | | 1,643 | | 824 | | | 7,947 | | | 593 | | 2,679 | 864 | | 1,029 | | 5,173 | | 22,300 | 3,511 | | 2,238 | | 6,718 | | | 8,610 | | 38,240 | 6,756 | | | 1,576 | | 20,096 | | | 4,427 | 5,237 | 10,433 | - | 1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition. 2 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older from the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense. 3 Includes fatalities to workers employed by government 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 37 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: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1994-99. 15 1 1 6 2 1 1 4 17 3 2 5 6 28 5 2 15 3 4 8 - Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 1999 Characteristics Fatalities Number Total Percent Employment (in thousands)(1) Number Percent Most frequent events(2) (percent of total) 6,023 100 134,666 100 Highway (25), falls (12) 4,884 1,139 81 19 124,445 10,221 92 8 Highway (27), falls (13) Highway (14), homicides (14) 5,582 441 93 7 72,457 62,209 54 46 Highway (24), falls (12) Highway (34), homicides (29) 26 46 122 450 1,171 1,499 1,326 814 559 1 2 7 19 25 22 14 9 2,796 4,494 13,242 31,280 36,983 28,671 13,317 3,883 2 3 10 24 28 21 10 3 Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway Highway 4,990 626 83 10 113,023 15,284 84 11 Highway (26), falls (12) Highway (23), homicides (19) 57 1 - - Highway (18), falls (14) 191 3 - - Homicides (46), highway (13) 159 3 - - Highway (20), falls and homicides 725 12 13,811 12 Highway (21), falls (16) Employee status Wage and salary workers Self-employed(3) Sex Men Women Age(4) Under 16 16 to 17 18 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 years years years years years years years years years and over (35), (28), (26), (26), (24), (24), (25), (25), (23), nonhighway (19) homicides (17) struck by object (11) homicides (11) homicides (12) falls (13) homicides (12) falls (14) nonhighway (16) Race White Black American Indian, Aleut, Eskimo Asian, Pacific Islander Other or not reported (13) Hispanic origin Hispanic(5) 1 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense. 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 10 fatalities for which age was not reported. 5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. 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, 1999. Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 1999 Fatalities(1) State of injury Event or exposure(2) (percent of state total for 1999) Trans- Assaults Contact with portation and objects violent and Exposure to harmful Fires 1998 1999 Falls sub and (revised) in- stances explosiocidents(3) acts(4) equipment or ns environments Total(5) 4 Northeast 5 Connecticut Maine Massachusetts 15 New Hampshire New Jersey New York (incl. N.Y.C.) 2 New York City 3 Pennsylvania 7 Rhode Island Vermont Midwest 4 Illinois 4 Indiana 3 Iowa 8 Kansas Michigan 10 6,055 6,023 43 15 17 12 9 853 756 36 18 15 17 8 57 38 34 34 13 11 - 26 32 50 9 22 9 - 44 82 32 10 13 24 6 23 14 36 21 - - - 103 103 34 17 17 21 9 243 241 30 25 12 18 11 94 120 13 44 8 22 8 235 221 41 12 18 15 5 12 11 36 - - - 27 16 14 43 29 - - - 1,340 1,417 44 12 20 11 9 216 208 34 17 19 14 11 155 171 46 15 16 12 7 68 80 52 - 26 4 10 98 81 49 5 23 12 6 179 182 34 15 18 13 10 Minnesota Missouri 3 Nebraska 5 North Dakota Ohio 2 South Dakota Wisconsin 3 South 3 Alabama 8 Arkansas 8 Delaware District of Columbia Florida 2 Georgia 3 Kentucky 3 Louisiana 4 Maryland Mississippi North Carolina 2 Oklahoma 5 South Carolina 6 Tennessee 4 Texas 3 Virginia 3 West Virginia West 2 Alaska Arizona California 3 88 72 65 7 17 7 4 145 164 48 11 19 10 10 56 65 51 9 26 6 - 24 22 36 - 41 - - 186 222 43 12 20 15 9 28 45 58 7 16 - 13 97 105 45 11 22 10 10 2,619 2,565 44 15 16 11 10 135 123 38 10 22 11 10 86 76 49 8 12 5 17 11 14 36 29 - - - 13 14 21 21 - 36 - 384 345 39 17 15 16 10 202 229 44 17 16 10 9 117 120 49 14 18 8 7 159 141 39 9 26 8 16 78 82 40 29 12 11 6 113 128 52 6 20 14 6 228 222 43 19 14 11 10 75 99 44 14 13 11 12 111 139 53 16 9 9 8 150 154 49 12 18 8 8 523 468 44 15 15 12 12 177 154 42 17 12 12 13 57 57 35 12 33 9 9 1,334 1,264 46 16 17 11 6 43 42 74 7 12 - - 74 70 39 23 24 4 9 626 591 44 19 14 12 7 Colorado 4 Hawaii Idaho Montana 6 Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming - 77 98 47 18 15 10 5 12 32 28 56 - - - 51 43 44 9 23 12 7 58 49 45 10 29 6 - 60 57 37 18 19 18 7 48 39 54 13 10 13 - 72 69 52 7 26 7 7 67 54 56 6 24 11 - 113 88 49 9 19 15 7 33 32 56 - 28 9 - 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 homicides, self-inflicted injuries, and animal attacks. 5 Includes 21 fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the United States in 1999. 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, 1998-99. Table 6. State CFOI participating state agencies and telephone numbers Agency Telephone number Alabama Department of Labor Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Arizona Industrial Commission of Arizona Arkansas Department of Labor California Department of Industrial Relations Colorado Department of Public Health Connecticut Labor Department Delaware Department of Labor District of Columbia Center for Health Statistics Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security (334) (907) (602) (501) (415) (303) (860) (302) (202) (850) 242-3460 465-4539 542-3739 682-4542 703-4757 692-2173 566-4380 761-8223 442-5922 922-8953 Georgia Department of Labor Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Idaho Industrial Commission Illinois Department of Public Health Indiana Department of Labor Iowa Department of Labor Services Kansas Department of Health and Environment Kentucky Labor Cabinet Louisiana Department of Labor Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (404) (808) (208) (217) (317) (515) (785) (502) (225) (207) 656-2966 586-9001 334-6090 785-1873 232-2668 281-5151 296-1058 564-3070 342-3126 624-6440 Maryland Division of Labor and Industry Massachusetts Department of Public Health Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Mississippi Department of Health Missouri Department of Health Montana Department of Labor and Industry Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court Nevada Division of Industrial Relations New Hampshire Department of Public Health (410) (617) (517) (651) (601) (573) (406) (402) (775) (603) 767-2356 624-5628 322-5258 296-3885 576-7400 571-6155 444-3297 471-3547 687-3298 271-4647 New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau New York State Department of Health New York City Department of Health North Carolina Department of Labor North Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics Ohio Department of Health Oklahoma Department of Labor Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services Pennsylvania Department of Health (609) (505) (518) (212) (919) (312) (614) (405) (503) (717) 984-1863 827-4230 402-7900 788-4585 733-0337 353-7200 466-4183 528-1500 378-8254 783-2548 Rhode Island Department of Health South Carolina Department of Labor South Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Texas Workers' Compensation Commission Utah Labor Commission Vermont Department of Labor and Industry Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Washington Department of Labor and Industries West Virginia Department of Labor Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Wyoming Bureau of Labor Statistics (401) 277-2812 (803) 734-4298 (312) 353-7200 (615) (512) (801) (802) (804) (360) (304) (608) (816) 741-1749 804-4651 530-6823 828-2195 786-6427 902-5510 558-7890 266-7850 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 1999 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 934. 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 102 fatal work injuries in 1999; 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 19 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 certain industries or activities such as coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and highway, 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 and various agencies within the Department of Transportation. Fatalities occurring in activities regulated by federal agencies other than OSHA accounted for about 16 percent of the fatal work injuries in 1999. 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 19 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting for about 2 percent of the fatalities; and state and local government employees in states without OSHA-approved safety programs, which accounted for about 3 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.