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 USDL 03-488
Media information: (202) 691-5902 FOR RELEASE: 10 a.m. EDT
Internet address: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm Wednesday, September 17, 2003
National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries 2002
A total of 5,524 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2002, a decline of 6.6 percent from
2001, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The count for 2002 was the lowest ever recorded
by the fatality census, which has been conducted yearly since 1992. The fatality rate
also reached a new low of 4.0 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers in 2002.
In 2001, 5,915 fatal work injuries occurred, excluding the 2,886 work-related fatalities
that resulted from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which were tabulated separately. The
comparisons in this release do not include the fatalities related to the terrorist attacks.
Profile of 2002 fatal work injuries by type of incident
Fatal highway incidents were down 3 percent from 2001, but continued to be the most frequent
type of fatal workplace event in 2002, accounting for about a quarter of all fatal work
injuries. Other types of fatal transportation events also declined, including aircraft
incidents (down 22 percent) and workers struck by vehicle or mobile equipment
(down 7 percent). Overall, fatal work injuries from transportation incidents declined for
the fourth year in a row, from 2,645 in 1998 to 2,381 in 2002.
Workplace homicides were down about 5 percent in 2002, from 643 in 2001 to 609 in 2002.
The number of workplace homicides in 2002 was the lowest recorded in the fatality census
and represented a 44 percent decline from the high of 1,080 workplace homicides recorded in
1994. Workplace suicides also were down in 2002.
Fatalities resulting from falls declined for the first time since 1998, from 810 in 2001 to
714 in 2002, a drop of 12 percent. Virtually all types of fatal falls declined in 2002,
though falls from ladders and falls from nonmoving vehicles increased slightly.
The only major fatality event recording an increase was exposure to harmful substances or
environments (up 8 percent). The increase in this event category was led by a sharp
increase in the number of fatalities involving contact with temperature extremes (such
as heat stroke), which increased from 35 fatalities in 2001 to 60 in 2002. Electrocutions
also increased slightly in 2002.
Profile of fatal work injuries by industry
Construction continued to record the highest number of fatal injuries of any major
industry, although the total for construction was down 9 percent from the series high
recorded in 2001. Fatal work injuries in mining also were lower, due to declines in coal
mining and in oil and gas extraction. Fatal work injuries in manufacturing, transportation
and public utilities, retail and wholesale trade, services, and government also declined from
2001 levels.
Fatal work injuries in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry increased about 6
percent in 2002, due to increases in forestry and in agricultural crop production
fatalities. Fatal work injuries in commercial fishing--historically one of the more hazardous
industries--were down sharply, from 60 in 2001 to 31 in 2002.
Rates of fatal work injury in 2002 were highest in the mining, agriculture/forestry/fishing,
construction, and transportation/public utilities industries. The mining industry recorded
a rate of 23.5 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers in 2002, the highest of any major
industry, but down about 22 percent from the rate recorded in 2001. Fatal work injury
rates for all other major industries also were down in 2002, except in finance, insurance,
and real estate (unchanged) and in transportation and public utilities (up slightly).
Profile of fatal work injuries by occupation
Operators, fabricators, and laborers accounted for 1,895 fatal work injuries in 2002, the
most of any major occupational group and about a third of the fatal work injuries reported
in 2002. However, the number of fatalities for this occupational group declined for the
third consecutive year and was down about 7 percent from 2001. Fatal work injuries among
machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors were down sharply in 2002, and fatalities
involving transportation and material moving occupations also were lower.
Fatal work injuries among construction laborers also declined in 2002, from a series high
of 350 in 2001 to 302 fatalities in 2002--a decline of 14 percent. However, fatalities
among laborers, except construction, were higher by about 8 percent in 2002. Overall,
fatalities in handler, equipment cleaner, helper, and laborer occupations were down
about 10 percent. Truck drivers--who had more fatal injuries than any other individual
occupation-- recorded 808 fatal work injuries, a slight increase from the 802 fatalities
recorded in 2001.
Precision production, craft, and repair workers accounted for 1,104 fatal work injuries in
2002 or about one-fifth of the overall total. While fatal work injuries in this
occupational group were down about 3 percent overall in 2002, fatalities in the
construction trades sub-group were slightly higher. The 682 fatal work injuries in the
construction trades in 2002 was the highest recorded by the fatality census for that group.
Roofers, electricians, brick masons, and painters were among the construction trades
recording increases in 2002. Mechanics and repairers recorded a lower number of fatal
work injuries in 2002, and fatalities involving extractive occupations were down 40 percent
in 2002.
Service occupations also recorded fewer fatal work injuries in 2002 than in 2001
(down 6 percent), as did managerial and professional specialty occupations (down 20 percent)
and technical, sales, and administrative support occupations (down 7 percent). The number
of fatal work injuries in farming, forestry, and fishing, however, increased from 804 in
2001 to 840 in 2002, a rise of about 4 percent. In that group, forestry and logging workers,
groundskeepers, farm workers, and farming operators/ managers were among the occupations
recording increases.
Rates of fatal injury were down for all major occupational categories in 2002. However, a
few smaller occupational groups recorded higher rates in 2002, including construction trades,
forestry and logging occupations, and water transportation occupations.
Profile of fatal work injuries by demographic characteristics
Fatal work injuries were down in almost every demographic category-- men and women, wage
and salary and self-employed workers, and virtually all age groups. Fatal work injuries
among workers 19 years of age and under went from 175 in 2001 to 133 in 2002, a decline of
24 percent.
Fatal work injuries among white, non-Hispanic workers were down about 6 percent. Fatal work
injuries among Hispanic workers, which had been rising each year since 1995, also were down
by 6 percent in 2002. However, the 840 fatal work injuries recorded for Hispanic workers in
2002 accounted for the second highest annual total for that population. Among black workers,
a total of 491 fatalities were recorded� the lowest annual count ever for that population.
Profile of fatal work injuries by state
Thirty states and the District of Columbia had fewer fatal work injuries in 2002 than in
2001. Two states (New Jersey and North Dakota) had the same number of fatalities in both
2001 and 2002, and the remaining 18 states reported increases. Nine states reported series
lows in 2002.
For more detailed state results, contact the individual state agency responsible for the
collection of CFOI data in that state. A list of those agencies, with telephone numbers,
is provided in table 6.
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.
The program 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 11th 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 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
work time and presents frequency counts and incidence rates by industry. Copies of the
news release on nonfatal injuries and illnesses in 2001 are available from BLS by
calling (202) 691-6179 or by accessing the website listed below. Incidence rates for 2002
by industry will be published in December 2003, and information on 2002 worker and case
characteristics will be available in the spring of 2004. For additional data, access the
BLS Internet site: http://www.bls.gov/iif/.
To request a copy of BLS Report 970 which highlights 2001 fatality results and includes a
summary of the work-related fatalities that resulted from the terrorist events of
September 11, 2001, e-mail your address to CFOIstaff@bls.gov or write to Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Room 3180, Washington, DC 20212.
Chart 1. The three most frequent work-related fatal events, 1992-2002
Chart 2. Numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries by industry division, 2002
Chart 3. Numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, 2002
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure,
1997-2002
_________________________________________________________________
|
| Fatalities
_______________________________________
|
| | |
Event or exposure(1) | | 2001(2) | 2002
_____________________________
| 1997- | |
| 2001 | | |
| Average | Number | Number | Percent
_________________________________________________________________
| | | |
| | | |
Total..................| 6,036 | 5,915 | 5,524 | 100
| | | |
Transportation incidents.| 2,593 | 2,524 | 2,381 | 43
Highway................| 1,421 | 1,409 | 1,372 | 25
Collision between | | | |
vehicles, mobile | | | |
equipment...........| 697 | 727 | 635 | 11
Moving in same | | | |
direction.........| 126 | 142 | 155 | 3
Moving in opposite | | | |
directions, | | | |
oncoming..........| 254 | 257 | 202 | 4
Moving in | | | |
intersection......| 148 | 138 | 145 | 3
Vehicle struck | | | |
stationary object or| | | |
equipment...........| 300 | 297 | 326 | 6
Noncollision.........| 369 | 339 | 373 | 7
Jack-knifed or | | | |
overturned--no | | | |
collision.........| 300 | 273 | 312 | 6
Nonhighway (farm, | | | |
industrial premises)..| 368 | 326 | 322 | 6
Overturned...........| 202 | 158 | 164 | 3
Aircraft...............| 248 | 247 | 192 | 3
Worker struck by a | | | |
vehicle...............| 382 | 383 | 356 | 6
Water vehicle..........| 99 | 90 | 71 | 1
Rail vehicle...........| 68 | 62 | 64 | 1
| | | |
Assaults and violent acts| 964 | 908 | 840 | 15
Homicides..............| 709 | 643 | 609 | 11
Shooting.............| 567 | 509 | 469 | 8
Stabbing.............| 64 | 58 | 58 | 1
Other, including | | | |
bombing.............| 78 | 76 | 82 | 1
Self-inflicted injury..| 221 | 230 | 199 | 4
| | | |
| | | |
Contact with objects and | | | |
equipment...............| 995 | 962 | 873 | 16
Struck by object.......| 562 | 553 | 506 | 9
Struck by falling | | | |
object..............| 352 | 343 | 303 | 5
Struck by flying | | | |
object..............| 58 | 60 | 38 | 1
Caught in or compressed| | | |
by equipment or | | | |
objects...............| 290 | 266 | 231 | 4
Caught in running | | | |
equipment or | | | |
machinery...........| 156 | 144 | 110 | 2
Caught in or crushed in| | | |
collapsing materials..| 126 | 122 | 116 | 2
| | | |
Falls....................| 737 | 810 | 714 | 13
Fall to lower level....| 654 | 700 | 634 | 11
Fall from ladder.....| 111 | 123 | 126 | 2
Fall from roof.......| 155 | 159 | 143 | 3
Fall from scaffold, | | | |
staging.............| 91 | 91 | 87 | 2
Fall on same level.....| 61 | 84 | 63 | 1
| | | |
Exposure to harmful | | | |
substances or | | | |
environments............| 529 | 499 | 538 | 10
Contact with electric | | | |
current...............| 291 | 285 | 289 | 5
Contact with overhead| | | |
power lines.........| 134 | 124 | 122 | 2
Contact with | | | |
temperature extremes..| 41 | 35 | 60 | 1
Exposure to caustic, | | | |
noxious, or allergenic| | | |
substances............| 106 | 96 | 98 | 2
| | | |
Inhalation of | | | |
substance...........| 52 | 49 | 49 | 1
Oxygen deficiency......| 89 | 83 | 90 | 2
Drowning, submersion.| 71 | 59 | 60 | 1
| | | |
Fires and explosions.....| 197 | 188 | 165 | 3
| | | |
Other events or | | | |
exposures(3)............| 21 | 24 | 13 | -
_________________________________________________________________
1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness
Classification Structures.
2 The BLS news release, issued September 25th, 2002, reported a total
of 5,9000 fatal work injuries for calendar year 2001. Since then,
an additional 15 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing
the total job-related fatality count for 2001 to 5,915. Totals for 2001
exclude fatalities from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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. Dash indicates less than 0.5 percent.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies,
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1997-2002.
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 2002
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| | Fatalities |
| | |
| __________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
Industry | SIC | 1997- | | | |
| code(1) | 2001 | 2001(2) | 2002 | |
| | average |(revised)| | 2002(3) | 2002
| | |_________|___________________|Employment| Fatalities
| | | | | | | per
| | | | | | (000's) | 100,000
| | | | | | | employed(4)
| | Number | Number | Number | Percent | |
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
Total..................| | 6,036 | 5,915 | 5,524 | 100 | 137,700 | 4.0
| | | | | | |
Private industry.........| | 5,438 | 5,281 | 4,970 | 90 | 116,863 | 4.2
| | | | | | |
Agriculture, forestry | | | | | | |
and fishing...........| | 790 | 741 | 789 | 14 | 3,417 | 22.7
Agricultural | | | | | | |
production - crops..| 01 | 337 | 301 | 338 | 6 | 899 | 37.0
Agricultural | | | | | | |
production - | | | | | | |
livestock...........| 02 | 156 | 129 | 129 | 2 | 989 | 12.5
Agricultural services| 07 | 183 | 191 | 198 | 4 | 1,437 | 13.8
| | | | | | |
Mining(5)..............| | 151 | 170 | 121 | 2 | 515 | 23.5
Coal mining..........| 12 | 36 | 42 | 25 | - | 87 | 28.7
Oil and gas | | | | | | |
extraction..........| 13 | 78 | 98 | 71 | 1 | 308 | 23.1
| | | | | | |
Construction...........| | 1,171 | 1,226 | 1,121 | 20 | 9,163 | 12.2
General building | | | | | | |
contractors.........| 15 | 193 | 202 | 189 | 3 | - | -
Heavy construction, | | | | | | |
except building.....| 16 | 271 | 267 | 246 | 4 | - | -
Special trades | | | | | | |
contractors.........| 17 | 689 | 735 | 661 | 12 | - | -
| | | | | | |
Manufacturing..........| | 686 | 598 | 563 | 10 | 18,072 | 3.1
Food and kindred | | | | | | |
products............| 20 | 72 | 57 | 64 | 1 | 1,640 | 3.9
Lumber and wood | | | | | | |
products............| 24 | 180 | 151 | 142 | 3 | 706 | 20.1
| | | | | | |
Transportation and | | | | | | |
public utilities......| | 960 | 915 | 910 | 16 | 8,060 | 11.3
Local and interurban | | | | | | |
passenger | | | | | | |
transportation......| 41 | 91 | 80 | 60 | 1 | 683 | 8.8
Trucking and | | | | | | |
warehousing.........| 42 | 569 | 536 | 584 | 11 | 2,777 | 21.0
Transportation by air| 45 | 83 | 85 | 71 | 1 | 800 | 8.9
Electric, gas, and | | | | | | |
sanitary services...| 49 | 86 | 88 | 81 | 1 | - | -
| | | | | | |
Wholesale trade........| | 232 | 220 | 205 | 4 | 5,065 | 4.0
| | | | | | |
Retail trade...........| | 577 | 538 | 487 | 9 | 22,900 | 2.1
Food stores..........| 54 | 144 | 132 | 100 | 2 | - | -
Automotive dealers | | | | | | |
and service stations| 55 | 99 | 83 | 68 | 1 | - | -
Eating and drinking | | | | | | |
places..............| 58 | 138 | 148 | 126 | 2 | 7,217 | 1.7
| | | | | | |
Finance, insurance, and| | | | | | |
real estate...........| | 92 | 86 | 87 | 2 | 8,940 | 1.0
| | | | | | |
Services...............| | 753 | 772 | 680 | 12 | 40,820 | 1.7
Business services....| 73 | 186 | 192 | 165 | 3 | 7,101 | 2.3
Automotive repair, | | | | | | |
services, and | | | | | | |
parking.............| 75 | 125 | 116 | 114 | 2 | 1,597 | 7.1
| | | | | | |
Government(6)............| | 599 | 634 | 554 | 10 | 20,837 | 2.7
| | | | | | |
Federal (including | | | | | | |
resident armed forces)| | 157 | 162 | 137 | 2 | 4,493 | 3.0
State..................| | 118 | 112 | 92 | 2 | 5,711 | 1.6
Local..................| | 315 | 335 | 313 | 6 | 10,634 | 2.9
Police protection.....| 9221 | 108 | 121 | 108 | 2 | - | -
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.
2 The BLS news release, issued September 25, 2002, reported a total of 5,900 fatal work injuries
for calendar year 2001. Since then, an additional 15 job-related fatalities were identified,
bringing the total job-related fatality count for 2001 to 5,915. Totals for 2001 exclude fatalities
from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
3 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older from the
Current Population Survey, 2002, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the
Department of Defense.
4 The rate represents the number of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 employed workers
and was calculated as follows: (N/W) * 100,000, where N = the number of fatal work injuries, and
W = the number of employed workers. There were 16 fatally injured workers under the age of 16
years that were not included in the rate calculations to maintain consistency with the CPS employment.
Relative standard errors are available upon request.
5 Includes fatalities at all establishments categorized as Mining (Division B) in the
Standard and Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition, including establishments not
governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those
in Oil and Gas Extraction.
6 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 7 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine a specific
industry classification, although a distinction between private 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, New
York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1997-2002.
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and selected event or exposure, 2002
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Fatalities | Selected events or exposures(2)
| | (percent of total for occupation)
___________________________________________________________________
Occupation(1) | |
| | | | | |
| Number | Percent | Highway(3)| Homicide | Struck by | Fall to
| | | | | object |lower level
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Total..................| 5,524 | 100 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 11
| | | | | |
Managerial and | | | | | |
professional specialty..| 513 | 9 | 23 | 20 | 4 | 7
Executive, | | | | | |
administrative, and | | | | | |
managerial...........| 319 | 6 | 23 | 27 | 5 | 8
Managers, food | | | | | |
serving and lodging | | | | | |
establishments......| 46 | 1 | 7 | 80 | - | -
Professional specialty.| 194 | 4 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 6
| | | | | |
Technical, sales, and | | | | | |
administrative support..| 595 | 11 | 22 | 35 | 3 | 3
Technicians and related| | | | | |
support occupations...| 155 | 3 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 2
Airplane pilots and | | | | | |
navigators..........| 90 | 2 | - | - | - | -
Sales occupations......| 347 | 6 | 20 | 52 | 3 | 4
Supervisors and | | | | | |
proprietors, sales | | | | | |
occupations.........| 162 | 3 | 12 | 61 | 4 | -
Sales workers, retail| | | | | |
and personal | | | | | |
services............| 132 | 2 | 17 | 58 | - | 4
Cashiers...........| 47 | 1 | - | 85 | - | -
Administrative support | | | | | |
occupations, including| | | | | |
clerical..............| 93 | 2 | 42 | 24 | - | -
| | | | | |
Service occupations......| 483 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 3 | 6
Protective service | | | | | |
occupations...........| 272 | 5 | 30 | 35 | 3 | -
Firefighting | | | | | |
occupations, | | | | | |
including | | | | | |
supervisors.......| 52 | 1 | 38 | - | - | -
Police and | | | | | |
detectives, | | | | | |
including | | | | | |
supervisors.........| 140 | 3 | 34 | 41 | - | -
Guards, including | | | | | |
supervisors.........| 80 | 1 | 16 | 46 | - | -
Cleaning and building | | | | | |
service...............| 92 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 7 | 25
| | | | | |
Farming, forestry, and | | | | | |
fishing.................| 840 | 15 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 7
Farm operators and | | | | | |
managers..............| 337 | 6 | 14 | - | 17 | 4
Farmers, except | | | | | |
horticultural.......| 306 | 6 | 13 | - | 18 | 4
Other agricultural and | | | | | |
related occupations...| 366 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 13 | 11
Farm occupations, | | | | | |
except managerial...| 198 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 4
Farm workers.......| 183 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 4
Related agricultural | | | | | |
occupations.........| 168 | 3 | 11 | - | 17 | 20
Groundskeepers and | | | | | |
gardeners, except | | | | | |
farm..............| 146 | 3 | 12 | - | 17 | 22
Forestry and logging | | | | | |
occupations...........| 104 | 2 | 19 | - | 62 | -
Timber cutting and | | | | | |
logging occupations.| 72 | 1 | 6 | - | 74 | -
Fishers, hunters, and | | | | | |
trappers..............| 33 | 1 | - | - | - | -
Fishers, including | | | | | |
vessel captains and | | | | | |
officers............| 33 | 1 | - | - | - | -
| | | | | |
Precision production, | | | | | |
craft, and repair.......| 1,104 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 28
Mechanics and repairers| 274 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 13
Construction trades....| 682 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 38
Carpenters and | | | | | |
apprentices.........| 108 | 2 | 9 | - | 6 | 56
Electricians and | | | | | |
apprentices.........| 116 | 2 | 9 | - | - | 15
Roofers..............| 87 | 2 | 9 | - | - | 68
Structural metal | | | | | |
workers.............| 39 | 1 | - | - | - | 69
Extractive occupations.| 58 | 1 | 14 | - | 14 | 10
| | | | | |
Operators, fabricators, | | | | | |
and laborers............| 1,895 | 34 | 39 | 5 | 9 | 9
Machine operators, | | | | | |
assemblers, and | | | | | |
inspectors............| 168 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 16
Transportation and | | | | | |
material moving | | | | | |
occupations...........| 1,143 | 21 | 57 | 5 | 8 | 3
Motor vehicle | | | | | |
operators...........| 952 | 17 | 67 | 6 | 6 | 3
Truck drivers......| 808 | 15 | 69 | 2 | 7 | 3
Taxicab drivers and| | | | | |
chauffeurs........| 51 | 1 | 37 | 59 | - | -
Material moving | | | | | |
equipment operators.| 153 | 3 | 7 | - | 21 | 7
Handlers, equipment | | | | | |
cleaners, helpers, and| | | | | |
laborers..............| 584 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 19
Construction laborers| 302 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 24
Laborers, except | | | | | |
construction........| 181 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 14
| | | | | |
Military(4)............| 85 | 1 | 26 | - | 7 | -
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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. Event
or exposure categories are based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Structures.
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 non passengers.
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 9 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine a
specific occupation classification.
Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are not available or data that do not meet
publication criteria.
SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state,
New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2002.
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 2002
__________________________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| Fatalities | Employment(1) |
| | (in thousands) | Most frequent events(2)
_______________________________________
Characteristics | | | (percent of total)
| | | | |
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
__________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | |
| | | | |
Total..................| 5,524 | 100 | 137,700 | 100 |Highway (25), falls (13)
| | | | |
Employee status | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Wage and salary | | | | |
workers.................| 4,472 | 81 | 127,818 | 93 |Highway (27), falls (13)
Self-employed(3).........| 1,052 | 19 | 9,882 | 7 |Homicides (15), highway (15)
| | | | |
Sex | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Men......................| 5,083 | 92 | 73,939| 54 |Highway (24), falls (13)
Women....................| 441 | 8 | 63,761| 46 |Homicides (31), highway (30)
| | | | |
Age(4) | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
Under 16 years...........| 16 | - | - | - |Nonhighway (38)
16 to 17 years...........| 25 | - | 2,333| 2 |Highway (24)
18 to 19 years...........| 92 | 2 | 4,115| 3 |Highway (27)
20 to 24 years...........| 435 | 8 | 13,753| 10 |Highway (24), falls (11)
25 to 34 years...........| 1,020 | 18 | 30,711| 22 |Highway (24), homicides (14)
35 to 44 years...........| 1,402 | 25 | 35,486| 26 |Highway (26), homicides (12)
45 to 54 years...........| 1,250 | 23 | 31,319| 23 |Highway (24)
55 to 64 years...........| 783 | 14 | 15,676| 11 |Highway (27), falls (15)
65 years and over........| 494 | 9 | 4,306| 3 |Highway (23), falls (18)
| | | | |
Race or ethnic origin(5) | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
White....................| 3,917 | 71 | 99,256| 72 |Highway (26), falls (13)
Black or African American| 491 | 9 | 14,064| 10 |Highway (27), homicides (23)
Hispanic or Latino.......| 840 | 15 | 16,699| 12 |Highway (21), falls (16)
American Indian or | | | | |
Alaskan Native..........| 40 | 1 | - | - |Highway (30)
Asian....................| 131 | 2 | - | - |Homicides (40), highway (15)
Native Hawaiian or | | | | |
Pacific Islander........| 9 | - | - | - |Highway (56)
Other races or not | | | | |
reported................| 92 | 2 | - | - |Homicides (28), highway (23)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older
from the Current Populatin Survey, 2002, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from
the Deparment of Defense.
2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structures. "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. "Nonhighay" includes transport related deaths
of vehicle occupants that occur or originate entirely off the road. Incidents involving trains;
and deaths to pedestrians or other non passengers 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 7 fatalities for which age was not reported.
5 The categories "White" and "Black or African American" do not include "Hispanic or Latino" persons.
Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
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, New York City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries, 2002.
Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 2002
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| Total |
| Fatalities(1) | Event or exposure(2) (Percent of state total for 2002)
_______________________________________________________________________________
| |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Exposure|
| | | Trans- | | Contact | | to |
State of injury | | |portation| Assaults| with | | harmful| Fires
| 2001(3) | 2002(4) | in- | and | objects | Falls | sub | and
|(revised)| |cidents(-| violent | and | | stances |explosions
| | | 5) | acts(6) |equipment| | or |
| | | | | | | environ-|
| | | | | | | ments |
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Total..................| 5,915 | 5,524 | 43 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 3
| | | | | | | |
Northeast................| 724 | 708 | 38 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 8 | 4
Connecticut............| 41 | 39 | 46 | 18 | 13 | - | - | -
Maine..................| 23 | 30 | 83 | - | - | - | - | -
Massachusetts..........| 54 | 46 | 30 | 20 | 24 | 20 | - | -
New Hampshire..........| 9 | 19 | 47 | - | 26 | - | - | -
New Jersey.............| 129 | 129 | 36 | 22 | 10 | 16 | 11 | 5
New York (inc. N.Y.C.).| 220 | 238 | 30 | 24 | 17 | 19 | 7 | 4
New York City........| 100 | 100 | 16 | 36 | 15 | 25 | 7 | -
Pennsylvania...........| 225 | 188 | 41 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 4
Rhode Island...........| 17 | 8 | - | 62 | - | - | - | -
Vermont................| 6 | 11 | - | - | - | - | - | -
Midwest..................| 1,371 | 1,315 | 41 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 3
Illinois...............| 231 | 190 | 31 | 23 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 4
Indiana................| 152 | 136 | 40 | 17 | 22 | 7 | 12 | -
Iowa...................| 62 | 56 | 38 | - | 29 | 18 | 11 | -
Kansas.................| 94 | 89 | 43 | 10 | 22 | 11 | 10 | -
Michigan...............| 175 | 151 | 31 | 23 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 3
Minnesota..............| 76 | 81 | 54 | - | 21 | 10 | 10 | -
Missouri...............| 145 | 175 | 47 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 3
Nebraska...............| 57 | 83 | 52 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 7 | -
North Dakota...........| 25 | 25 | 64 | - | - | - | - | -
Ohio...................| 209 | 202 | 39 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 9 | -
South Dakota...........| 35 | 36 | 56 | - | 25 | - | - | -
Wisconsin..............| 110 | 91 | 40 | 14 | 22 | 10 | 11 | -
South....................| 2,519 | 2,304 | 43 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 3
Alabama................| 138 | 102 | 35 | 19 | 23 | 11 | 13 | -
Arkansas...............| 68 | 80 | 46 | 9 | 11 | 19 | 12 | -
Delaware...............| 10 | 11 | 45 | - | - | - | - | -
District of Columbia...| 11 | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | -
Florida................| 368 | 354 | 47 | 15 | 8 | 14 | 15 | -
Georgia................| 237 | 197 | 42 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 3
Kentucky...............| 105 | 146 | 48 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | -
Louisiana..............| 117 | 103 | 48 | - | 12 | 16 | 15 | 7
Maryland...............| 64 | 102 | 36 | 23 | 15 | 15 | 9 | -
Mississippi............| 111 | 94 | 49 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 6
North Carolina.........| 203 | 169 | 45 | 9 | 18 | 17 | 9 | -
Oklahoma...............| 115 | 92 | 54 | 9 | 12 | - | 10 | 10
South Carolina.........| 91 | 107 | 36 | 21 | 22 | 12 | 8 | -
Tennessee..............| 136 | 140 | 49 | 19 | 17 | 6 | 7 | -
Texas..................| 536 | 417 | 38 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 5
Virginia...............| 146 | 142 | 35 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 4
West Virginia..........| 63 | 40 | 45 | - | 32 | - | - | -
West.....................| 1,299 | 1,196 | 49 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 2
Alaska.................| 64 | 42 | 71 | - | 14 | - | - | -
Arizona................| 87 | 101 | 51 | 21 | 8 | 10 | 8 | -
California.............| 515 | 478 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 2
Colorado...............| 139 | 123 | 50 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 5 | -
Hawaii.................| 41 | 24 | 54 | - | - | - | - | -
Idaho..................| 45 | 39 | 74 | - | - | - | - | -
Montana................| 58 | 51 | 57 | - | 16 | 12 | - | -
Nevada.................| 40 | 45 | 44 | 16 | - | 18 | 13 | -
New Mexico.............| 59 | 63 | 59 | 8 | 19 | - | - | -
Oregon.................| 44 | 63 | 37 | 8 | 29 | 10 | - | 13
Utah...................| 65 | 52 | 67 | - | 10 | - | - | -
Washington.............| 102 | 83 | 46 | 7 | 25 | 13 | 8 | -
Wyoming................| 40 | 32 | 53 | - | 19 | - | - | -
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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 The BLS news release issued September 25 2002, reported a total of 5,9900 fatal work injuries for
calendar year 2001. Since then, an additional 15 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the
total job-related fatality count for 2001 to 5,915. Totals exclude fatalities resulting from the
September 11 terrorist attacks.
4 Includes 1 fatalities that occurred within the territorial boundaries of the United States, but a
State of incident could not be determined.
5 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities, and fatalities to workers struck
by vehicles.
6 Includes homicides, self-inflicted injuries, and animal attacks.
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, New York
City, District of Columbia, and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2001-2002.
Table 6. CFOI participating agencies and telephone numbers
State Agency Telephone number
Alabama Department of Labor (334) 242-3460
Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (907) 465-4539
Arizona Industrial Commission of Arizona (602) 542-3739
Arkansas Department of Labor (501) 682-4542
California Department of Industrial Relations (415) 703-4776
Colorado Department of Public Health (303) 692-2173
Connecticut Labor Department (860) 566-4380
Delaware Department of Labor (302) 761-8223
District of Columbia Center for Health Statistics (202) 442-5920
Florida Department of Financial Services (850) 922-8953 ext. 113
Georgia Department of Labor (404) 679-0687
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (808) 586-9001
Idaho Industrial Commission (208) 334-6090
Illinois Department of Public Health (217) 782-5750
Indiana Department of Labor (317) 232-2668
Iowa Division of Labor Services (515) 281-5151
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (785) 296-1058
Kentucky Labor Cabinet (502) 564-3070 ext. 281
Louisiana Department of Labor (225) 342-3126
Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (207) 624-6440
Maryland Division of Labor and Industry (410) 767-2356
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (617) 624-5627
Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (517) 322-1851
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (651) 284-5568
Mississippi Department of Health (601) 576-7186
Missouri Department of Health (573) 751-2454
Montana Department of Labor and Industry (406) 444-3297
Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court (402) 471-3547
Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (775) 684-7081
New Hampshire Department of Public Health (603) 271-4647
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (609) 984-1863
New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (505) 827-4230
New York State Department of Health (518) 402-7900
New York City Department of Health (212) 788-4585
North Carolina Department of Labor (919) 733-0337
North Dakota U.S. Department of Labor (312) 353-7253
Ohio Department of Health (614) 466-4183
Oklahoma Department of Labor (405) 528-1500
Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (503) 947-7051
Pennsylvania Department of Health (717) 783-2548
Rhode Island Department of Health (401) 222-2812
South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (803) 734-4298
South Dakota U.S. Department of Labor (312) 353-7253
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (615) 741-1749
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (512) 804 4637
Utah Labor Commission (801) 530-6823
Vermont Department of Labor and Industry (802) 828-5076
Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (804) 786-6427
Washington Department of Labor and Industries (360) 902-5512
West Virginia Department of Labor (304) 558-7890
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (608) 266-7850
Wyoming Department of Employment, Research and Planning (307) 473-3819
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 2002 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, asphyxiation, 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 is not reported in the BLS census and
is excluded from the attached tables because the latency period of many occupational
illnesses and the difficulty of linking illnesses to work exposures make identification
of a universe problematic.
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 and other non-governmental 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
In 2002, there were 108 cases included for which work relationship could not be
independently verified; 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 28 fatalities submitted
by states were not included because the initiating source document had insufficient
information to determine work relationship and 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 final data are issued. Over the last 5 years, increases in
the published counts based on additional information have averaged less than 20 fatalities
per year or less than 0.3 percent of the revised total. The BLS news release issued
September 25, 2002, reported a total of 5,900 fatal work injuries for 2001 (excluding
work-related fatalities resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11). Since then,
an additional 15 fatal work injuries were identified, bringing the total for 2001 to 5,915.
Beginning in 2004, BLS will release final updated numbers earlier than in past years.
Previously, updated numbers were released along with the following year�s data in the
annual news release. Updated numbers will now be released on the BLS internet in the late
spring, or about 3 or 4 months earlier than in past years.
Federal/state agency coverage
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether
the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was 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 by each agency.
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 the nation'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 15 percent
of the fatal work injuries in 2002.
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 1 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, New York City, and the District of
Columbia 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; 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.