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Media information: (202) 691-5902 FOR RELEASE: 10 a.m. EDT
Internet address: http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm Wednesday, August 20, 2008
NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2007
A total of 5,488 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2007, a decrease of 6 percent from the
revised total of 5,840 fatal work injuries reported for 2006. While these results are considered preliminary, this figure
represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first
conducted in 1992. Final results for 2007 will be released in April 2009.
Based on these preliminary counts, the rate of fatal injury for U.S. workers in 2007 was 3.7 fatal work injuries per
100,000 workers, down from the final rate of 4.0 per 100,000 workers in 2006, and the lowest annual fatality rate ever
reported by the fatality census.
Key findings of the 2007 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:
- The number of fatal falls in 2007 rose to a series high of 835--a 39 percent increase since 1992 when the
CFOI program was first conducted.
- Transportation incidents, which typically account for two-fifths of all workplace fatalities, fell to a series low
of 2,234 cases in 2007.
- Workplace homicides rose 13 percent to 610 in 2007 after reaching a series low of 540 in 2006.
- The number of fatal workplace injuries among protective service occupations rose 19 percent in 2007 to 337, led by
an increase in the number of police officers fatally injured on the job.
- Fatal occupational injuries incurred by non-Hispanic Black or African American workers were at the highest level
since 1999, but fatal work injuries among Hispanic workers were lower by 8 percent in 2007.
Profile of 2007 fatal work injuries by type of incident
Nearly all types of transportation fatalities saw sizable decreases in 2007 relative to 2006, including nonhighway
incidents (down 15 percent); workers struck by vehicle, mobile equipment (down 10 percent); water vehicle incidents
(down 28 percent); railway incidents (down 26 percent); and aircraft incidents (down 23 percent). Highway incidents also
decreased, but only by 3 percent.
The 835 fatal falls in 2007 represented a series high for the fatality census. The increase for falls overall was
driven primarily by increases in falls on same level (up 21 percent from 2006) and falls from nonmoving vehicles
(up 17 percent). Falls from roofs, however, were down 13 percent from the number in 2006.
Workplace homicides increased by 13 percent in 2007. Even with the increase, workplace homicides have declined
44 percent from the high of 1,080 reported in 1994. Workplace homicides involving police officers and supervisors of
retail sales workers both saw substantial increases in 2007.
Two other prominent events were at series lows in 2007. Fatal work injuries involving electrocutions were down
14 percent from the next lowest year (2003). Fatalities resulting from fires and explosions were also at the lowest totals
ever in the census in 2007.
Profile of fatal work injuries by industry
Overall, 90 percent of the fatal work injuries involved workers in private industry. Service-providing industries
in the private sector recorded 48 percent of all fatal work injuries in 2007, while goods-producing industries recorded
42 percent. Another 10 percent of the fatal work injury cases in 2007 involved government workers. The number of fatal
work injuries in the private sector decreased 7 percent in 2007, while fatalities among government workers, including
resident military personnel, increased 2 percent.
Fatalities declined in the construction industry, but construction continued to incur the most fatalities of any
industry in the private sector, as it has for the five years since the CFOI program began using the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) to categorize industry. The percentage decrease in fatalities from 2006 (1,239 to 1,178,
a 5 percent drop) was about the same as the decrease for all fatal work injuries in 2007. Of the three major subsectors
within construction, fatalities among workers in construction of buildings actually rose 11 percent from 2006, with most of
the increase in non-residential construction industries. The largest construction subsector, specialty trade
contractors, had 6 percent fewer fatalities in 2007 as compared to 2006.
Fatalities among private sector workers in transportation and warehousing sector, which had the second largest
number of fatalities, decreased 3 percent from the number reported in 2006. Truck transportation, the largest subsector in
transportation and warehousing, also had a 3 percent decrease in 2007. The number of fatal injuries in air, rail, and
water transportation were also lower.
Fatalities were down 13 percent among private sector workers in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting
industry sector in 2007. Non-highway incidents in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting decreased 17 percent, and
incidents of being struck by an object decreased 12 percent, each of which accounts for about one-fifth of fatalities in
the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry. Fatalities to workers in crop production fell 19 percent while
fatalities to workers in animal production rose 7 percent. Fishing and logging, two of the industries with the highest
fatality rates, had lower numbers of fatalities in 2007.
In the trade industry (wholesale and retail), fatal work injuries were down 8 percent from their 2006 level. While
most wholesale trade subsectors declined, fatal work injuries in retail grocery stores were up 26 percent (from 57 in 2006
to 72 in 2007), due largely to an increase in workplace homicides in that industry.
The preliminary total of 392 fatal work injuries in manufacturing represents the lowest total recorded in the
five years since the CFOI program began using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The 2007 total
for manufacturing represents a 14 percent decrease from the 2006 count.
Fatalities among government workers were up 2 percent from 2006, primarily due to a 14 percent increase in
workplace fatalities among local government workers. The increase among local government workers was primarily
attributable to higher numbers of fatalities in police protection and fire protection (up 32 and 43 percent, respectively).
Fatal work injury rates were lower for Federal and State workers.
Profile of fatal work injuries by occupation
About one-fourth of all occupational fatalities in 2007 involved workers in transportation and material moving
occupations, though fatalities among these workers declined by 5 percent in 2007. This decline was largely the result of
a 6 percent decline in highway incidents, which account for about 50 percent of the fatalities in this occupation.
Construction and extraction occupations, which accounted for 21 percent of all fatalities, decreased by 10 percent
from 2006 to 2007 after increasing the previous 3 years. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators;
painters, construction and maintenance; and electricians all saw decreases of 20 percent or more.
Fatalities among workers employed in protective service occupations rose 19 percent from 2006 to 2007, including
police officers (up 30 percent), fire fighters (up 17 percent), and security guards (up 11 percent). Among other
occupation groups, fatalities incurred by workers in sales and related occupations decreased 2 percent although fatalities
incurred by supervisors of sales workers increased by 10 percent. Office and administrative support occupations
had 50 percent more workplace fatalities in 2007 (from 88 in 2006 to 132 in 2007), due in part to an increase in
fatal transportation incidents.
The four occupations with the highest fatality rates were fishers and related fishing workers with a fatality rate
of 111.8 per 100,000 workers, logging workers (86.4), aircraft pilots and flight engineers (66.7), and structural iron and
steel workers (45.5).
Profile of fatal work injuries by demographic characteristics
While fatal work injuries in general fell 6 percent, those incurred by non-Hispanic Black or African American workers
increased by 5 percent to 591 in 2007. This is the highest number reported for Black or African American workers since 1999.
A tripling in the number of fatalities involving Black or African American police officers in local government (from 6 to 18)
was one of the reasons for the higher number of fatalities. Fatalities among Hispanic or Latino workers decreased 8 percent
from 2006 and among White, non-Hispanic workers by 6 percent.
While fatalities incurred by workers age 65 and older decreased 7 percent, these workers were about 3 times more
likely than all workers to be killed on the job. Self-employed workers had a 2 percent drop in fatalities, while their
wage and salary counterparts fell by 7 percent. Workplace fatalities incurred by both male and female workers decreased
6 percent.
Of the 5,488 fatal occupational injuries in 2007, 959 were incurred by workers who were born outside of the
United States. Of the foreign-born workers who were fatally-injured in the U.S. in 2007, the largest share were born in
Mexico (44 percent).
Profile of fatal work injuries by State
Thirty States reported lower numbers of fatal work injuries in 2007 than in 2006, 19 States and the District of
Columbia reported higher numbers, and one State was unchanged.
For more detailed State results, contact the individual State agency responsible for the collection of CFOI data in
that State. Although data for Puerto Rico are not included in the national totals for this release, results for
Puerto Rico are available. Participating agencies and their telephone numbers are listed in Table 6.
Background of the program
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program,
compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. in each calendar year. The program uses diverse State,
federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as
complete and accurate as possible. For the 2007 data, over 21,000 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the
data collection process.
Another BLS program, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, presents frequency counts and incidence
rates by industry and also detailed worker and case characteristics of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses that
result in days away from work. Incidence rates for 2007 by industry will be published in October 2008, and information
on 2007 worker and case characteristics will be available in November 2008. For additional data, access the BLS Internet
site: http://www.bls.gov/iif/.
For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site.
To get to that document, click on Workplace Injuries on the BLS home page, scroll down to IIF Documentation, and then click
on BLS Handbook of Methods. The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part 2 of the
BLS Handbook of Methods.
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure,
2006-2007
____________________________________________________________
|
| Fatalities
|_____________________________
| |
Event or exposure(1) | 2006(2) | 2007
|_________|___________________
| |
| Number | Percent
______________________________|___________________|_________
| | |
Total.......................| 5,840 | 5,488 | 100
| | |
Transportation incidents......| 2,459 | 2,234 | 41
Highway.....................| 1,356 | 1,311 | 24
Collision between | | |
vehicles, mobile | | |
equipment................| 657 | 639 | 12
Moving in same direction| 155 | 144 | 3
Moving in opposite | | |
directions, oncoming...| 239 | 264 | 5
Moving in intersection..| 140 | 121 | 2
Vehicle struck object in | | |
roadway....................| 19 | 32 | 1
Vehicle struck object on | | |
side of road...............| 345 | 337 | 6
Noncollision..............| 303 | 286 | 5
Jack-knifed or | | |
overturned-no collision| 254 | 250 | 5
Nonhighway (farm, industrial| | |
premises)..................| 345 | 292 | 5
Overturned..............| 165 | 165 | 3
Worker struck by a vehicle..| 379 | 342 | 6
Railway accident..............| 65 | 48 | 1
Water vehicle accident........| 96 | 69 | 1
Aircraft accident.............| 217 | 167 | 3
| | |
Assaults and violent acts.....| 788 | 839 | 15
Homicides...................| 540 | 610 | 11
Shooting..................| 436 | 491 | 9
Stabbing..................| 39 | 43 | 1
Self-inflicted injuries.....| 208 | 189 | 3
| | |
Contact with objects and | | |
equipment....................| 993 | 916 | 17
Struck by object or equipment | 589 | 504 | 9
Struck by falling object or | | |
equipment..................| 382 | 329 | 6
Struck by flying object...| 70 | 57 | 1
Caught in or compressed by | | |
equipment or objects.......| 283 | 294 | 5
Caught in running | | |
equipment or machinery...| 148 | 139 | 3
Caught in or crushed in | | |
collapsing materials.......| 108 | 107 | 2
| | |
Falls.........................| 827 | 835 | 15
Fall to lower level.........| 738 | 733 | 13
Fall from ladder..........| 132 | 132 | 2
Fall from roof............| 185 | 161 | 3
Fall from scaffold, | | |
staging..................| 91 | 88 | 2
Fall on same level..........| 67 | 81 | 1
| | |
Exposure to harmful substances| | |
or environments..............| 547 | 488 | 9
Contact with electric | | |
current....................| 250 | 212 | 4
Contact with overhead | | |
power lines..............| 109 | 93 | 2
Contact with temperature | | |
extremes...................| 56 | 38 | 1
Exposure to caustic, | | |
noxious, or allergenic | | |
substances.................| 165 | 156 | 3
Inhalation of substance...| 59 | 64 | 1
Oxygen deficiency...........| 68 | 80 | 1
Drowning, submersion......| 53 | 60 | 1
| | |
Fires and explosions..........| 202 | 151 | 3
______________________________|_________|_________|_________
1 Based on the 2007 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness
Classification Manual. Includes other events and exposures,
such as bodily reaction, in addition to those shown
separately.
2 The BLS news release issued August 9, 2007, reported a
total of 5,703 fatal work injuries for calendar year 2006.
Since then, an additional 137 job-related fatalities were
identified, bringing the total job-related fatality count
for 2006 to 5,840.
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. Totals for 2006 are
revised and final. Totals for major categories may include
subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add
to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City,
District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry and selected event or exposure, 2007
____________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Fatalities | Selected event or exposure(2)
| | (percent of total for industry)
Industry(1) |___________________|_______________________________________
| | | | | |
| Number | Percent | Highway |Homicides| Falls |Struck by
| | | (3) | | | object
________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
| | | | | |
Total.......................| 5,488 | 100 | 24 | 11 | 15 | 9
| | | | | |
Private industry...............| 4,956 | 90 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 10
| | | | | |
Goods producing...............| 2,324 | 42 | 14 | 2 | 23 | 14
| | | | | |
Natural resources and mining | 754 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 20
Agriculture, forestry, | | | | | |
fishing and hunting........| 573 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 21
Crop production...........| 249 | 5 | 11 | - | 5 | 16
Animal production.........| 162 | 3 | 12 | - | 7 | 10
Forestry and logging......| 92 | 2 | 12 | - | 4 | 66
Mining(4)...................| 181 | 3 | 27 | - | 7 | 16
Mining, except oil and gas| 53 | 1 | 11 | - | 9 | 13
Support activities for | | | | | |
mining...................| 112 | 2 | 36 | - | 5 | 18
Construction.................| 1,178 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 38 | 9
Construction................| 1,178 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 38 | 9
Construction of buildings | 244 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 44 | 10
Heavy and civil | | | | | |
engineering construction | 216 | 4 | 19 | - | 14 | 13
Specialty trade | | | | | |
contractors..............| 680 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 43 | 7
Manufacturing................| 392 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 15
Manufacturing...............| 392 | 7 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 15
Food manufacturing........| 49 | 1 | 29 | 6 | 12 | -
Fabricated metal product | | | | | |
manufacturing............| 71 | 1 | 10 | - | 14 | 18
| | | | | |
Service providing.............| 2,632 | 48 | 32 | 18 | 10 | 6
| | | | | |
Trade, transportation, and | | | | | |
utilities...................| 1,402 | 26 | 42 | 17 | 6 | 6
Wholesale trade.............| 197 | 4 | 38 | 4 | 10 | 12
Merchant wholesalers, | | | | | |
durable goods............| 98 | 2 | 31 | 4 | 7 | 18
Merchant wholesalers, | | | | | |
nondurable goods.........| 89 | 2 | 44 | 4 | 10 | 6
Retail trade................| 336 | 6 | 17 | 48 | 9 | 4
Motor vehicle and parts | | | | | |
dealers..................| 60 | 1 | 37 | 15 | - | 7
Food and beverage stores..| 86 | 2 | - | 81 | 6 | -
Transportation and | | | | | |
warehousing................| 836 | 15 | 54 | 7 | 4 | 5
Truck transportation......| 538 | 10 | 70 | 3 | 4 | 5
Transit and ground | | | | | |
passenger transportation | 74 | 1 | 35 | 50 | - | -
Utilities...................| 33 | 1 | 9 | - | 12 | 9
Information..................| 77 | 1 | 49 | 8 | 14 | -
Financial activities.........| 116 | 2 | 22 | 33 | 14 | 3
Finance and insurance.......| 45 | 1 | 27 | 49 | 7 | -
Real estate and rental and | | | | | |
leasing....................| 71 | 1 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 4
Professional and business | | | | | |
services....................| 465 | 8 | 21 | 9 | 21 | 10
Professional and technical | | | | | |
services...................| 75 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 13 | -
Administrative and waste | | | | | |
services...................| 386 | 7 | 20 | 8 | 23 | 11
Educational and health | | | | | |
services....................| 149 | 3 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 2
Educational services........| 35 | 1 | 9 | - | - | -
Health care and social | | | | | |
assistance.................| 114 | 2 | 34 | 15 | 9 | -
Leisure and hospitality......| 251 | 5 | 10 | 44 | 11 | 3
Arts, entertainment, and | | | | | |
recreation.................| 92 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 8
Accommodation and food | | | | | |
services...................| 159 | 3 | 9 | 64 | 9 | -
Other services, except public| | | | | |
administration..............| 170 | 3 | 18 | 24 | 9 | 11
| | | | | |
Government(5)..................| 532 | 10 | 29 | 16 | 6 | 5
| | | | | |
Federal government............| 106 | 2 | 22 | - | 7 | 5
State government..............| 107 | 2 | 27 | 21 | 8 | 3
Local government..............| 316 | 6 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 6
________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
1 Based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2002.
2 The figure shown is the percent of the total fatalities for that industry 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 Includes fatalities at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North
American Industry Classification System, 2002, including establishments not governed by the
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and
Gas Extraction.
5 Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of
industry.
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. Totals for major categories may include subcat-
egories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.
There were 2 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine a specific
industry classification, although a distinction between private and government was made for
each.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State,
New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and selected event or exposure, 2007
____________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Fatalities | Selected event or exposure(2)
| | (percent of total for occupation)
Occupation(1) |___________________|________________________________________
| | | | | |
| Number | Percent | Highway |Homicides| Falls |Struck by
| | | (3) | | | object
________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
| | | | | |
Total.........................| 5,488 | 100 | 24 | 11 | 15 | 9
| | | | | |
Management occupations..........| 511 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 11
Top executives................| 29 | 1 | 14 | - | 10 | -
Operations specialties | | | | | |
managers.....................| 24 | (4) | 17 | 38 | - | -
Other management occupations..| 448 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 12
Business and financial | | | | | |
operations occupations.........| 30 | 1 | 47 | 10 | - | -
Computer and mathematical | | | | | |
occupations....................| 3 | (4) | - | - | - | -
Architecture and engineering | | | | | |
occupations....................| 49 | 1 | 22 | 6 | 12 | -
Engineers.....................| 28 | 1 | 25 | - | 11 | -
Life, physical, and social | | | | | |
science occupations............| 20 | (4) | 40 | - | 15 | 15
Community and social services | | | | | |
occupations....................| 28 | 1 | 54 | 25 | - | -
Legal occupations...............| 11 | (4) | - | 27 | - | -
Education, training, and library| | | | | |
occupations....................| 21 | (4) | 19 | 33 | 19 | -
Arts, design, entertainment, | | | | | |
sports, and media occupations..| 51 | 1 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 10
Entertainers and performers, | | | | | |
sports and related workers...| 29 | 1 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 17
Healthcare practitioners and | | | | | |
technical occupations..........| 65 | 1 | 34 | 5 | 9 | -
Health diagnosing and treating| | | | | |
practitioners................| 43 | 1 | 30 | - | 14 | -
Health technologists and | | | | | |
technicians..................| 20 | (4) | 40 | - | - | -
Healthcare support occupations..| 14 | (4) | 29 | 36 | - | -
Protective service occupations..| 337 | 6 | 31 | 32 | 4 | 3
Fire fighting and prevention | | | | | |
workers......................| 50 | 1 | 36 | - | 6 | -
Law enforcement workers.......| 165 | 3 | 39 | 37 | 2 | 2
Other protective service | | | | | |
workers......................| 103 | 2 | 15 | 43 | 5 | 3
Food preparation and serving | | | | | |
related occupations............| 61 | 1 | - | 79 | 7 | -
Supervisors, food preparation | | | | | |
and serving workers..........| 24 | (4) | - | 83 | - | -
Building and grounds cleaning | | | | | |
and maintenance occupations....| 250 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 33 | 15
Building cleaning and pest | | | | | |
control workers..............| 62 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 52 | -
Grounds maintenance workers...| 156 | 3 | 7 | - | 28 | 19
Personal care and service | | | | | |
occupations....................| 61 | 1 | 16 | 23 | 13 | 5
Sales and related occupations...| 311 | 6 | 17 | 54 | 9 | 2
Supervisors, sales workers....| 148 | 3 | 14 | 63 | 6 | 3
Retail sales workers..........| 94 | 2 | 6 | 66 | 11 | -
Sales representatives, | | | | | |
services.....................| 14 | (4) | 64 | 29 | - | -
Sales representatives, | | | | | |
wholesale and manufacturing..| 26 | (4) | 58 | - | 12 | -
Office and administrative | | | | | |
support occupations............| 132 | 2 | 31 | 24 | 14 | 5
Material recording, | | | | | |
scheduling, dispatching, and | | | | | |
distributing workers.........| 63 | 1 | 38 | 16 | 14 | 6
Farming, fishing, and forestry | | | | | |
occupations....................| 256 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 29
Agricultural workers..........| 123 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 9
Fishing and hunting workers...| 39 | 1 | - | - | - | -
Forest, conservation, and | | | | | |
logging workers..............| 78 | 1 | 4 | - | 4 | 76
Construction and extraction | | | | | |
occupations....................| 1,152 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 36 | 10
Supervisors, construction and | | | | | |
extraction workers...........| 118 | 2 | 15 | 6 | 29 | 6
Construction trades workers...| 877 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 9
Extraction workers............| 102 | 2 | 22 | - | 8 | 19
Installation, maintenance, and | | | | | |
repair occupations.............| 373 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 21 | 15
Vehicle and mobile equipment | | | | | |
mechanics, installers, and | | | | | |
repairers....................| 116 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 29
Other installation, | | | | | |
maintenance, and repair | | | | | |
occupations..................| 214 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 28 | 9
Production occupations..........| 264 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 15
Supervisors, production | | | | | |
workers......................| 30 | 1 | - | 13 | 13 | -
Metal workers and plastic | | | | | |
workers......................| 86 | 2 | - | 3 | 13 | 20
Transportation and material | | | | | |
moving occupations.............| 1,423 | 26 | 49 | 6 | 4 | 6
Air transportation workers....| 82 | 1 | - | - | - | -
Motor vehicle operators.......| 1,020 | 19 | 66 | 7 | 3 | 5
Water transportation workers..| 34 | 1 | - | - | - | 12
Material moving workers.......| 255 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 13 | 15
Military occupations............| 62 | 1 | 11 | - | - | 6
________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
1 Based on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification system.
2 The figure shown is the percent of the total fatalities for that occupation 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 non passengers.
4 Less than or equal to 0.5 percent.
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. Totals for major categories may include subcat-
egories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.
There were 3 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine a specific
occupation classification.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State,
New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected worker characteristics and selected
event or exposure, 2007
__________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| | Selected event or exposure(1)
| Fatalities | (percent of total for characteristic
| | category)
|___________________|_______________________________________
Characteristic | | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Number | Percent | Highway |Homicides| Falls |Struck by
| | | (2) | | | object
______________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Total.........................| 5,488 | 100 | 24 | 11 | 15 | 9
| | | | | |
Employee status | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Wage and salary(3)............| 4,477 | 82 | 26 | 10 | 15 | 9
Self-employed(4)..............| 1,011 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12
| | | | | |
Sex | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Men...........................| 5,071 | 92 | 23 | 10 | 15 | 10
Women.........................| 417 | 8 | 30 | 27 | 12 | 2
| | | | | |
Age(5) | | | | | |
| | | | | |
Under 16 years................| 18 | (6) | 17 | - | - | -
16-17 years...................| 20 | (6) | 15 | - | 25 | -
18-19 years...................| 95 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 9
20-24 years...................| 410 | 7 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 10
25-34 years...................| 967 | 18 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 9
35-44 years...................| 1,132 | 21 | 26 | 12 | 14 | 9
45-54 years...................| 1,382 | 25 | 24 | 10 | 17 | 10
55-64 years...................| 901 | 16 | 27 | 9 | 16 | 8
65 years and older............| 558 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 19 | 9
| | | | | |
Race or ethnic origin(7) | | | | | |
| | | | | |
White.........................| 3,758 | 68 | 26 | 8 | 15 | 9
Black or African-American.....| 591 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 8 | 8
Hispanic or Latino............| 908 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 20 | 11
American Indian or Alaska | | | | | |
Native.......................| 28 | 1 | 29 | - | 18 | 11
Asian.........................| 154 | 3 | 14 | 45 | 14 | 4
Native Hawaiian or Pacific | | | | | |
Islander.....................| 6 | (6) | - | - | - | -
Multiple races................| 10 | (6) | - | - | 50 | -
Other or not reported.........| 33 | 1 | 30 | 18 | 12 | -
__________________________________________________________________________________________
1 The figure shown is the percent of the total fatalities for that demographic group.
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; incidents
involving trains; and deaths to pedestrians or other nonpassengers.
3 May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation.
4 Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid
and unpaid family workers, members of partnerships, and may include owners of incorporated
businesses.
5 There were 7 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine the
age of the decedent.
6 Less than or equal to 0.5 percent.
7 Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories
shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. Totals for major categories may include subcat-
egories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with
State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries
Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 2006-2007
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
|Total fatalities(1)| Event or exposure(4)
| | 2007
|___________________|___________________________________________________________
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Exposure|
State of injury | | | | | Contact | | to |
| | |Transpor-| Assaults| with | | harmful |Fires and
| 2006(2) | 2007(3) | tation | and | objects | Falls | sub- |explosio-
|(revised)| |incident-| violent | and | | stances | ns
| | | s(5) | acts(6) |equipment| | or |
| | | | | | | environ-|
| | | | | | | ments |
_________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
| | | | | | | |
Total..................| 5,840 | 5,488 | 2,234 | 839 | 916 | 835 | 488 | 151
Alabama..................| 100 | 99 | 42 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 3
Alaska...................| 45 | 30 | 17 | - | 4 | - | 5 | -
Arizona..................| 112 | 88 | 30 | 9 | 17 | 20 | 10 | -
Arkansas.................| 78 | 87 | 42 | 9 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3
California...............| 537 | 407 | 148 | 78 | 58 | 66 | 37 | 17
Colorado.................| 137 | 119 | 58 | 18 | 21 | 11 | 11 | -
Connecticut..............| 38 | 38 | 8 | 9 | - | 10 | 6 | -
Delaware.................| 15 | 10 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | -
District of Columbia.....| 7 | 13 | - | 5 | - | 5 | - | -
Florida..................| 360 | 362 | 136 | 70 | 45 | 62 | 42 | 5
Georgia..................| 201 | 171 | 68 | 25 | 31 | 22 | 16 | 8
Hawaii...................| 30 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | -
Idaho....................| 38 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | - | -
Illinois.................| 207 | 182 | 57 | 29 | 24 | 34 | 32 | 6
Indiana..................| 148 | 127 | 62 | 20 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 4
Iowa.....................| 71 | 88 | 51 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 3 | -
Kansas...................| 85 | 100 | 47 | 8 | 23 | 13 | 9 | -
Kentucky.................| 147 | 112 | 57 | 10 | 21 | 19 | - | 4
Louisiana................| 118 | 134 | 70 | 13 | 17 | 15 | 17 | -
Maine....................| 20 | 21 | 11 | - | 3 | 5 | - | -
Maryland.................| 106 | 82 | 33 | 18 | 7 | 14 | 7 | -
Massachusetts............| 66 | 74 | 27 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 7 | 6
Michigan.................| 157 | 120 | 35 | 27 | 27 | 17 | 11 | -
Minnesota................| 78 | 72 | 24 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 5
Mississippi..............| 96 | 92 | 34 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 13 | -
Missouri.................| 167 | 155 | 73 | 27 | 23 | 20 | 7 | 4
Montana..................| 45 | 54 | 37 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | -
Nebraska.................| 57 | 63 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 6 | - | -
Nevada...................| 49 | 68 | 28 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 5 | -
New Hampshire............| 13 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 4 | - | - | -
New Jersey...............| 88 | 106 | 40 | 27 | 11 | 17 | 10 | -
New Mexico...............| 59 | 43 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 5 | -
New York (including | | | | | | | |
N.Y.C.).................| 234 | 219 | 71 | 43 | 35 | 53 | 12 | 5
New York City..........| 99 | 81 | 12 | 27 | 12 | 23 | 5 | -
North Carolina...........| 168 | 158 | 72 | 31 | 27 | 18 | 9 | -
North Dakota.............| 31 | 23 | 10 | - | 7 | 4 | - | -
Ohio.....................| 193 | 164 | 57 | 23 | 37 | 26 | 16 | 4
Oklahoma.................| 91 | 104 | 50 | 6 | 20 | 16 | 9 | -
Oregon...................| 87 | 69 | 29 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 4 | -
Pennsylvania.............| 240 | 220 | 93 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 12 | 6
Rhode Island.............| 10 | 5 | - | 3 | - | - | - | -
South Carolina...........| 95 | 114 | 45 | 25 | 12 | 15 | 7 | 10
South Dakota.............| 37 | 21 | 12 | - | 3 | 6 | - | -
Tennessee................| 153 | 147 | 66 | 18 | 32 | 25 | 4 | -
Texas....................| 489 | 527 | 192 | 86 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 17
Utah.....................| 60 | 78 | 38 | 7 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 6
Vermont..................| 14 | 10 | 4 | - | 3 | - | - | -
Virginia.................| 165 | 141 | 53 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 16 | -
Washington...............| 87 | 88 | 36 | 6 | 25 | 11 | 4 | -
West Virginia............| 79 | 61 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5
Wisconsin................| 91 | 103 | 45 | 14 | 20 | 12 | 10 | -
Wyoming..................| 36 | 48 | 34 | - | 7 | - | 3 | -
_________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________|_________
1 State totals include other events and exposures, such as bodily reaction, in addition to those shown
separately.
2 The BLS news release issued August 9, 2007, reported a total of 5,703 fatal work injuries for
calendar year 2006. Since then, an additional 137 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the
total job-related fatality count for 2006 to 5,840. Includes 5 fatalities that occurred within the
territorial boundaries of the United States, but a State of incident could not be determined.
3 Includes 4 fatalities that occurred within the territorial boundaries of the United States, but a
State of incident could not be determined.
4 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual.
5 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck
by a vehicle.
6 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injuries, and attacks by animals.
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. Totals for 2006 are revised and final. Dashes indicate no data
reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York
City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
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 (510) 286-0702 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (303) 692-2168 Connecticut Labor Department (860) 263-6933 Delaware Department of Labor (302) 761-8217 District of Columbia State Center for Health Statistics (202) 442-9010 Florida Department of Financial Services (850) 413-1611 Georgia Department of Labor (404) 679-0687 ext. 113 Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (808) 586-9001 Idaho Industrial Commission (208) 334-6090 Illinois Department of Public Health (217) 558-0500 Indiana Department of Labor (317) 232-2668 Iowa Division of Labor Services (515) 281-5151 Kansas Department of Labor (785) 296-1640 Kentucky Labor Cabinet (502) 564-4258 Louisiana Louisiana Workforce Commission (225) 342-3126 Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (207) 623-7907 Maryland Division of Labor and Industry (410) 767-2356 Massachusetts Department of Public Health (617) 624-5679 Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (517) 322-1851 Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (651) 284-5568 Mississippi Department of Health (601) 576-7186 Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (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 Division of Vital Records Administration (603) 271-4647 New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (609) 984-1863 New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (505) 476-8740 New York State Department of Health (518) 402-7900 New York City Department of Health (212) 788-4584 North Carolina Department of Labor (919) 733-0337 North Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (312) 353-7200 ext. 410 Ohio Department of Health (614) 728-4116 Oklahoma Department of Labor (405) 528-1500 ext. 236 Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (503) 378-7364 Pennsylvania Department of Health (717) 265-8761 Rhode Island Department of Health (401) 222-2812 South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (803) 896-7673 South Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (312) 353-7200 ext. 410 Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (615) 741-1749 Texas Texas Department of Insurance, Division of (512) 804-4651 Workers' Compensation Utah Utah Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (801) 530-6823 Vermont Department of Labor (802) 828-5076 Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (804) 786-1035 Washington Department of Labor and Industries (360) 902-5512 West Virginia Division of Labor (304) 558-7890 ext. 121 Wisconsin Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (608) 221-6289 Wyoming Department of Employment (307) 473-3819 Puerto Rico Negociado de Estadisticas (787) 754-5300
TECHNICAL NOTES Identification and verification of work-related fatalities In 2007, there were 40 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 are included in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries counts. An additional 31 fatalities submitted by States were not included because the source documents 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 seven months from this release to update their initial published State counts. This procedure ensures that fatality data are disseminated as quickly as possible and that legitimate cases are not excluded from the final counts. Thus, each year's initial release of data should be considered preliminary. Final data are released in the Spring of the following year. Revised counts for 2007 will be available in April 2009. Over the last 5 years, increases in the published counts based on additional information have averaged approximately 50 fatalities per year or less than 0.9 percent of the revised total. There was a larger-than-normal update last year. The BLS news release issued August 9, 2007 reported a total of 5,703 fatal work injuries for 2006. With the April 2008 release of final data, an additional 137 net fatal work injuries were added, bringing the total for 2006 to 5,840. 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. Acknowledgements BLS thanks the participating States, New York City, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico 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 entities 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 Federal Railroad Administration; 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.