Bureau of Labor Statistics
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Information: (816)285-7000 For Release: February 8, 2007 |
Kansas Workplace Fatalities, 2005 (PDF)
A total of 81 fatal work injuries were recorded in Kansas in 2005, little changed from 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that this was the second straight year of increase in workplace fatalities in Kansas after the State recorded its lowest fatality count in 2003 (78). The most frequent types of workplace fatalities in 2005 were highway crashes (25), homicides (8), being struck by an object (7), and being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects (7). Taken together, these four types of events1 resulted in almost three-fifths (58 percent) of the workplace fatalities in the State in 2005.
Total workplace fatalities in Kansas, 1992-2005
Over the year, highway crashes remained the most frequent type of fatal workplace event for both the State and the nation. In Kansas, fatal highway crashes rose by 4 cases to 25 in 2005 and made up close to one-third of those fatally injured on the job; nationally, this event accounted for one-fourth of all job-related deaths. (See tables A and B.)
Homicides accounted for 10 percent of on-the-job deaths in both the State and the nation. The eight work-related homicides in Kansas in 2005 matched the count recorded in 2004.
Seven fatalities in the State resulted from workers being struck by an object, the same number as in 2004. This event accounted for 9 percent of on-the-job fatalities in Kansas; nationally, it accounted for 11 percent.
Occupational fatalities caused by being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects numbered five in 2004 and seven the next year. In 2005, being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects represented 9 percent of job-related deaths in Kansas and 5 percent of the U.S. total.
Other fatal workplace events in Kansas in 2005 included six non-highway transportation incidents (such as tractor rollovers occurring on farm premises); four falls to a lower level; and three deaths each in the following events-electrocutions, pedestrians being struck by vehicles, and self-inflicted injuries.
Nationwide, a total of 5,702 fatal work injuries were reported in 2005, a decrease of about 1 percent from the revised count of 5,764 fatalities reported for 2004. The 2005 U.S. total was the third lowest level recorded by the fatality census, which has been conducted yearly since 1992. (See table B.) Fatal highway crashes rose by 2 percent over the year, from 1,398 in 2004 to 1,428 in 2005. The number of deaths from highway crashes in 2005 represented one out of every four fatal work injuries and continued to lead all other events in the frequency of on-the-job fatalities. The 662 fatal falls to a lower level recorded in 2005 represented a 10 percent decline from the series high of 738 recorded in 2004. Fatalities resulting from being struck by an object remained at about the same level as in 2004 (604 fatal work injuries in 2005 compared to 602 in 2004); never-the-less, this was the highest annual total ever reported for this event by the fatality census.
The number of workplace homicides recorded in the U.S. changed little over the year, from 559 incidents in 2004 to 564 in 2005. Overall, workplace homicides were down 48 percent from the high of 1,080 recorded in 1994 (excluding the 2,886 work-related homicides resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001).
| Year | Total fatalities | Highway crashes | Falls to lower level | Struck by object | Homicides | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
1992 |
6,217 | 1,158 | 19 | 507 | 8 | 557 | 9 | 1,044 | 17 |
1993 |
6,331 | 1,242 | 20 | 534 | 8 | 565 | 9 | 1,074 | 17 |
1994 |
6,632 | 1,343 | 20 | 580 | 9 | 591 | 9 | 1,080 | 16 |
1995 |
6,275 | 1,346 | 21 | 578 | 9 | 547 | 9 | 1,036 | 17 |
1996 |
6,202 | 1,346 | 22 | 610 | 10 | 582 | 9 | 927 | 15 |
1997 |
6,238 | 1,393 | 22 | 653 | 10 | 579 | 9 | 860 | 14 |
1998 |
6,055 | 1,442 | 24 | 625 | 10 | 520 | 9 | 714 | 12 |
1999 |
6,054 | 1,496 | 25 | 634 | 10 | 585 | 10 | 651 | 11 |
2000 |
5,920 | 1,365 | 23 | 659 | 11 | 571 | 10 | 677 | 11 |
2001 (1) |
5,915 | 1,409 | 24 | 700 | 12 | 553 | 9 | 643 | 11 |
2002 |
5,534 | 1,373 | 25 | 638 | 12 | 505 | 9 | 609 | 11 |
2003 |
5,575 | 1,353 | 24 | 604 | 11 | 531 | 10 | 632 | 11 |
2004 (2) |
5,764 | 1,398 | 24 | 738 | 13 | 602 | 10 | 559 | 10 |
2005 |
5,702 | 1,428 | 25 | 662 | 12 | 604 | 11 | 564 | 10 |
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Footnotes |
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Select characteristics of workplace fatalities in Kansas in 2005:
- Men accounted for 96 percent (78) of the work-related fatalities in Kansas. Transportation incidents, which include highway, nonhighway, pedestrian, air, water, and rail fatalities, accounted for almost one-half of these deaths and contact with objects and equipment accounted for about another 20 percent. Three women were fatally injured on the job in 2005. (See table 2.)
- Eighty-three percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white, non- Hispanic (67) and 12 percent were Hispanic or Latino (10). Transportation incidents (35) were the most frequent type of fatal event for white, non-Hispanic workers, followed by contact with objects and equipment (13), and assaults and violent acts (8). Among Hispanic or Latino workers, transportation incidents (3) and contact with objects and equipment (3) were the most frequent fatal events. (See table 2.
- Workers 25-54 years old-the prime working age group-made up 58 percent of the State's work-related fatalities in 2005 with 47 deaths. Twenty-seven workers 55 years of age or older died on the job, accounting for 33 percent of the fatally injured. (See table 2.)
- Seventy-four percent of workers killed on-the-job in Kansas worked for wages and salaries and the remaining 26 percent were self-employed. Work-related deaths resulting from transportation incidents accounted for the largest number of fatalities among wage and salary workers (31) and the self-employed (9) in 2005. (See table 2.)
- Four industry sectors made up 60 percent of the workplace fatalities in Kansas- agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting recorded 15 fatalities; transportation and warehousing, 12; and wholesale trade and government each had 11. Transportation incidents were the most frequent type of fatal event for all four industry sectors. (See table 3.)
- Workers in transportation and material moving jobs led all other occupational groups with 29 fatalities. Motor vehicle operators suffered the largest number of fatally injured (21) in this occupational group, in particular, truck drivers (17). Workers in the management occupational group had the second highest number of fatalities, 12. Managers of farmers and ranchers accounted for 11 of these deaths. Combined, workers in transportation and material moving and management occupations accounted for about one-half of the fatal work injuries in Kansas. (See table 4.)
Additional Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data are available on the BLS Internet site at http://www.bls.gov/iif/. Data can be accessed in a number of ways. Selected current and historical information is available in PDF format. Detailed data may be accessed through the online query system located at http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=fi or via an extensive collection of flat text files. For personal assistance or further information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Kansas City Economic Analysis & Information Office at 816-285-7000 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.
TECHNICAL NOTES
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 and Federal data sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries. Information about each workplace fatality (industry, 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 re-ports to Federal and State agencies. This method assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.
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 normal commute to or from work are excluded from the census counts.)
Data presented in this release include deaths occurring in 2005 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.
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 ex-cluded 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 among several other groups of workers are generally not covered by any Federal or State agencies. These groups include self-employed and unpaid family workers, which accounted for about 20 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting for about 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 Kansas Department of Labor 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Fatal events are categorized into several major groupings including transportation incidents, assaults and violent acts, and falls. These major groups are further broken down into more detailed groups. For example, transportation incidents includes highway incidents, commonly referred to as highway crashes, and aircraft incidents; assaults and violent acts includes homicides and suicides; and falls includes falls to a lower level (as from a roof or ladder) and falls on the same level (as from grease on a floor or ice on a sidewalk).
| Event or exposure (2) | Total fatalities (number) | Goods producing | Service providing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total goods pro-ducing | Natural re-sources and mining (3) | Con-struc-tion | Manu-fac-turing | Total service pro-viding | Trade, trans-porta-tion, and utili-ties | Infor-mation | Finan-cial acti-vities | Profes-sional and busi-ness services | Educa-tion and health services | Leisure and hospi-tality | Other services | ||
Total |
81 | 32 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 38 | 24 | — | — | 5 | — | — | 3 |
Contact with objects and equipment |
16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Struck by object |
7 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Struck by falling object |
5 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
7 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caught in running equipment or machinery |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, n.e.c. |
3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Falls |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Fall to lower level |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Contact with electric current |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Contact with overhead power lines |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Transportation accidents |
40 | 13 | 8 | — | 4 | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Highway accident |
25 | 8 | 5 | — | — | 14 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment |
13 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Moving in opposite directions, oncoming |
10 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Vehicle struck stationary object, equipment on side of road |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Noncollision accident |
7 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Jack-knifed or overturned-no collision |
7 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nonhighway accident, except rail, air, water |
6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Noncollision accident |
6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Overturned |
6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pedestrian, nonpassenger struck by vehicle, mobile equipment |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Railway accident |
5 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Collision between railway vehicle and other vehicle |
4 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Assaults and violent acts |
12 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Assaults and violent acts by person(s) |
8 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Shooting |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Self-inflicted injury |
3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Suicide, attempted suicide |
3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Footnotes NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Data for 2005 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries | |||||||||||||
| Worker characteristics | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure (1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transpor-tation incidents (2) |
Assaults and violent acts (3) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
Fires and explosions | ||
Total |
81 | 40 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 5 | — |
| Employee Status | |||||||
Wage and Salary Workers (4) |
60 | 31 | 9 | 11 | 4 | — | — |
Self-employed (5) |
21 | 9 | 3 | 5 | — | 3 | — |
| Sex | |||||||
Men |
78 | 38 | 11 | 16 | 4 | 5 | — |
Women |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Age | |||||||
Under 16 years |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
16 to 17 years |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
18 to 19 years |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
20 to 24 years |
5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
25 to 34 years |
17 | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
35 to 44 years |
18 | 8 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — |
45 to 54 years |
12 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
55 to 64 years |
11 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
65 years and over |
16 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Race or Ethnic Origin (6) | |||||||
White, non-Hispanic |
67 | 35 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 4 | — |
Black, non-Hispanic |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hispanic or Latino |
10 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Asian |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Footnotes NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. Data for 2005 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries | |||||||
| Industry (1) | NAICS code (1) | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure (2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transpor-tation incidents (3) | Assaults and violent acts (4) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
Fires and explosions | |||
Total |
81 | 40 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 5 | — | |
Private Industry |
70 | 33 | 9 | 15 | 4 | 5 | — | |
Goods Producing |
32 | 13 | — | 9 | — | 4 | — | |
Natural Resources and Mining |
18 | 8 | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting |
11 | 15 | 8 | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Crop Production |
111 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Animal Production |
112 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cattle Ranching and Farming |
1121 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Construction |
8 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | |
Construction |
23 | 8 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Construction of buildings |
236 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Specialty Trade Contractors |
238 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Manufacturing |
6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Manufacturing |
31-33 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Service providing |
38 | 20 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | |
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities |
24 | 14 | — | 5 | — | — | — | |
Wholesale Trade |
42 | 11 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods |
423 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods |
424 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Farm Product Raw Material Merchant wholesalers |
4245 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Grain and Field Bean Merchant wholesalers |
42451 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Transportation and Warehousing |
48-49 | 12 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
Truck Transportation |
484 | 11 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
General Freight Trucking |
4841 | 9 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance |
48412 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload |
484121 | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
Professional and Business Services |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services |
56 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Administrative and Support Services |
561 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Services to Buildings and Dwellings |
5617 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Landscaping Services |
56173 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Other Services |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Other Services, except Public Administration |
81 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Government (6) |
11 | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
Local Government |
7 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
Service providing |
6 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
Public Administration |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Public Administration |
92 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities |
922 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities |
9221 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Footnotes NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. Data for 2005 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries | ||||||||
| Occupation (1) | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure (2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transpor-tation incidents (3) | Assaults and violent acts (4) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
Fires and explosions | ||
Total |
81 | 40 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 5 | — |
Management occupations |
12 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Other management occupations |
12 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Agricultural managers |
11 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Farmers and ranchers |
11 | 5 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Protective service occupations |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Sales and related occupations |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Supervisors, sales workers |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
First-line supervisors/managers, sales workers |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Construction and extraction occupations |
7 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Construction trades workers |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
8 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers |
5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Production occupations |
7 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Supervisors, production workers |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Transportation and material moving occupations |
29 | 19 | — | 4 | — | — | — |
Motor vehicle operators |
21 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers |
19 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
17 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — |
Material moving workers |
5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Footnotes NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Data for 2005 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries | |||||||
Last Modified Date: July 8, 2008
