Bureau of Labor Statistics
Internet Address: http://www.bls.gov/ro2/ FOR RELEASE: September 12, 2007 Fax-On-Demand: (212) 337-2412 Media Contact: Michael L. Dolfman,(212) 337-2500 Information: Martin Kohli,(212) 337-2420
WORK FATALITIES IN NEW YORK CITY IN 2006
A total of 99 fatal work injuries were reported in New York City in 2006,
up from 88 in 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.
Department of Labor. Regional Commissioner Michael L. Dolfman reported
that in 2006, the City had both the highest number of fatal falls to lower
levels and the lowest number of homicides, since the fatality census began
in 1992. The 13-percent increase in all workplace fatalities for the City
in 2006 contrasts with a 1-percent decrease for the nation. (See table A.)
Table A. Fatal occupational injuries in the United States and New York
City, by event or exposure, 2005 and 2006
___________________________________________________________________________
| |
| United States | New York City
Event or exposure |___________________|___________________
| | | |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2005 | 2006
___________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________
| | | |
Total........................| 5,734 | 5,703 | 88 | 99
| | | |
Highway...........................| 1,437 | 1,329 | 6 | 11
Homicides.........................| 567 | 516 | 19 | 15
Self-inflicted injuries...........| 180 | 199 | 10 | 6
Struck by object..................| 607 | 583 | 7 | 8
Fall to lower level...............| 664 | 728 | 17 | 31
Exposure to caustic, noxious or...| | | |
allergenic substances............| 136 | 153 | 3 | 7
___________________________________|_________|_________|_________|_________
Falls to a lower level were the most frequent type of fatality in New
York City in 2006, accounting for 31 deaths, the highest number since the
series began in 1992. (See chart A.) The previous high was 26 in 1997.
Homicides were the next most common worker death, with 15, the lowest
number in the history of the series. This was the first year since the
inception of the BLS census that homicides were not the most frequent type
of fatal event in New York City. Eleven workers died in highway incidents,
while eight fatalities were due to being struck by an object, and seven
fatalities resulted from exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic
substances. At this level of detail, no other type of fatality accounted
for more than 6 deaths in 2006. (See table 1.)
Over the year, the number of fatal falls to lower levels increased by
14. By itself, this event accounted for all of the increase in work
fatalities in New York City in 2006. Highway incidents increased by five,
and fatal exposures to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances rose by
four. By contrast, homicides declined by four, continuing a downward
trend.
As in the past, highway incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace
event in the United States, accounting for nearly one out of every four
fatal work injuries. (In New York City, 11 percent of all fatalities were
attributed to this event.) Nationally, the second most frequent type of
fatality was falls to a lower level accounting for 13 percent of the total,
followed by being struck by an object (10 percent), homicides (9 percent),
and being struck by a vehicle or mobile equipment (7 percent). As these
figures suggest, the distribution of fatalities in New York City differed
from the national distribution. (See chart B.) In particular, the share
of highway fatalities was much lower in the City than for the nation as a
whole, while the share of falls to a lower level was higher.
At the national level, fatal work injuries decreased 1 percent from the
revised total of 5,734 fatalities recorded in 2005. Fatal highway
incidents decreased 8 percent to 1,329 in 2006, the lowest number recorded
since 1993, offsetting a 9.6-percent increase in falls to a lower level.
Homicides in the nation decreased 9 percent to 516, a new series low.
Profile of fatal work injuries by industry, occupation,
and demographic characteristics
Industry. Most fatalities in New York City continued to occur in the
construction sector, with 43 worker deaths in 2006, up 20 from the prior
year. (See table 2.) In construction, falls to a lower level were the
most common event, accounting for 56 percent of the sector's fatalities.
In New York City, the construction sector accounted for 43 percent of all
fatalities; nationally, construction also led other sectors with 1,226
deaths, accounting for 21 percent of all job-related fatal injuries.
The next highest fatality counts among New York City industry sectors
were in retail trade (10) and real estate and rental and leasing (8).
Almost 40 percent of the worker deaths in each of these two sectors
involved homicides. Transportation and warehousing and wholesale trade
followed, each with seven work fatalities. These industries were the only
other private industry sectors to experience more than five work deaths in
2006. Government operations (of all industry types) reported six
fatalities.
Occupation. Two major occupational groups-construction and extraction
and transportation and material moving-accounted for more than one-half of
all the workplace fatalities in the City. Construction and extraction
workers had 44 fatalities, 26 of which were construction laborers. (See
table 3.) Falls to lower level were the most frequent type of fatality
among construction and extraction workers, accounting for 25 incidents.
Transportation and material moving occupations had 17 deaths. Motor
vehicle operators, including 4 truck drivers and 3 taxi drivers, were
involved in a total of 11 fatalities. The most frequent events leading to
fatalities in transportation and material moving were highway incidents
(nine) and struck by object (three). Sales occupations had nine deaths; no
other major occupational group suffered more than six deaths.
Demographics. Forty-three percent of those fatally injured on-the-job in
New York City were Hispanic or Latino. White, non-Hispanics accounted for
28 percent, black non-Hispanics, 21 percent, and Asians, 7 percent. Over
the year, worker fatalities among Hispanics increased by 21, while
decreasing by 6 for both white non-Hispanics and Asians. The sharp
increase in Hispanic worker deaths pushed the death total over 40 for the
first time in over 10 years. Nationally, fatalities to Hispanic employees
reached a new series high, but they only accounted for 16 percent of all
incidents.
NYLS - 7298 Labor - New York
09/10/07
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. Fatalities to volunteer and
unpaid family workers who perform the same duties as paid workers are also
included in the counts. 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 2006 that
resulted from traumatic occupational injuries. An injury is defined as any
wound or damage to the body resulting from acute exposure to energy, such
as heat, electricity, or impact from a crash or fall, or from the absence
of such essentials as heat or oxygen caused by a specific event or incident
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 2006, there were 81 cases included at the national level for which
work relationship could not be verified with a second document; 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 46 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 seven months 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 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 fewer than 27 fatalities per year or
less than 0.5 percent of the revised total. The BLS news release issued
August 10, 2006, reported a total of 5,702 fatal work injuries for 2005.
Since then, a net addition of 32 fatal work injuries were identified,
bringing the total for 2005 to 5,734. Revised counts for 2006 will be
available in April 2008.
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 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 18 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.)
Acknowledgements
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.
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries in New York City by event
or exposure, 2005 and 2006
_______________________________________________________________
| |
| 2005 | 2006
Event or exposure(1) |__________|_____________________
| | |
| Number | Number | Percent
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
| | |
Total...................| 88 | 99 | 100
| | |
Transportation incidents.....| 18 | 14 | 14
Highway incidents..........| 6 | 11 | 11
Collision between | | |
vehicles, mobile | | |
equipment...............| 4 | 6 | 6
Vehicle struck stationary| | |
object, equipment on | | |
side of road............| - | 3 | 3
Pedestrian, nonpassenger | | |
struck by vehicle, mobile | | |
equipment.................| 10 | - | -
| | |
Assaults and violent acts....| 29 | 21 | 21
Homicides..................| 19 | 15 | 15
Shooting.................| 13 | 10 | 10
Stabbing.................| 3 | 3 | 3
Self-inflicted injury......| 10 | 6 | 6
Suicide, attempted | | |
suicide.................| 10 | 6 | 6
| | |
Contact with objects and | | |
equipment...................| 11 | 14 | 14
Struck by object...........| 7 | 8 | 8
Struck by falling object | 6 | 7 | 7
Caught in or crushed in | | |
collapsing materials......| - | 5 | 5
Caught in or crushed in | | |
collapsing structure....| - | 4 | 4
| | |
Falls........................| 17 | 34 | 34
Fall to lower level........| 17 | 31 | 31
Fall from floor, dock, or| | |
ground level............| 6 | 4 | 4
Fall from ladder.........| - | 8 | 8
Fall from roof...........| - | 6 | 6
Fall from scaffold, | | |
staging.................| 6 | 8 | 8
| | |
Exposure to harmful | | |
substances or environments..| 9 | 10 | 10
Contact with electric | | |
current...................| 3 | - | -
Exposure to caustic, | | |
noxious, or allergenic | | |
substances................| 3 | 7 | 7
Inhalation of substance..| 3 | - | -
Ingestion of substance...| - | 6 | 6
| | |
Fires and explosions.........| 4 | 6 | 6
Fire--unintended or | | |
uncontrolled..............| 4 | 6 | 6
Fire in residence, | | |
building, or other | | |
structure...............| 4 | 6 | 6
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
1/ Based on the 1992 Occupational Injury and Illness
Classification Manual. Includes other events and exposures,
such as bodily reaction, in addition to those shown separately.
(See note at end of tables.)
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries in New York City by industry, 2005 and
2006
______________________________________________________________________________
| | |
| | 2005 | 2006
Industry(1) | NAICS |__________|_____________________
| code(1) | | |
| | Number | Number | Percent
______________________________|______________|__________|__________|__________
| | | |
Total...................| | 88 | 99 | 100
| | | |
| | | |
Private industry..............| | 79 | 93 | 94
| | | |
Goods producing..............| | 28 | 46 | 46
| | | |
Construction................| 23 | 23 | 43 | 43
Construction of | | | |
buildings..............| 236 | 4 | 9 | 9
Residential building | | | |
construction.........| 2361 | 3 | 5 | 5
Nonresidential | | | |
building construction| 2362 | - | 4 | 4
Specialty trade | | | |
contractors............| 238 | 18 | 33 | 33
Foundation, structure,| | | |
and building exterior| | | |
contractors..........| 2381 | 11 | 18 | 18
Building equipment | | | |
contractors..........| 2382 | 4 | 3 | 3
Building finishing | | | |
contractors..........| 2383 | - | 5 | 5
Other specialty trade | | | |
contractors..........| 2389 | 3 | 5 | 5
| | | |
Manufacturing...............| 31-33 | 5 | 3 | 3
| | | |
Service producing............| | 51 | 47 | 47
| | | |
Trade, transportation, and | | | |
utilities..................| | 24 | 24 | 24
| | | |
Wholesale trade...........| 42 | 4 | 7 | 7
Merchant wholesalers, | | | |
durable goods..........| 423 | 3 | 6 | 6
| | | |
Retail trade..............| 44-45 | 9 | 10 | 10
Building material and | | | |
garden supply stores...| 444 | - | 3 | 3
Food and beverage stores| 445 | 3 | 3 | 3
| | | |
Transportation and | | | |
warehousing..............| 48-49 | 11 | 7 | 7
Truck transportation....| 484 | 3 | 3 | 3
Transit and ground | | | |
passenger | | | |
transportation.........| 485 | 4 | 3 | 3
| | | |
Financial activities........| | - | 8 | 8
Real estate and rental and| | | |
leasing..................| 53 | - | 8 | 8
Real estate.............| 531 | - | 8 | 8
| | | |
Professional and business | | | |
services...................| | 3 | 4 | 4
Administrative and waste | | | |
services.................| 56 | - | 3 | 3
| | | |
Educational and health | | | |
services...................| | - | 4 | 4
Health care and social | | | |
assistance...............| 62 | - | 3 | 3
| | | |
Leisure and hospitality.....| | 3 | 5 | 5
Accommodation and food | | | |
services.................| 72 | 3 | 3 | 3
Food services and | | | |
drinking places........| 722 | 3 | 3 | 3
| | | |
Other services, except | | | |
public administration......| 81 | 17 | - | -
Repair and maintenance..| 811 | 7 | - | -
Personal and laundry | | | |
services...............| 812 | 7 | - | -
| | | |
| | | |
Government(2).................| | 9 | 6 | 6
______________________________|______________|__________|__________|__________
1/ Based on the 2002 North American Industry Classification System.
2/ Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations
regardless of industry.
(See note at end of tables.)
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries in New York City by
occupation, 2005 and 2006
_______________________________________________________________
| |
| 2005 | 2006
Occupation(1) |__________|_____________________
| | |
| Number | Number | Percent
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
| | |
Total...................| 88 | 99 | 100
| | |
Management occupations.......| 3 | 3 | 3
| | |
Protective service | | |
occupations.................| 7 | 4 | 4
| | |
Building and grounds cleaning| | |
and maintenance occupations | 3 | 6 | 6
Building cleaning workers..| - | 5 | 5
Janitors and cleaners, | | |
except maids and | | |
housekeeping cleaners...| - | 5 | 5
| | |
Personal care and service | | |
occupations.................| 6 | - | -
| | |
Sales and related occupations| 7 | 9 | 9
Supervisors, sales workers | - | 3 | 3
Retail sales workers.......| 4 | 4 | 4
| | |
Construction and extraction | | |
occupations.................| 24 | 44 | 44
Supervisors, construction | | |
and extraction workers....| - | 5 | 5
Construction trades workers| 23 | 37 | 37
Construction laborers....| 16 | 26 | 26
Electricians.............| - | 3 | 3
| | |
Installation, maintenance, | | |
and repair occupations......| 6 | - | -
Vehicle and mobile | | |
equipment mechanics, | | |
installers, and repairers | 4 | - | -
| | |
Production occupations.......| 4 | 4 | 4
| | |
Transportation and material | | |
moving occupations..........| 23 | 17 | 17
Motor vehicle operators....| 13 | 11 | 11
Truck drivers, heavy and | | |
tractor-trailer.........| 5 | 4 | 4
Taxi drivers and | | |
chauffeurs..............| 4 | 3 | 3
Material moving workers....| 5 | 4 | 4
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
1/ Based on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification
system.
(See note at end of tables.)
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries in New York City by
selected demographic characteristics, 2005 and 2006
_______________________________________________________________
| |
| 2005 | 2006
Characteristic |__________|_____________________
| | |
| Number | Number | Percent
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
| | |
Total...................| 88 | 99 | 100
| | |
Employee status | | |
Wage and salary(1)..........| 76 | 86 | 87
Self-employed(2)............| 12 | 13 | 13
| | |
Sex | | |
Male........................| 82 | 95 | 96
Female......................| 6 | 4 | 4
| | |
Age(3) | | |
18 - 19 years...............| 3 | - | -
20 - 24 years...............| 6 | 6 | 6
25 - 34 years...............| 19 | 25 | 25
35 - 44 years...............| 20 | 25 | 25
45 - 54 years...............| 23 | 24 | 24
55 - 64 years...............| 11 | 11 | 11
65 years and over...........| 5 | 6 | 6
| | |
Race or ethnic origin(4) | | |
White, non-Hispanic.........| 34 | 28 | 28
Black, non-Hispanic.........| 19 | 21 | 21
Asian.......................| 13 | 7 | 7
Hispanic or Latino..........| 22 | 43 | 43
______________________________|__________|__________|__________
1/ May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of
compensation.
2/ 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.
3/ Because there may have been no incidents reported for some
ages or because the data do not meet publication criteria,
information is not available for all age groups. In addition,
some fatalities may have had insufficient information with
which to determine the age of the decedents.
4/ Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any
race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino
workers.
NOTE: Data for 2006 are preliminary. Totals for major
categories may include subcategories not shown separately.
Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes
indicate no data reported or data do not meet publication criteria.
Last Modified Date: September 12, 2007
