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Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure, United States, 2002

Originally Posted: April 28, 2004

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure, United States, 2002
Occupation(1) Total fatalities (number) Event or exposure(2) (percent)
Transportation incidents(3) Assaults and violent acts(4) Contact with objects and equipment Falls Exposure to harmful substances or environments Fires and explosions

Total

5,524 43.1 15.2 15.8 12.9 9.7 3.0

Managerial and professional specialty

513 43.3 31.2 6.8 9.2 6.2 2.5

Executive, administrative, and managerial

319 41.4 35.1 8.2 9.1 3.4 2.8

Administrators and officials, public administration

6 50.0 -- -- -- -- --

Financial managers

8 -- 75.0 -- -- -- --

Managers, marketing, advertising, and public relations

17 70.6 23.5 -- -- -- --

Administrators, education and related fields

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Managers, medicine and health

3 -- 100.0 -- -- -- --

Managers, food serving and lodging establishments

46 10.9 82.6 -- -- -- --

Managers, properties and real estate

12 -- 33.3 -- 33.3 -- --

Funeral directors

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Managers, service organizations, n.e.c.

4 75.0 -- -- -- -- --

Managers and administrators, n.e.c.

158 44.3 21.5 13.3 12.7 5.7 2.5

Management related occupations

48 58.3 33.3 -- 6.2 -- --

Accountants and auditors

11 54.5 45.5 -- -- -- --

Other financial officers

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Buyers, wholesale and retail trade except farm products

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Construction inspectors

8 62.5 37.5 -- -- -- --

Inspectors and compliance officers, except construction

7 71.4 -- -- -- -- --

Professional specialty

194 46.4 24.7 4.6 9.3 10.8 2.1

Engineers, architects, and surveyors

26 50.0 -- -- 15.4 11.5 11.5

Engineers

19 42.1 -- -- -- 15.8 15.8

Civil engineers

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Electrical and electronic engineers

7 42.9 -- -- -- -- --

Industrial engineers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Surveyors and mapping scientists

5 80.0 -- -- -- -- --

Mathematical and computer scientists

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Computer systems analysts and scientists

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Natural scientists

9 -- -- -- -- 33.3 --

Biological and life scientists

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Health diagnosing occupations

15 20.0 60.0 -- -- 20.0 --

Physicians

9 33.3 44.4 -- -- -- --

Health assessment and treating occupations

19 63.2 15.8 -- -- -- --

Registered nurses

16 62.5 -- -- -- -- --

Teachers, postsecondary

10 40.0 -- -- -- -- --

Teachers, except postsecondary

19 68.4 -- -- 26.3 -- --

Librarians, archivists, and curators

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Social, recreation, and religious workers

27 40.7 33.3 -- -- 18.5 --

Social workers

9 44.4 44.4 -- -- -- --

Clergy

7 42.9 42.9 -- -- -- --

Lawyers and judges

8 -- 75.0 -- -- -- --

Lawyers

8 -- 75.0 -- -- -- --

Writers, artists, entertainers, and athletes

47 57.4 21.3 6.4 8.5 6.4 --

Actors and directors

5 60.0 -- -- -- -- --

Photographers

7 71.4 -- -- -- -- --

Artists, performers, and related workers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Athletes

23 56.5 -- 13.0 -- 13.0 --

Technical, sales, and administrative support

595 44.5 40.7 3.7 6.4 3.7 0.8

Technicians and related support occupations

155 76.8 7.1 3.9 2.6 9.0 --

Health technologists and technicians

22 54.5 27.3 -- -- -- --

Engineering and related technologists and technicians

24 37.5 -- 12.5 -- 37.5 --

Electrical and electronic technicians

16 43.8 -- -- -- 37.5 --

Technicians, except health, engineering, and science

103 92.2 2.9 -- -- 2.9 --

Airplane pilots and navigators

90 100.0 -- -- -- -- --

Sales occupations

347 29.1 57.3 4.0 6.9 1.4 0.9

Supervisors and proprietors, sales occupations

162 19.8 69.1 4.9 4.3 -- --

Sales representatives, finance and business services

29 62.1 17.2 -- 13.8 -- --

Real estate sales occupations

7 42.9 -- -- -- -- --

Sales representatives, commodities except retail

21 81.0 -- -- -- -- --

Sales representatives, mining, manufacturing, and wholesale

19 84.2 -- -- -- -- --

Sales workers, retail and personal services

132 25.0 61.4 3.8 7.6 2.3 --

Sales workers, motor vehicles and boats

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Sales workers, parts

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Sales counter clerks

10 -- 80.0 -- -- -- --

Cashiers

47 -- 87.2 -- 6.4 -- --

Street and door-to-door sales workers

11 -- 81.8 -- -- -- --

News vendors

21 81.0 -- -- -- -- --

Administrative support occupations, including clerical

93 48.4 34.4 -- 10.8 3.2 --

Supervisors, administrative support occupations

5 -- 60.0 -- -- -- --

Secretaries, stenographers, and typists

5 60.0 -- -- -- -- --

Secretaries

5 60.0 -- -- -- -- --

Information clerks

13 -- 84.6 -- -- -- --

Mail and message distributing occupations

34 79.4 11.8 -- -- -- --

Postal clerks, except mail carriers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Mail carriers, postal service

16 93.8 -- -- -- -- --

Mail clerks, except postal service

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Messengers

12 83.3 -- -- -- -- --

Material recording, scheduling, and distributing clerks

10 30.0 40.0 -- -- -- --

Traffic, shipping, and receiving clerks

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Stock and inventory clerks

3 -- 100.0 -- -- -- --

Adjusters and investigators

10 80.0 -- -- -- -- --

Miscellaneous administrative support

11 -- 63.6 -- -- -- --

General office clerks

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Bank tellers

4 -- 100.0 -- -- -- --

Service occupations

483 34.0 38.3 5.4 9.9 6.6 5.2

Private household occupations

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Protective service occupations

272 43.4 39.0 3.7 2.6 2.2 8.5

Firefighting and fire prevention occupations, including supervisors

52 51.9 -- -- -- -- 40.4

Firefighting occupations

47 55.3 -- -- -- -- 36.2

Police and detectives, including supervisors

140 47.1 47.1 -- -- 2.1 --

Police and detectives, public services

80 53.8 40.0 -- -- -- --

Sheriffs, bailiffs, and other law enforcement officers

46 37.0 58.7 -- -- -- --

Correctional institution officers

13 46.2 46.2 -- -- -- --

Guards, including supervisors

80 31.2 50.0 7.5 7.5 -- --

Crossing guards

5 100.0 -- -- -- -- --

Guards and police, except public service

67 23.9 56.7 9.0 7.5 -- --

Service occupations, except protective and household

207 21.7 38.2 7.7 19.3 11.6 --

Food preparation and service occupations

63 19.0 54.0 -- 9.5 12.7 --

Supervisors, food preparation and service occupations

9 -- 55.6 -- -- -- --

Bartenders

7 -- 85.7 -- -- -- --

Waiters and waitresses

9 -- 66.7 -- -- -- --

Cooks

23 17.4 52.2 -- -- 13.0 --

Food counter, fountain and related occupations

4 -- 75.0 -- -- -- --

Miscellaneous food preparation occupations

8 -- -- -- -- 62.5 --

Health service occupations

20 40.0 50.0 -- -- -- --

Cleaning and building service occupations, except household

92 18.5 26.1 12.0 30.4 10.9 --

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

14 42.9 42.9 -- -- -- --

Supervisors, cleaning and building services workers

6 -- -- -- -- -- --

Janitors and cleaners

76 15.8 30.3 10.5 32.9 9.2 --

Pest control occupations

8 62.5 -- -- -- -- --

Personal service occupations

32 25.0 34.4 9.4 12.5 18.8 --

Barbers

6 -- 83.3 -- -- -- --

Attendants, amusement and recreation facilities

10 50.0 -- -- -- 30.0 --

Guides

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Farming, forestry, and fishing

840 44.5 7.1 28.9 7.9 9.9 1.7

Farming operators and managers

337 50.4 6.8 28.8 5.3 5.3 3.3

Farmers, except horticultural

306 50.3 7.2 29.7 4.9 4.9 2.9

Horticultural specialty farmers

8 50.0 -- -- -- -- --

Managers, farms, except horticultural

20 50.0 -- 20.0 -- -- --

Managers, horticultural specialty farms

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Other agricultural and related occupations

366 40.2 9.6 21.0 11.7 16.9 --

Farm occupations, except managerial

198 46.0 11.6 22.2 4.0 15.2 --

Supervisors, farm workers

10 30.0 30.0 -- -- -- --

Farm workers

183 45.9 10.9 23.0 3.8 15.3 --

Nursery workers

4 75.0 -- -- -- -- --

Related agricultural occupations

168 33.3 7.1 19.6 20.8 19.0 --

Supervisors, related agricultural occupations

14 35.7 -- 21.4 -- -- --

Groundskeepers and gardeners, except farm

146 33.6 4.1 20.5 22.6 19.2 --

Animal caretakers, except farm

7 -- 57.1 -- -- -- --

Forestry and logging occupations

104 29.8 -- 64.4 4.8 -- --

Supervisors, forestry, and logging workers

14 -- -- 78.6 -- -- --

Forestry workers, except logging

18 94.4 -- -- -- -- --

Timber cutting and logging occupations

72 16.7 -- 77.8 5.6 -- --

Fishers, hunters, and trappers

33 78.8 -- -- -- 9.1 --

Fishers, including vessel captains and officers

33 78.8 -- -- -- 9.1 --

Precision production, craft, and repair

1,104 21.3 5.1 19.1 29.0 20.1 5.3

Mechanics and repairers

274 27.7 7.3 25.5 14.2 16.4 8.0

Supervisors, mechanics and repairers

23 30.4 13.0 -- 13.0 -- 21.7

Mechanics and repairers, except supervisors

251 27.5 6.8 27.1 14.3 17.1 6.8

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, repairers

115 31.3 9.6 33.9 4.3 11.3 9.6

Automobile mechanics and apprentices

42 21.4 11.9 42.9 -- 14.3 7.1

Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics

26 42.3 -- 19.2 -- 11.5 11.5

Aircraft engine mechanics

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Automobile body and related repairers

11 27.3 27.3 -- -- -- --

Heavy equipment mechanics

21 33.3 -- 47.6 -- -- --

Farm equipment mechanics

6 -- -- -- -- -- --

Industrial machinery repairers

21 19.0 -- 42.9 -- -- 19.0

Machinery maintenance occupations

6 -- -- -- -- -- --

Electrical and electronic equipment repairers

30 30.0 -- 16.7 26.7 20.0 --

Electronic repairers, communications and industrial equipment

16 31.2 -- -- 37.5 -- --

Telephone line installers and repairers

6 -- -- -- -- 50.0 --

Telephone installers and repairers

4 75.0 -- -- -- -- --

Miscellaneous electrical and electronic equipment repairers

3 -- -- 100.0 -- -- --

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics

25 28.0 12.0 -- 28.0 28.0 --

Miscellaneous mechanics and repairers

54 22.2 -- 24.1 22.2 25.9 --

Elevator installers and repairers

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Millwrights

7 -- -- 57.1 -- -- --

Construction trades

682 19.4 2.5 13.3 38.9 23.8 2.2

Supervisors, construction occupations

108 30.6 6.5 18.5 30.6 12.0 --

Supervisors, carpenters and related workers

9 -- -- 33.3 33.3 -- --

Supervisors, electricians and power transmission installers

9 33.3 -- -- -- 33.3 --

Supervisors, painters, paperhangers, and plasterers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Supervisors, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

8 -- -- 37.5 -- -- --

Supervisors, n.e.c.

78 34.6 3.8 15.4 33.3 10.3 --

Construction trades, except supervisors

574 17.2 1.7 12.4 40.4 26.0 2.3

Brickmasons, stonemasons, and apprentices

21 14.3 -- 23.8 33.3 19.0 --

Carpenters and apprentices

108 11.1 2.8 12.0 57.4 13.9 --

Drywall installers

9 -- -- -- -- -- --

Electricians and apprentices

116 14.7 2.6 10.3 15.5 53.4 3.4

Electrical power installers and repairers

41 14.6 -- -- 19.5 56.1 --

Painters, construction and maintenance

46 10.9 -- 10.9 63.0 13.0 --

Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, and apprentices

34 29.4 -- 35.3 20.6 11.8 --

Insulation workers

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

4 100.0 -- -- -- -- --

Roofers

87 11.5 -- -- 67.8 18.4 --

Structural metal workers

39 -- -- 23.1 69.2 -- --

Drillers, earth

8 62.5 -- -- -- -- --

Extractive occupations

58 24.1 -- 37.9 10.3 10.3 15.5

Supervisors, extractive occupations

8 75.0 -- -- -- -- --

Drillers, oil wells

7 -- -- -- -- -- 42.9

Mining machine operators

17 17.6 -- 47.1 -- 17.6 --

Precision production occupations

90 14.4 20.0 31.1 11.1 10.0 13.3

Precision metal working occupations

28 -- 14.3 39.3 25.0 -- --

Machinists

12 -- -- 66.7 -- -- --

Sheet metal workers

6 -- -- -- 50.0 -- --

Precision food production occupations

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Plant and system operators

17 29.4 17.6 29.4 -- -- 17.6

Water and sewage treatment plant operators

6 -- -- -- -- -- --

Stationary engineers

6 -- -- -- -- -- --

Operators, fabricators, and laborers

1,895 55.9 6.8 17.2 10.1 7.6 2.3

Machine operators, assemblers, and inspectors

168 14.3 6.5 37.5 18.5 10.1 13.1

Machine operators and tenders, except precision

95 12.6 9.5 44.2 11.6 7.4 14.7

Metal working and plastic working machine operators

7 -- -- 85.7 -- -- --

Metal and plastic processing machine operators

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Woodworking machine operators

5 -- -- 80.0 -- -- --

Sawing machine operators

3 -- -- 100.0 -- -- --

Printing machine operators

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Textile, apparel, and furnishings machine operators

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Machine operators, assorted materials

71 11.3 8.5 39.4 11.3 9.9 19.7

Packaging and filling machine operators

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Mixing and blending machine operators

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Separating, filtering, and clarifying machine operators

6 -- -- -- -- -- 50.0

Furnace, kiln, and oven operators except food

6 -- -- -- -- -- 50.0

Crushing and grinding machine operators

6 -- -- 50.0 -- -- --

Slicing and cutting machine operators

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Miscellaneous machine operators, n.e.c.

24 12.5 -- 33.3 20.8 -- 20.8

Machine operators, not specified

14 21.4 -- 57.1 -- -- --

Fabricators, assemblers, and hand working occupations

62 11.3 -- 30.6 27.4 16.1 11.3

Welders and cutters

52 9.6 -- 25.0 32.7 17.3 13.5

Assemblers

9 -- -- 66.7 -- -- --

Production inspectors, testers, samplers, and weighers

11 45.5 -- -- 27.3 -- --

Transportation and material moving occupations

1,143 73.7 6.8 12.0 3.8 3.3 0.3

Motor vehicle operators

952 77.9 7.7 8.4 3.2 2.5 --

Truck drivers

808 80.7 3.1 9.8 3.2 2.8 --

Driver-sales workers

58 74.1 24.1 -- -- -- --

Bus drivers

19 78.9 15.8 -- -- -- --

Taxicab drivers and chauffeurs

51 37.3 58.8 -- -- -- --

Transportation occupations, except motor vehicles

38 78.9 -- -- -- 13.2 --

Rail transportation occupations

11 100.0 -- -- -- -- --

Railroad conductors and yardmasters

6 100.0 -- -- -- -- --

Water transportation occupations

27 70.4 -- -- -- 18.5 --

Ship captains and mates, except fishing boats

13 76.9 -- -- -- 23.1 --

Sailors and deckhands

14 64.3 -- -- -- -- --

Material moving equipment operators

153 45.8 2.6 36.6 7.8 5.9 --

Operating engineers

33 57.6 -- 33.3 -- -- --

Hoist and winch operators

5 -- -- -- -- -- --

Crane and tower operators

13 -- -- 69.2 23.1 -- --

Excavating and loading machine operators

16 43.8 -- 43.8 -- -- --

Grader, dozer, and scraper operators

13 76.9 -- 23.1 -- -- --

Industrial truck and tractor equipment operators

49 53.1 -- 34.7 6.1 -- --

Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers

584 33.2 6.7 21.4 20.0 15.2 3.1

Helpers, mechanics and repairers

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Helpers, construction and extractive occupations

14 -- -- -- 42.9 35.7 --

Helpers, construction trades

14 -- -- -- 42.9 35.7 --

Construction laborers

302 31.1 2.3 24.2 23.8 15.9 2.6

Production helpers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Freight, stock, and material handlers

51 45.1 19.6 9.8 17.6 5.9 --

Garbage collectors

17 94.1 -- -- -- -- --

Stevedores

4 -- -- -- -- -- --

Stock handlers and baggers

16 -- 56.2 -- 18.8 -- --

Garage and service station related occupations

11 45.5 45.5 -- -- -- --

Vehicle washers and equipment cleaners

11 45.5 -- -- -- 27.3 --

Hand packers and packagers

3 -- -- -- -- -- --

Laborers, except construction

181 34.8 6.6 23.8 14.4 16.6 3.9

Military occupations

85 68.2 10.6 9.4 -- 3.5 7.1

Footnotes:
(1) Based on the 1990 Occupational Classification System developed by the Bureau of the Census.
(2) Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual.
(3) Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities.
(4) Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injury, and assaults by animals.

NOTE: 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 that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Data for 2002 are preliminary.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

 

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