Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
Inputs: Occupational Safety and Health Risks
More than 7 million workers in transportation, warehousing, and utilities industries are at risk for fatal and nonfatal injuries. Occupations within these industries account for 5% of U.S. workers and 15% of workplace fatalities. Workers employed in truck transportation account for 58% of the fatalities in transportation, warehousing, and utilities industries. In addition to being at risk of fatal injuries, workers in these industries are at risk of injury or illness from transportation incidents, overexertion, electrocution, vehicle emissions, and falls.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes detailed information about occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities for all industry sectors.
Fatalities
In 2006, transportation and warehousing industries recorded 832 fatal work injuries, the second highest total among industry sectors. Fewer fatalities were reported in water and rail transportation than in 2005. The 537 fatalities in truck transportation, which accounted for 8% of all occupational fatalities in the U.S., represented a decrease of 6% from 2005.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2006
External Link: http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm
Fatal occupational injuries* by private industry (2)† and selected event or exposure, 2006 |
Transportation and warehousing |
832 |
15 |
55 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
Air transportation |
51 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Rail transportation |
19 |
§§ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Water transportation |
16 |
§§ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Truck transportation |
537 |
9 |
71 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
Transit and ground passenger transportation |
57 |
1 |
37 |
49 |
- |
- |
Support activities for transportation |
81 |
1 |
20 |
- |
- |
22 |
Couriers and messengers |
41 |
1 |
66 |
7 |
- |
7 |
Warehousing and storage |
17 |
§§ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Utilities |
52 |
1 |
17 |
- |
15 |
12 |
Source: Fatal occupational injuries by industry and selected event or exposure, 2006
External Link: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.t02.htm
Additional BLS occupational fatality information is available in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
External Link: http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.toc.htm
Nonfatal injuries and illnesses
Transportation and Warehousing
This industry includes establishments engaged in transportation of passengers and freight via air, water, rail, and ground, as well as warehousing and storage of goods, sightseeing transportation, and various related support activities. This sector accounted for nearly 7 percent of all private industry injury and illness cases in 2006, but made up only 4 percent of employment. Although the rate for the transportation and warehousing sector fell by one-half case in 2006, this sector reported the highest rate among service-providing industry sectors—6.5 cases per 100 full-time workers.
Utilities
This sector comprises establishments that provide electric power, natural gas, water, and sewage removal. This relatively small industry sector accounted for only about one-half of one percent of private industry employment and injury and illness cases in 2006. A 12 percent decrease in the number of injury and illness cases reported among establishments in this sector resulted in a decline in the injury and illnesses rate from 4.6 to 4.1 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006. Among the three 4-digit NAICS industries in this sector, only water, sewage, and other systems (NAICS 2213) experienced a significant decline in the injury and illnesses rate, falling from 7.6 to 5.2 cases per 100 full-time workers in 2006.
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Source: BLS Workplace Injury and Illness Summary
External link: http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/osh.nr0.htm
Detailed data on nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities sector can be found in the following table:
Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work by industry and selected events or exposures leading to injury or illness, 2006
External link: http://stats.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/case/ostb1796.pdf
Additional BLS data on occupational injuries and illnesses can be found here:
http://stats.bls.gov/iif/oshcdnew.htm
Page last updated: April 25, 2008
Page last reviewed: April 25, 2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)