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.