Worker Health Chartbook 2004

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1		Figure 2-17 Average annual rate of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers by State of death, 1980-2000. (All data for 1980-2000 exclude New York City.) The States with the highest fatality rates for occupational injury during 1980-2000 include Alaska (20.9 per 100,000 workers), Wyoming (14.9), Montana (11.1), Idaho (9.7), Mississippi (9.6), and West Virginia (9.6). The greatest numbers of fatal occupational injuries occurred in California (12,221), Texas (11,635), Florida (7,252), Illinois (5,145), and Pennsylvania (4,420). (Source: NIOSH [2003].)
2		Figure 2-38 Rates of MSD cases involving days away from work in private industry by State, 2001. The rate of new MSD cases within reporting States ranged from 35.0 to 141.5 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2001. The States with the highest rates include West Virginia (141.5), Alaska (123.5), and Washington (112.1). BLS reported an overall rate of 57.5 per 10,000 full-time workers for the United States in 2001. (Source: BLS [2003d].)
3		Figure 2-176 Age-adjusted mortality rates for asbestosis in U.S. residents aged 15 or older by State, 1990-1999. Delaware and West Virginia had the highest asbestosis mortality rates during 1990-1999. States in the second highest mortality rate category were predominantly coastal States. All States in these two groupings had asbestosis mortality rates above the U.S. rate of 5.4 per million. (Source: NIOSH [2002f].)
4		Figure 2-184 Age-adjusted mortality rates for CWP in U.S. residents aged 15 or older by State, 1990-1999. West Virginia had the highest CWP mortality rate-nearly 20 times the rate of 7.56 per million for the entire United States. The second highest rate category included the Appalachian and western coal mining regions. (Source: NIOSH [2002f].)
5		Figure 2-187 Age-adjusted mortality rates for unspecified/other pneumoconiosis in U.S. residents aged 15 or older by State, 1990-1999. During 1990-1999, West Virginia had the highest mortality rates for unspecified/other pneumoconiosis-more than 20 times the U.S. rate of 1.59 per million. High rates were observed among other Appalachian and Western mining States, ranging from two to nine times the U.S. rate. (Source: NIOSH [2002f].)
6		Figure 2-193 Age-adjusted mortality rates for silicosis in U.S. residents aged 15 or older by State, 1990-1997. States with the highest silicosis mortality rates during 1990-1999 were regionally dispersed: West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Vermont make up the eastern cluster; and Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah constitute the western cluster. Mortality rates for each of these States were at least three times the rate of 1.21 per million for the entire United States. (Source: NIOSH [2002f].)
7		Figure 2-197 Number of cases of dust diseases of the lungs in private industry by State, 2001. The number of dust diseases of the lungs within reporting States ranged from fewer than 50 cases to 200 in 2001. BLS reported 1,300 cases of dust diseases of the lung in 2001. Eight States (California, Illinois, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia) reported 100 or more cases. (Source: BLS [2002].)
8		Figure 2-198 Incidence rates for dust diseases of the lungs in private industry by State, 2001. Rates for occupational dust diseases of the lungs varied by State in 2001, from a low of 0.1 per 10,000 full-time workers in most States to a high of 3.8 per 10,000 full-time workers in West Virginia. The U.S. rate was 0.1 per 10,000 full-time workers. Lower rates were reported for States in the South, the Southwest, and the West. (Source: BLS [2002].)
9		Figure 4-5 Number and average annual rate of fatal occupational injuries in coal and metal/nonmetal mining for each 5-year period during 1966-2000, including factors affecting reductions in these injuries. The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 was passed soon after 78 coal miners died in 1968 during an underground explosion in the Consol No. 9 Mine at Farmington, West Virginia. Numbers and rates of fatal injuries in coal mining declined steadily after passage of the 1969 Act. During the most recent 5-year period (1996-2000), the fatal injury rate for coal mining was at its lowest-33 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (which included metal/nonmetal mining) was passed a few years after 91 miners lost their lives in a 1972 underground mine fire at the Sunshine Silver Mine. The fatal occupational injury rate for metal/nonmetal mining declined to its lowest rate (25.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers) in 1991-1995. During 1996-2000, this rate increased to 27.1 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers. Safety and health legislation has been an important factor in reducing fatal occupational injury rates over the past three decades. However, other critical factors include improvements in mining technology such as roof bolting to prevent roof cave-ins, dust suppression and ventilation techniques, and use of noncombustible materials to prevent explosions and fires. Despite large declines in the numbers and rates of fatal injuries to miners, mining continues to be one of the most hazardous occupations. (Sources: MSHA [2002]; NIOSH [2003a].)

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