Fatal Injuries
Data for the figures come from two sources: (1) the NIOSH National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) Surveillance System, which is a death-certificate-based census of occupational deaths for U.S. workers aged 16 or older, and (2) the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) Surveillance System.
BLS reported 5,524 fatal occupational injuries in 2002. Rates of these injuries declined 23.1% during 1992–2002, from 5.2 per 100,000 full-time workers in 1992 to 4.0 in 2002 (Figure 2–16). During 1980–2000, the States with the highest rates of occupational injury death were Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, West Virginia, and Mississippi (Figure 2–17). Most fatal injuries occurred among workers who were aged 25–54 (66.6%) (Figure 2–19), male (92.0%) (Figure 2–20), and white, non-Hispanic (71.0%) (Figure 2–22). The majority of fatal injuries (55.2% or 2,999 cases) occurred among two occupational groups: operators, fabricators, and laborers (34.9% or 1,895 cases) and precision production, craft, and repair workers (20.3% or 1,104 cases) (Figure 2–24). Two industry sectors accounted for more than 40% of fatal occupational injuries: construction (22.6% or 1,121 cases) and transportation and public utilities (18.3% or 910 cases) (Figure 2–25). Deaths due to motor vehicle incidents had the highest rates from 1980 through 1998 (Figure 2–23). During 1992–2000, the number of fatal occupational injuries associated with highway incidents increased 18.5% (Figure 2–28).
Magnitude and Trend
How many workers were fatally injured during 1980–2000 and what was the fatality rate each year?
 | Figure 2-15 Numbers and rates of traumatic occupational fatalities, 1980-2000. (All data for 1980-2000 exclude New York City.) The numbers of traumatic occupational fatalities decreased 33% during 1980-2000, from 7,343 fatalities in 1980 to 4,956 in 2000. During this period, the average annual rate for traumatic occupational fatalities decreased 50%-from 7.4 per 100,000 civilian workers in 1980 to 3.7 in 2000. (Source: NIOSH [2003].) |
How did the numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries change during 1992–2002?
 |
Figure 2-16 Numbers
and rates of fatal occupational injuries, 1992-2002. A total
of 5,524 fatal occupational injuries were recorded in 2002. During
1992-2002, fatality rates declined from 5.2 per 100,000 workers to
4.0. (Source: BLS [2003c].) |
Numbers and Rates among States
How did the rate of fatal occupational injuries differ by State during 1980–2000?
 | 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].) |
How did the number of fatal occupational injuries differ by State in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-18 Number
of fatal occupational injuries by State, 2002. BLS reported a
low of 8 fatal occupational injuries in Rhode Island and a high of
478 in California for 2002. High fatality counts were also reported
for Texas (417), Florida (354), New York (238), and Ohio (202). (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
Age
How did fatal occupational injuries differ by age of worker in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-19 Distribution
of fatal occupational injuries by age of worker, 2002. In 2002,
two-thirds of all fatally injured workers were aged 25-54. The highest
percentage and number of fatalities (25.4% or 1,402 cases) were reported
for workers aged 35-44. (Source: BLS [2003c].) |
Sex
How did fatal occupational injuries differ by sex of worker in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-20 Employment
and fatality profiles by sex, 2002. Male workers held 53.7% of
the estimated 137.7 million jobs for employed workers in 2002, and
they incurred 92.0% of the 5,524 fatal occupational injuries. (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
Race/Ethnicity
How did fatal occupational injuries differ by race in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-21 Distribution
and number of fatal occupational injuries by race, 2002. The
3,917 fatal injuries among white, non-Hispanic workers represented
71.0% of all fatal occupational injuries in 2002. Hispanic workers
accounted for 840 cases or 15.2% of fatal occupational injuries in
2002. (Source: BLS [2003c].) |
How did annual rates of fatal occupational injuries change by race during 1980–2000?
 | Figure 2-22 Annual rates of fatal occupational injuries by race, 1980-2000. (All data for 1980-2000 exclude New York City.) In general, fatal occupational injury rates decreased for all races during 1980-2000. From 1991 through 1994, the rates for other races increased because of changes in methods for coding race information. Before 1998, black workers had slightly higher fatal occupational injury rates than white workers. But after 1998, the rates for white workers were slightly higher than those for black workers and for workers of all other races. (Source: NIOSH [2003].) |
Causes of Death
How did annual rates of fatal occupational injuries differ by cause of death during 1980–1998?
 | Figure 2-23 Annual rates of fatal occupational injuries by leading cause, 1980-1998. (All data for 1998 exclude New York State.) During 1980-1998, fatal occupational injury rates declined for the six leading causes of death, though not always consistently. During this period, deaths due to motor vehicle incidents had the highest rates. Deaths due to machines had the second highest rate until 1990, when they were surpassed by deaths due to homicides. For 1998, the rates of death for homicides and falls were second highest, followed closely by the rate for machine-related deaths. (Source: NIOSH [2001].) |
Occupation
How were fatal injuries distributed by occupation in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-24 Distribution
and number of fatal occupational injuries by occupation, 2002. In
2002, the majority of fatal injuries (55.2% or 2,999 cases) occurred
among two occupational groups: operators, fabricators, and laborers
(34.9% or 1,895 cases) and precision production, craft, and repair
workers (20.3% or 1,104 cases). (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
Industry
How were fatal injuries distributed by private industry sector in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-25 Distribution
and number of fatal occupational injuries by private industry sector,
2002. In 2002, two industry sectors accounted for more than 40%
of fatal occupational injuries: construction (22.6% or 1,121 cases)
and transportation and public utilities (18.3% or 910 cases). (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
Event or Exposure
How did fatal occupational injuries differ by event or exposure in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-26 Distribution
and number of fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 2002. Transportation-related
incidents caused 43.1% of the fatal occupational injuries in 2002,
including 1,372 highway fatalities (which accounted for 24.9% of
all occupational fatalities). (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
How did fatal occupational injuries differ by sex of worker and event or exposure in 2002?
 |
Figure 2-27 Distribution
of fatal occupational injuries by sex of worker and event or exposure,
2002. Fatal injuries to male and female workers were not distributed
consistently by type of event or exposure in 2002 because of differences
in the types of jobs held by men and women. Fatal injuries in female
workers were most frequently associated with transportation incidents
(46.7%) and assaults and violent acts (33.8%). Transportation incidents
also accounted for the most fatalities in male workers (42.8%), and
contact with objects and equipment accounted for an additional 16.7%
of male fatalities. (Note: A dash in parentheses indicates that no
data were reported or that data do not meet BLS publication criteria.) (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
How did the numbers of fatal occupational injuries from highway incidents, homicides, and falls change during 1992–2002?
 |
Figure 2-28 Numbers
of fatal occupational injuries associated with the three most frequent
fatal occupational events, 1992-2002. In 2002, fatal occupational
highway injuries declined slightly from 2001 (2.6% or 37 cases),
accounting for 1,372 fatal injuries. Falls showed the greatest decline
from 2001 (11.9% or 96 cases). Fatal occupational highway injuries
and fatal falls increased 19% during 1992-2002. Job-related homicides
decreased 42% during the same period. (Source:
BLS [2003c].) |
