Internet address: www.bls.gov/ro1/ For information: (617) 565-2327 Media Contact: Denis Mcsweeney (617) 565-2331 USDL-08-337 For Release: Friday, November 14, 2008

FATAL WORK INJURIES IN NEW ENGLAND IN 2007

A total of 162 fatal work injuries were reported in New England in 2007, similar to the level recorded in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner Denis M. McSweeney noted that the number of fatalities in 2007 represented the sixth lowest level recorded since the series began in 1992. Please note that the 2007 figures are preliminary; final results will be released in April 2009. (See chart A.)

In 2007, fatal occupational injuries in New England accounted for about 3 percent of the 5,488 fatalities occurring nationwide. Nationally, workplace fatalities decreased 6 percent from the revised total of 5,840 fatalities reported for 2006. While these results are considered preliminary, the total for 2007 represents the smallest annual preliminary count for the U.S. recorded by the fatality census since its inception in 1992.

Among the New England states, on-the-job fatalities were highest in Massachusetts (74) and Connecticut (38), the two states with the largest workforces. Together, Massachusetts and Connecticut accounted for over two-thirds of the fatal injuries occurring in New England. (See table A.) Among the other four states, Maine (21 fatalities) and New Hampshire (14) represented 13 and 9 percent of the New England fatality count, respectively. Vermont ended the year with 10 work-related fatalities and Rhode Island, 5.

In 2007, three New England states recorded increases in their on-the-job fatality counts, two showed decreases, and one indicated no change. Massachusetts increased by 8 deaths over the year, the largest increase in New England while Maine (1) and New Hampshire (1) increased only slightly. In contrast, 2007 fatality counts decreased in Rhode Island (-5) and Vermont (-4). Connecticut's fatality count did not change in 2007. (See table A.)

Table A. Fatal occupational injuries for the United States, New England, and the New England states, 1992-2007

State	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
and area
United States	6,217	6,331	6,632	6,275	6,202	6,238	6,055	6,054	5,920	5,915	5,534	5,575	5,764	5,734	5,840	5,488
New England	166	172	165	155	144	163	178	192	186	150	153	188	171	167	161	162
Connecticut	42	31	35	32	35	32	57	38	55	41	39	36	54	46	38	38
Maine	19	20	22	18	23	19	26	32	26	23	30	23	16	15	20	21
Massachusetts	67	85	74	66	62	69	44	83	70	54	46	78	72	75	66	74
New Hampshire	10	13	14	12	11	23	23	14	13	9	19	19	15	18	13	14
Rhode Island	17	16	12	11	6	11	12	11	7	17	8	18	7	6	10	5
Vermont	11	7	8	16	7	9	16	14	15	6	11	14	7	7	14	10

Characteristics of fatal work injuries in the New England states

Connecticut. There were 38 workplace fatalities in Connecticut in 2007, the same total recorded in 2006. For 2007, the most frequent fatal workplace events were falls (10), assaults and violent acts (9), and transportation incidents (8). These three events accounted for the largest share of total work-related fatal injuries in Connecticut.

Workplace fatalities were most common in the trade, transportation, and utilities (15), construction (8), and professional and business services industry sectors (7), together accounting for the majority of Connecticut's fatal work injuries. Among occupational groups, transportation and material moving occupations accounted for 9 deaths or about one quarter of the State's fatality count.

Fifteen workplace fatalities in Connecticut were in the working age group, 45-54 years old, and almost a quarter (9) was among workers 25-34 years old. White, non-Hispanics (31) accounted for most of the fatal injuries in 2007.

Maine. Maine had 21 on-the-job fatalities in 2007, similar to the previous year (20); fatalities in both years were above the series low recorded in 2005. Transportation incidents (11) represented the highest share of fatalities in the State in 2007 accounting for about half of all fatalities; of those, highway events comprised 5 incidents. Among age categories, fatalities were concentrated among those 55- 64 years old (8) and 45-54 age workers (6). All of the workplace fatalities were male and nearly all were white, non-Hispanics (20).

Across industries, natural resources and mining (6) and government (5) accounted for over one-half of the State's fatality count. Occupationally, workers in transportation and material moving jobs had the highest fatality count (8).

Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, the total fatality count increased by 8 to 74 in 2007, one of the highest totals in the Commonwealth since the series began in 1992. The most frequent fatal event was transportation incidents (27) which accounted for 36 percent of the Commonwealth's total count. Other frequent events included falls (18) and assaults and violent acts (11). These three events accounted for three-quarters of Massachusetts' workplace fatalities.

The majority of fatal incidents occurred in two industries-construction (24) and trade, transportation, and utility (19). These industries represented 32 and 26 percent, respectively, of Massachusetts' total on-the-job fatalities. Among occupational groups, construction and extraction workers had the highest number of workplace fatalities (21), followed by transportation and material moving occupations (13); these two occupations together accounted for nearly half of on-the-job fatalities in the State.

The majority of fatally injured in the Commonwealth were white, non-Hispanics (60) in 2007. Women workers accounted for 6 work-related deaths, or 8 percent of work-related fatalities. Most workplace fatalities (54) occurred in the working age group 35-64 years, comprising 73 percent of all workplace deaths. Nationally, the majority of fatal injuries occurred in the prime working age group (25-54 years old), representing 64 percent of all fatalities.

New Hampshire. In 2007, New Hampshire had 14 workforce fatalities; this was similar to the 13 total reported the previous year and close to the average number of workplace fatalities (15) since the series' inception. These work fatalities occurred among transportation incidents (4), contact with objects and equipment (4), and assaults and violent acts (3). All fatally injured in the State were white, non-Hispanics.

Among industries, manufacturing (4) and trade, transportation, and utilities (4), accounted for about three-fifths of those fatally injured in the State. Occupationally, transportation and material moving (5) were the most frequent workplace fatalities.

Rhode Island. Rhode Island recorded 5 workplace deaths in 2007, falling by 5 from last year, recording the lowest count in the State since the series began. Three of the 5 fatalities were assaults and violent acts and among occupations, 3 occurred within transportation and material moving. Four of the deaths in 2007 were white, non-Hispanic. All of the 2007 workplace fatalities in the State were male workers.

Vermont. Vermont recorded 10 workplace fatalities in 2007, a decline of 4 from the previous year, and was similar to the average since the series began. These fatal events occurred among transportation incidents (4) and contact with object and equipment (3). By industry, on-the-job fatalities were concentrated mainly in the goods producing sector (8). All workplace deaths in the State were white, non-Hispanic males. Three workplace deaths were workers aged 45 to 54 years.

Technical Notes

Definitions

For a fatality to be included in the census, the decedent must have been employed (that is working for pay, compensation, or profit) at the time of the event, engaged in a legal work activity, or present at the site of the incident as a requirement of his or her job. These criteria are generally broader than those used by federal and state agencies administering specific laws and regulations (Fatalities that occur during a person's commute to or from work are excluded from the census counts.)

Data presented in this release include deaths occurring in 2007 that resulted from traumatic occupational injuries. An injury is defined as any intentional or unintentional wound or damage to the body resulting from acute exposure to energy, such as heat, electricity, or kinetic energy from a crash, or from the absence of such essentials as heat or oxygen caused by a specific event, incident, or series of events within a single workday or shift. Included are open wounds, intracranial and internal injuries, heatstroke, hypothermia, asphyxiation, acute poisonings resulting from short-term exposures limited to the worker's shift, suicides and homicides, and work injuries listed as underlying or contributory causes of death.

Information on work-related fatal illnesses is not reported in the BLS census and is excluded from the attached tables because the latency period of many occupational illnesses and the difficulty of linking illnesses to work make identification of a universe problematic.

Measurement techniques and limitations

Data for the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries are compiled from various federal, State, and local administrative sources--including death certificates, workers' compensation reports and claims, reports to various regulatory agencies, medical examiner reports, and police reports--as well as news and other non-governmental reports. Diverse sources are used because studies have shown that no single source captures all job-related fatalities. Source documents are matched so that each fatality is counted only once. To ensure that a fatality occurred while the decedent was at work, information is verified from two or more independent source documents or from a source document and a follow-up questionnaire. Approximately 30 data elements are collected, coded, and tabulated, including information about the worker, the fatal incident, and the machinery or equipment involved.

Identification and verification of work-related fatalities

In 2007, there were 40 cases included at the national level 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, which primarily affected self-employed workers, are included in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries counts. An additional 31 fatalities submitted nationwide by states were not included because the initiating 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 to update their initial published State counts. This procedure ensures that fatality data are disseminated as quickly as possible and that no legitimate case is excluded from the counts. Thus, each year's report should be considered preliminary until final data are issued. Over the last 5 years, increases in the nationally published counts based on additional information have averaged approximately 50 fatalities per year, or less than 0.9 percent of the revised total. The BLS news release issued August 9, 2007, reported a total of 5,703 fatal work injuries for 2006. Since then, an additional 137 fatal work injuries were identified, bringing the total for 2006 to 5,840. Revised counts for 2007 will be available in April 2009.

Federal/State agency coverage

The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether they are covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or State agencies or are 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.

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, and 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 agencies 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 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.

This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (617) 565-2072, Federal Relay Services: 1-800-877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by detailed event or exposure in the United States and the New England States, 2007

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by selected industries in the United States and the New England States, 2007

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by selected occupational group and demographic characteristics in the United States and the New England States, 2007

 

Last Modified Date: December 1, 2008