| Internet: www.bls.gov/ro5/ | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
| GENERAL INFORMATION: (312) 353-1880 | Thursday, November 6, 2008 |
| MEDIA CONTACT: Paul LaPorte | |
| (312) 353-1138 |
Workplace Fatalities in South Dakota for 2007
Fatal work injuries in South Dakota totaled 21 in 2007, a decrease of 16 from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Please note that the 2007 results are preliminary; final results will be released in April 2009. Regional Commissioner Jay A. Mousa noted that the 2007 fatality count in South Dakota was at a record low after peaking in 1999 with 46 work-related deaths. (The fatality census has been conducted annually since 1992.) The most frequent types of fatal workplace events in the State in 2007 were nonhighway transportation incidents (6), falls to a lower level (5), and highway crashes (3). Taken together, these three events 1/ accounted for two-thirds of the workplace fatalities in South Dakota. (See table A.)
Nonhighway transportation incidents (excluding rail, air, and water) were the leading cause of work-related deaths in the State. The six cases accounted for 29 percent of South Dakota’s workplace fatalities in 2007. Nonhighway transportation incidents accounted for 5 percent of fatalities nationwide. Since 1992, the number of nonhighway transportation incidents in South Dakota has ranged from three to six.
Falls to a lower level were the second leading cause of workplace fatalities in the State. The five recorded in 2007 accounted for nearly one-quarter of the State’s total fatality count. Nationwide, this event was responsible for 13 percent of all workplace fatalities in 2007.
The three on-the-job fatalities resulting from highway crashes (officially titled highway incidents and includes non-collision incidents) were the lowest on record since 1992. Until 2007, highway crashes had been or at least tied for the leading cause of workplace fatalities in South Dakota. In 2007, work-related deaths due to highway crashes accounted for 14 percent of the State’s fatality count. Nationally, highway crashes were the leading cause of on-the-job deaths accounting for nearly one-quarter of all fatalities.
| Year | Total | Nonhighway incidents | Falls to lower level | Highway crashes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fatalities | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
1992 |
28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 32 |
1993 |
28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 18 |
1994 |
31 | 4 | 13 | -- | -- | 4 | 13 |
1995 |
26 | -- | -- | 3 | 12 | 5 | 19 |
1996 |
32 | 5 | 16 | -- | -- | 9 | 28 |
1997 |
23 | -- | -- | 3 | 13 | 8 | 35 |
1998 |
28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 32 |
1999 |
46 | 5 | 11 | -- | -- | 9 | 20 |
2000 |
35 | 6 | 17 | -- | -- | 7 | 20 |
2001 |
35 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 17 |
2002 |
36 | 5 | 14 | -- | -- | 5 | 14 |
2003 |
28 | 4 | 14 | -- | -- | 5 | 18 |
2004 |
24 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 29 |
2005 |
31 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 35 |
2006 |
37 | 6 | 16 | -- | -- | 11 | 30 |
2007 |
21 | 6 | 29 | 5 | 24 | 3 | 14 |
|
NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. |
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Nationwide, a total of 5,488 fatal work injuries were reported in 2007, a decrease of 6 percent from the revised total of 5,840 reported in 2006. While these results are preliminary, this figure represents the lowest annual total since the series began in 1992. (See table B.) Highway crashes in 2007 accounted for nearly one out of every four fatal work injuries and continued to lead all other events in the frequency of on-the-job fatalities. Still, the 2007 count of 1,311 fatal highway crashes was the lowest annual total since 1993. The 2007 total of 733 fatal falls to a lower level was the third highest since the fatality census began, but was slightly lower than the 738 recorded in 2006. The number of workers (504) who were fatally injured from being struck by objects or equipment in 2007 was at the lowest level since the fatality census began and represented a 14-percent decline from the 2006 total. Two other events were also at series lows in 2007—fatal work injuries involving electrocutions (212) and fatalities resulting from fires and explosions (151).
Workplace homicides increased by 13 percent to 610 in 2007 from the series low of 540 that was reported in 2006. Even after the increase, workplace homicides have declined 44 percent from the high of 1,080 reported in 1994.
Key characteristics of workplace fatalities in South Dakota in 2007:
(Detailed data tables are available at www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/tgs/2007/iiffi46.htm.)
-- Men accounted for 95 percent (20) of the work-related fatalities in the State. Transportation incidents, which include highway, nonhighway, pedestrian, air, water, and rail, accounted for over one-half of these fatal injuries and falls accounted for over nearly one-third.
-- In South Dakota, 95 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white, non-Hispanics.
-- Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for two-thirds of the State’s work-related fatalities in 2007; 19 percent were 65 years or older. Nationally, those 25 to 54 years accounted for 63 percent of the fatally injured and those 65 years and older, 10 percent.
-- The number of workers killed on the job was nearly the same for wage and salary workers (11) and those who were self-employed (10).
-- The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry sector accounted for the largest number of fatalities (10) followed by construction (6). Transportation incidents were the most frequent types of fatal event in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry, accounting for 8 of the 10 fatalities. Falls (5) accounted for the majority of fatalities in construction.
-- Management occupations had the highest number of work-related deaths (8), with farmers and ranchers accounting for 6 of those deaths Transportation and material moving occupations had four work-related deaths as did construction and extraction occupations. Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal injury event in all three of these occupational groups.
| Year | Total fatalities | Highway crashes | Falls to lower level | Nonhighway incidents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | Number | Percent | ||
1992 |
6,217 | 1,158 | 19 | 507 | 8 | 436 | 7 |
1993 |
6,331 | 1,242 | 20 | 534 | 8 | 392 | 6 |
1994 |
6,632 | 1,343 | 20 | 580 | 9 | 409 | 6 |
1995 |
6,275 | 1,346 | 21 | 578 | 9 | 387 | 6 |
1996 |
6,202 | 1,346 | 22 | 610 | 10 | 374 | 6 |
1997 |
6,238 | 1,393 | 22 | 653 | 10 | 377 | 6 |
1998 |
6,055 | 1,442 | 24 | 625 | 10 | 388 | 6 |
1999 |
6,054 | 1,496 | 25 | 634 | 10 | 352 | 6 |
2000 |
5,920 | 1,365 | 23 | 659 | 11 | 399 | 7 |
2001(1) |
5,915 | 1,409 | 24 | 700 | 12 | 326 | 6 |
2002 |
5,534 | 1,373 | 25 | 638 | 12 | 323 | 6 |
2003 |
5,575 | 1,353 | 24 | 604 | 11 | 347 | 6 |
2004 |
5,764 | 1,398 | 24 | 738 | 13 | 338 | 6 |
2005 |
5,734 | 1,437 | 25 | 664 | 12 | 340 | 6 |
2006(2) |
5,840 | 1,356 | 23 | 738 | 13 | 345 | 6 |
2007 |
5,488 | 1,311 | 24 | 733 | 13 | 292 | 5 |
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NOTE: Totals for 2007 are preliminary. |
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Additional Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data are available on the BLS Internet site at www.bls.gov/iif/. For personal assistance or further information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Midwest Information Office at (312) 353-1880, menu option 0, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT. Information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and other programs and surveys are available on our Web site at www.bls.gov/ro5/.
1/ Fatal events are categorized into several major groupings including transportation incidents, assaults and violent acts, and falls, among others. These major groups are further broken down into more detailed groups. See the Occupational Injury & Illness Classification System (OIICS) Manual at www.bls.gov/iif/oshoiics.htm for detailed information on the categories of fatalities used in this census.
TECHNICAL NOTE
Background of the program
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. in each calendar year. The program uses diverse State, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.
For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS Web site. To get to that document, click on Workplace Injuries on the BLS home page, scroll down to IIF Documentation, and then click on “BLS Handbook of Methods.” The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part 2 of the BLS Handbook of Methods.
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.
Acknowledgments
BLS 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.
Detailed statistics on fatal occupational injuries in South Dakota can be obtained from tables at www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/tgs/2007/iiffi46.htm.
Last Modified Date: November 6, 2008
