| Internet: www.bls.gov/ro3/ | PLS — 4463 FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008 |
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| INFORMATION: | Cassidy Canzani (215) 597-3282 |
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| MEDIA CONTACT: | Gerald Perrins (215) 861-5600 |
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Workplace Fatalities in West Virginia for 2007 (PDF)Fatal work injuries in West Virginia totaled 61 in 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the number of work-related fatalities in 2007 decreased from the series high of 79 that was recorded in 2006. Please note that the 2007 results are preliminary; final results will be released in April 2009. (See chart A.) The most frequent types of workplace fatalities in 2007 were highway crashes (15), being struck by objects or equipment (10), and falls to a lower level (9); these 3 types of events1 accounted for 56 percent of all work-related deaths in the State. Chart A. Total workplace fatalities in West Virginia, 1992-2007
Highway crashes (officially titled highway incidents) led all events as the most frequent type of on-the-job fatalities for both the nation and the State of West Virginia. The number of fatal work injuries from highway crashes in West Virginia changed little over the year, from 16 in 2006 to 15 in 2007. (See table A.) Work-related deaths from highway crashes accounted for 25 percent of West Virginia’s and 24 percent of the United States’ total in 2007.
Fatalities from being struck by objects or equipment in West Virginia increased from 7 in 2006 to 10 in 2007 and accounted for 16 percent of the work-related deaths in the State. Nationally, this event accounted for 9 percent of the total. Falls to a lower level in West Virginia were responsible for a higher number of deaths (9) in 2007 than any other year since the series began in 1992. Work-related fatalities from falls to a lower level in 2007 accounted for 15 percent of workplace deaths in West Virginia; in the United States, this event accounted for 13 percent of the total. Other types of workplace fatalities in West Virginia in 2007 were being caught in or crushed in collapsing materials, contact with electric current, being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects, and homicides. Combined, deaths resulting from these four events were responsible for 14 (or 23 percent) of the fatal work injuries in the State. (See table 1.)
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 West Virginia in 2007:
Additional Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data are available on the BLS Internet site at www.bls.gov/iif/. Data can be accessed in two ways, through Create Customized Tables, which allows quick access to particular items, or via the special request FTP service, which allows access to an extensive collection of flat text files. For personal assistance or further information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Mid-Atlantic Information Office at 215-597-3282 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and other programs and surveys are available on our Web site at www.bls.gov/ro3/. Technical NoteBackground of the programThe 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.â€� The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part 2 of the BLS Handbook of Methods. Federal/State agency coverageThe 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. AcknowledgmentsBLS thanks the West Virginia Department of Labor 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. 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. |
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| Event or exposure(2) | Total fatalities (number) | Goods producing | Service providing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total goods producing | Natural resources and mining(3) | Construction | Manufacturing | Total service providing | Trade, transportation, and utilities | Information | Financial activities | Professional and business services | Education and health services | Leisure and hospitality | Other services | ||
Total |
61 | 33 | 19 | 12 | -- | 17 | 11 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Contact with objects and equipment |
17 | 17 | 13 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Struck by object or equipment |
10 | 10 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Struck by falling object or equipment |
7 | 7 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects |
3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials |
4 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Falls |
10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Fall to lower level |
9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Fall to lower level, n.e.c. |
3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
6 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Contact with electric current |
4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Transportation accidents |
18 | 4 | -- | 3 | -- | 10 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Highway accident |
15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Vehicle struck object on side of road |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Noncollision accident |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Jack-knifed or overturned--no collision |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Fires and explosions |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Assaults and violent acts |
4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Assaults and violent acts by person(s) |
3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes: |
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| Worker characteristics | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure(1) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation incidents(2) | Assaults and violent acts(3) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments | Fires and explosions | ||
Total |
61 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Employee Status | |||||||
Wage and Salary Workers(4) |
55 | 17 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
Self-employed(5) |
6 | -- | -- | 3 | -- | -- | -- |
| Gender | |||||||
Men |
61 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
Women |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Age | |||||||
Under 16 years |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
16 to 17 years |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
18 to 19 years |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
20 to 24 years |
6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
25 to 34 years |
9 | 3 | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
35 to 44 years |
17 | 5 | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
45 to 54 years |
17 | -- | -- | 5 | 5 | 3 | -- |
55 to 64 years |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
65 years and over |
6 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Race or Ethnic Origin(6) | |||||||
White, non-Hispanic |
58 | 17 | 3 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
Black, non-Hispanic |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Hispanic or Latino |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Asian |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes: |
|||||||
| Industry(1) | NAICS code(1) | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure(2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation incidents(3) | Assaults and violent acts (4) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments | Fires and explosions | |||
Total |
61 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 | |
Private Industry |
50 | 14 | -- | 17 | 8 | 5 | -- | |
Goods Producing |
33 | 4 | -- | 17 | 7 | 3 | -- | |
Natural Resources and Mining |
19 | -- | -- | 13 | 3 | -- | -- | |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting |
11 | 7 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Forestry and Logging |
113 | 7 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Timber Tract Operations |
1131 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Timber Tract Operations |
11311 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Logging |
1133 | 4 | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
Logging |
11331 | 4 | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
Mining (5) |
21 | 12 | -- | -- | 7 | -- | -- | -- |
Mining (except Oil and Gas) |
212 | 9 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Coal Mining |
2121 | 8 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Coal Mining |
21211 | 8 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Bituminous Coal Underground Mining |
212112 | 8 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Support Activities for Mining |
213 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Support Activities for Mining |
2131 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Support Activities for Mining |
21311 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Construction |
12 | 3 | -- | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | |
Construction |
23 | 12 | 3 | -- | 3 | 3 | -- | -- |
Specialty Trade Contractors |
238 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
2389 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Site Preparation Contractors |
23891 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Service providing |
17 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities |
11 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Retail Trade |
44-45 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Transportation and Warehousing |
48-49 | 8 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Truck Transportation |
484 | 8 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
General Freight Trucking |
4841 | 5 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance |
48412 | 3 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Government (6) |
11 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
State Government |
4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Service providing |
4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Local Government |
6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Service providing |
5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Public Administration |
4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
Public Administration |
92 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities |
922 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities |
9221 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes: |
||||||||
| Occupation(1) | Total fatalities (number) | Event or exposure(2) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation incidents(3) | Assaults and violent acts(4) | Contact with objects and equipment | Falls | Exposure to harmful substances or environments | Fires and explosions | ||
Total |
61 | 18 | 4 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
Protective service occupations |
5 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
7 | -- | -- | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
Forest, conservation, and logging workers |
6 | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
Logging workers |
6 | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
Fallers |
4 | -- | -- | 4 | -- | -- | -- |
Construction and extraction occupations |
16 | -- | -- | 9 | 4 | -- | -- |
Construction trades workers |
8 | -- | -- | 3 | 4 | -- | -- |
Electricians |
3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Electricians |
3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Extraction workers |
6 | -- | -- | 5 | -- | -- | -- |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
11 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Transportation and material moving occupations |
13 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Motor vehicle operators |
9 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers |
9 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer |
9 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Material moving workers |
4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Footnotes: |
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Chart 1. Total workplace fatalities for metropolitan areas in West Virginia, 2007
Last Modified Date: November 5, 2008
