FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Information: (816)285-7000 For Release: October 11, 2007

 

Utah Workplace Fatalities, 2006 (PDF)

A total of 60 fatal work injuries were recorded in Utah in 2006, more than the previous year's count of 54, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that the most frequent type of workplace fatality in Utah in 2006 was highway crashes (16). Other events included aircraft crashes (9), being struck by an object (6), and falls to a lower level (6). Taken together, these four events¹ accounted for 62 percent of the work-related fatalities in the State in 2006.

Total workplace fatalities in Utah, 1992-2006

Highway crashes remained the most frequent type of fatal workplace event for both the State and the nation in 2006. In Utah, fatal highway crashes decreased by 6 cases to 16 in 2006 and made up 27 percent of those fatally injured on the job. Nationally, this event accounted for 23 percent of all job-related deaths. (See table A.)

Aircraft crashes accounted for 15 percent of on-the-job deaths in the State with nine work-related deaths. Nationally, aircraft crashes made up 4 percent of all job fatalities.

Six fatalities in the State resulted from workers being struck by an object, one more than in 2005. This type of event accounted for 10 percent of on-the-job fatalities in both Utah and the nation.

Occupational fatalities caused by falls to a lower level accounted for six fatalities in Utah in 2006, three more than in the previous year. Falls to a lower level represented 10 percent of job-related deaths in Utah and 13 percent of the U.S. total.

Other fatal workplace events in Utah in 2006 included self-inflicted injuries (5), being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects (3), and contact with an electric current (3).

Table A. Fatal occupational injuries in the United States and Utah by selected event groups, 1992-2006

Year	Total fatalities	Highway crashes		Aircraft crashes		Struck by object		Falls to lower level
		Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
United States
1992	6,217	1,158	19	353	6	557	9	507	8
1993	6,331	1,242	20	282	4	565	9	534	8
1994	6,632	1,343	20	426	6	591	9	580	9
1995	6,275	1,346	21	283	5	547	9	578	9
1996	6,202	1,346	22	324	5	582	9	610	10
1997	6,238	1,393	22	261	4	579	9	653	10
1998	6,055	1,442	24	224	4	520	9	625	10
1999	6,054	1,496	25	228	4	585	10	634	10
2000	5,920	1,365	23	280	5	571	10	659	11
2001 (1)	5,915	1,409	24	247	4	553	9	700	12
2002	5,534	1,373	25	194	4	505	9	638	12
2003	5,575	1,353	24	211	4	531	10	604	11
2004	5,764	1,398	24	231	4	602	10	738	13
2005 (2)	5,734	1,437	25	149	3	607	11	664	12
2006	5,703	1,329	23	215	4	583	10	728	13
Utah
1992	59	10	17	15	25	5	8	—	—
1993	66	21	32	6	9	11	17	7	11
1994	66	18	27	3	5	11	17	7	11
1995	51	17	33	—	—	4	8	4	8
1996	64	16	25	3	5	8	12	4	6
1997	66	26	39	4	6	10	15	4	6
1998	67	23	34	6	9	3	4	10	15
1999	54	21	39	—	—	9	17	5	9
2000	61	21	34	8	13	5	8	5	8
2001 (1)	65	20	31	—	—	10	15	4	6
2002	52	18	35	6	12	3	6	—	—
2003	54	24	44	6	11	7	13	3	6
2004	50	23	46	—	—	5	10	6	12
2005 (2)	54	22	41	—	—	5	9	3	6
2006	60	16	27	9	15	6	10	6	10
Footnotes (1) Totals for 2001 exclude fatalities from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. (2) The BLS national news release issued August 10, 2006, reported a total of 5,702 fatal work injuries for calendar year 2005. Since then, an additional 32 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related fatality count for 2005 to 5,734.

Nationwide, a total of 5,703 fatal work injuries were reported in 2006, down slightly from the revised total of 5,734 fatal work injuries recorded in 2005. The count for 2006 was the third lowest annual total recorded by the fatality census, which has been conducted yearly since 1992. (See table A.) Highway crashes in 2006 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. Even so, the 2006 count of 1,329 fatal highway crashes was the lowest annual total since 1993. Fatal work injuries involving falls to a lower level increased 10 percent in 2006 after declining 10 percent in 2005. The 2006 total of 728 fatal falls to a lower level was the second highest since the fatality census began. The number of workers who were fatally injured from being struck by objects was lower in 2006, after increasing for the last three years. The 583 fatalities resulting from being struck by objects in 2006 represented a 4-percent decline from the 2005 total.

Workplace homicides in the United States decreased 9 percent to 516 in 2006, the lowest annual total ever reported by the fatality census. Overall, workplace homicides have decreased more than 50 percent from the series high in 1994.

Selected characteristics of workplace fatalities in Utah in 2006:

• Men accounted for 93 percent of the work-related fatal injuries in Utah with 56 fatalities. Transportation incidents, which include highway, nonhighway, pedestrian, air, water, and rail fatalities, accounted for almost 50 percent of these deaths and contact with objects and equipment accounted for another 16 percent. Four women were fatally injured on the job in 2006. (See table 2.)



• Eighty-five percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white, non-Hispanic (51) and 10 percent were Hispanic or Latino (6). Transportation incidents (25) were the most frequent type of fatal event for white, non-Hispanic workers. (See table 2.)



• Workers 25-54 years old-the prime working age group-made up 72 percent of the State's work-related fatalities in 2006 with 43 deaths. Ten workers 55 years of age or older died on the job, accounting for 17 percent of the fatally injured. Nationally, those 25-54 years old accounted for 64 percent of on-the-job fatalities, and those 55 and older, 27 percent. (See table 2.)



• Ninety-two percent of workers killed on-the-job in Utah worked for wages and salaries and the remaining 8 percent were self-employed. Transportation incidents (28) accounted for the largest number of fatalities among wage and salary workers in 2006. (See table 2.)



• Four industry sectors made up 55 percent of the workplace fatalities in Utah-construction (15), transportation and warehousing (8), and manufacturing and health care and social assistance (5 each). Transportation incidents were the most frequent type of fatal event for the construction and transportation and warehousing sectors. (See table 3.)



• Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of fatalities with 18. Construction trades workers accounted for 11 of those fatally injured in this occupational group. Workers in the transportation and material moving occupational group had the second highest number of fatalities, 14. Motor vehicle operators accounted for nine of the deaths in this group (heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers made up seven of these fatalities). Combined, workers in construction and extraction and transportation and material moving occupations accounted for about one-half of the fatal work injuries in Utah. (See table 4.)

Additional Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data are available on the BLS Internet site at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm. Data can be accessed in a number of ways. Selected current and historical information is available in PDF format. Detailed data may be accessed through the online query system located at http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=fi or via 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 Kansas City Economic Analysis & Information Office at 816-285-7000 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.

TECHNICAL NOTES

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 and Federal data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. Information about each workplace fatality (industry, occupation, and other worker characteristics; equipment being used; and circumstances of the event) is obtained by cross-referencing source documents, such as death certificates, workers’ compensation records, and reports to Federal and State agencies. This method assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

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. Fatalities to volunteer and unpaid family workers who perform the same duties and functions as paid workers are also included in the counts. 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 normal commute to or from work are excluded from the census counts.)

Data presented in this release include deaths occurring in 2006 that resulted from traumatic occupational injuries. An injury is defined as any wound or damage to the body resulting from acute exposure to energy, such as heat, electricity, or impact from a crash or fall, or from the absence of such essentials as heat or oxygen caused by a specific event or incident 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 exposures 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.

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 ex-cluded 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.

Fatalities occurring among several other groups of workers are generally not covered by any Federal or State agencies. These groups include self-employed and unpaid family workers, which accounted for about 18 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting for about 1 percent of the fatalities; and State and local government employees in States without OSHA-approved safety programs, which accounted for about 4 percent. (Approximately one-half of the States have approved OSHA safety programs, which cover State and local government employees.)

Acknowledgments

BLS thanks the Utah Occupational Safety and Health Statistics office 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.

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¹ Fatal events are categorized into several major groupings including transportation incidents, assaults and violent acts, and falls. These major groups are further broken down into more detailed groups. For example, transportation incidents includes highway incidents, commonly referred to as highway crashes, and aircraft incidents; assaults and violent acts includes homicides and suicides; and falls includes falls to a lower level (as from a roof or ladder) and falls on the same level (as from grease on a floor or ice on a sidewalk).

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure and major private industry (1) sector, Utah, 2006

Event or exposure (2)	Total fatalities (number)	Goods producing				Service providing
		Total goods producing	Natural resources and mining (3)	Construc-tion	Manufac-turing	Total service providing	Trade, transpor-tation, and utilities	Informa-tion	Financial activities	Profes-sional and business services	Education and health services	Leisure and hospitality	Other services
Total	60	27	7	15	5	29	13	3	—	—	7	—	—
Contact with objects and equipment	9	6	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Struck by object	6	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Struck by falling object	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Falls	7	6	—	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fall to lower level	6	6	—	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	7	—	—	—	—	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Contact with electric current	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Transportation accidents	30	12	3	7	—	16	8	—	—	—	—	—	—
Highway accident	16	7	—	5	—	8	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Moving in opposite directions, oncoming	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Noncollision accident	7	—	—	—	—	5	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Jack-knifed or overturned--no collision	6	—	—	—	—	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Aircraft accident	9	—	—	—	—	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
During takeoff or landing	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Aircraft accident, n.e.c.	4	—	—	—	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Assaults and violent acts	6	—	—	—	—	5	—	—	—	—	3	—	—
Self-inflicted injury	5	—	—	—	—	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Suicide, attempted suicide	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Footnotes (1) Classified according to the North American Industry Classification System, 2002. (2) Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual. (3) Includes fatalities at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, 2002, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Data for 2006 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics and event or exposure, Utah, 2006

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	60	30	6	9	7	7	—
Employee Status
Wage and Salary Workers (4)	55	28	5	8	7	6	—
Self-employed (5)	5	—	—	—	—	—	—
Gender
Men	56	27	5	9	7	7	—
Women	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
Age
Under 16 years	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
16 to 17 years	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
18 to 19 years	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
20 to 24 years	6	3	—	—	—	—	—
25 to 34 years	11	5	—	—	—	—	—
35 to 44 years	14	7	3	—	3	—	—
45 to 54 years	18	10	—	3	—	3	—
55 to 64 years	6	3	—	—	—	3	—
65 years and over	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Race or Ethnic Origin (6)
White, non-Hispanic	51	25	6	7	5	7	—
Black, non-Hispanic	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hispanic or Latino	6	—	—	—	—	—	—
American Indian or Alaska Native	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Asian	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Footnotes 1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual. 2 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle. 3 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injury, and attacks by animals. 4 May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. 5 Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships. 6 Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude data for Hispanics and Latinos. NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. Data for 2006 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by industry and event or exposure, Utah, 2006

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		60	30	6	9	7	7	—
Private Industry		56	28	6	9	6	7	—
Goods Producing		27	12	—	6	6	—	—
Natural Resources and Mining		7	3	—	—	—	—	—
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	11	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Mining (5)	21	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Support Activities for Mining	213	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Support Activities for Mining	2131	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Support Activities for Mining	21311	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Drilling Oil and Gas Wells	213111	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Construction		15	7	—	—	5	—	—
Construction	23	15	7	—	—	5	—	—
Specialty Trade Contractors	238	10	5	—	—	5	—	—
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	2381	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Building Finishing Contractors	2383	4	—	—	—	3	—	—
Other Specialty Trade Contractors	2389	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
Site Preparation Contractors	23891	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
Manufacturing		5	—	—	—	—	—	—
Manufacturing	31-33	5	—	—	—	—	—	—
Service providing		29	16	5	3	—	5	—
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities		13	8	—	—	—	—	—
Transportation and Warehousing	48-49	8	6	—	—	—	—	—
Truck Transportation	484	5	3	—	—	—	—	—
Specialized Freight Trucking	4842	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Information		3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Information	51	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Publishing Industries (Except Internet)	511	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	5111	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Education and Health Services		7	—	3	—	—	—	—
Health Care and Social Assistance	62	5	—	3	—	—	—	—
Government (6)		4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Footnotes 1 Classified according to the North American Industry Classification System, 2002. 2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual. 3 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle. 4 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injury, and attacks by animals. 5 Includes fatalities at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, 2002, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. 6 Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. Data for 2006 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure, Utah, 2006

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	60	30	6	9	7	7	—
Management occupations	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
Other management occupations	4	3	—	—	—	—	—
Architecture and engineering occupations	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Construction and extraction occupations	18	8	—	—	6	—	—
Construction trades workers	11	4	—	—	5	—	—
Construction equipment operators	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
Extraction workers	4	—	—	—	—	—	—
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Production occupations	5	—	—	—	—	3	—
Other production occupations	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Transportation and material moving occupations	14	12	—	—	—	—	—
Air transportation workers	4	4	—	—	—	—	—
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	4	4	—	—	—	—	—
Commercial pilots	4	4	—	—	—	—	—
Motor vehicle operators	9	8	—	—	—	—	—
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	9	8	—	—	—	—	—
Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer	7	6	—	—	—	—	—
Footnotes 1 Based on the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification System. 2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Manual. 3 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle. 4 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injury, and attacks by animals. NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." Data for 2006 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

 

Last Modified Date: October 31, 2008