May 1, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Fatal and nonfatal falls in the workplace
Falls to a lower
level were by far the most frequent type of fatal fall in the workplace in
1997, comprising 91 percent of the total. Of nonfatal falls, 32 percent
were to a lower level, while 63 percent were on the same level.
![Distribution of fatal falls and nonfatal falls involving days away from work by type of fall, 1997](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120925075743im_/http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/2000/May/wk1/art01.gif)
[Chart data—TXT]
Of fatal falls to a lower level, the highest number were from a roof,
followed by a ladder, scaffold, a nonmoving vehicle, and building girders
or other structural steel.
Among nonfatal falls, most were falls to the floor, walkway, or other
surface, while a much smaller number were falls onto or against objects.
These data are products of the BLS Safety
and Health Statistics program.
Learn more in "Workplace Falls" (PDF
86K), by Timothy Webster in
the Spring 2000 issue of Compensation and Working Conditions.
Of interest
Spotlight on Statistics: National Hispanic Heritage Month
In this Spotlight, we take a look at the Hispanic labor force—including labor force participation, employment and unemployment, educational attainment, geographic location, country of birth, earnings, consumer expenditures, time use, workplace injuries, and employment projections.
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Read more »