Southeast Information Office

For release: Tuesday, October 26, 2010
BLSInfoAtlanta@bls.gov
General Information: (404) 893-4222
Media Contact: (404) 893-4220

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KENTUCKY WORKPLACE FATALITIES – 2009

Fatal work injuries in Kentucky totaled 97 in 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2009 results are preliminary, this year’s fatality count was the lowest annual total for the State since the Bureau began tracking workplace fatalities in 1992. The 2009 total represents a decrease of 9 fatalities from the 106 that were recorded in 2008. The most frequent types of workplace fatalities in Kentucky in 2009 were highway incidents (27), struck by object or equipment (15), and homicides and falls to a lower level (9 each). Taken together, these four events(1) accounted for 62 percent of the workplace fatalities in the State. (Final 2009 national and State results will be released in April 2010.)

Highway incidents remained the most frequent fatal event in the workplace in Kentucky as well as the nation. Matching the 2008 total of 27 incidents, the State’s highway-related fatalities ranged from a low of 19 in 1998 and 2001 to a peak of 49 in 2004. (See table A.) Highway incidents across the nation declined 27 percent in 2009. (See table B.) This event accounted for 28 percent of all work-related deaths in Kentucky and 20 percent of total fatalities nationwide in 2009.

Fatal work injuries due to being struck by an object or equipment (15) in 2009 were up slightly from 2008 and ranged from 9 fatalities in 1993 to 29 fatalities in 1994. This event accounted for 15 percent of workplace deaths in Kentucky and 10 percent in the United States in 2009.

Work-related homicides fell from 11 in 2008 to 9 in 2009. During the 18 years the fatality census has been conducted, the number of on-the-job deaths resulting from homicides ranged from a low of 5 in 1995 to a high of 18 in 1997. Homicides accounted for 9 percent of work-related deaths in Kentucky and 12 percent in the United States.

Fatalities resulting from falls to a lower level in Kentucky increased from 7 incidents in 2008 to 9 incidents in 2009. Nationally, this event saw a decline, down 13 percent. Falls to a lower level accounted for 9 percent of work-related deaths in Kentucky and 12 percent in the United States.

Other causes of workplace fatalities in the State in 2009 included contact with electric current (6), exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances (6), caught in or compressed by equipment or objects (5), and nonhighway accidents, except rail, air, water (5). (See table 1.) Together, these four events were responsible for 23 percent of Kentucky’s fatal work injuries in 2009.

Table A. Fatal occupational injuries in Kentucky by selected event groups, 1992-2009

Year	Total Fatalities	Highway incidents		Struck by object or equipment		Homicides		Fall to lower level
		Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
1992	117	21	18	16	14	9	8	8	7
1993	143	34	24	9	6	13	9	8	6
1994	158	40	25	29	18	12	8	8	5
1995	140	42	30	14	10	5	4	5	4
1996	141	34	24	20	14	9	6	12	9
1997	143	43	30	13	9	18	13	10	7
1998	117	19	16	20	17	12	10	13	11
1999	120	27	22	15	12	8	7	9	8
2000	132	26	20	16	12	8	6	12	9
2001	105	19	18	14	13	7	7	8	8
2002	146	36	25	13	9	11	8	17	12
2003	145	36	25	19	13	6	4	10	7
2004	143	49	34	18	13	9	6	9	6
2005	122	31	25	22	18	11	9	14	11
2006	147	32	22	12	8	6	4	13	9
2007	112	30	27	17	15	-	-	17	15
2008	106	27	25	14	13	11	10	7	7
2009(1)	97	27	28	15	15	9	9	9	9
Footnotes: (1) Totals for 2009 are preliminary. Revised and final 2009 data are scheduled to be released in April 2011.
Dashes indicate no data available or data do not meet publication criteria.

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,340 fatal work injuries were reported in 2009, a decrease of 17 percent from the revised total of 5,214 recorded in 2008. This preliminary figure represents the smallest annual total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first conducted in 1992. (See table B.) Economic factors played a role in the national fatal work injury decrease as total hours worked declined during the year. Similarly, some industries that have historically accounted for a significant share of fatal work injuries, such as construction, experienced even larger declines in employment or hours worked.

Highway incidents in 2009 continued to lead all other events in the frequency of on-the-job fatalities, a position held since the program’s inception in 1992. Still, the 2009 count of 882 fatal injuries from highway incidents was down 27 percent from the 2008 count of 1,215 fatal injuries.

Workplace homicides (521) declined 1 percent in 2009. Falls to a lower level decreased 13 percent (from 593 in 2008 to 518 in 2009). Around half of all fatal falls to a lower level occur in construction, so the decline in construction employment may account for the lower number of fatal work injuries due to falls to a lower level.

Workplace suicides (237) were down 10 percent nationwide in 2009 from the series high of 263 in 2008. However, this 2009 preliminary count of workplace suicides is the second highest annual total reported by the fatality census.

Thirty-seven states reported lower numbers of fatal work injuries in 2009 than in 2008, while 13 states and the District of Columbia reported higher numbers.

Table B. Fatal occupational injuries in the United States by selected event groups, 1992-2009

Year	Total Fatalities	Highway incidents		Homicides		Fall to lower level		Struck by object or equipment
		Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent	Number	Percent
1992	6,217	1,158	19	1,044	17	507	8	557	9
1993	6,331	1,242	20	1,074	17	534	8	565	9
1994	6,632	1,343	20	1,080	16	580	9	591	9
1995	6,275	1,346	21	1,036	17	578	9	547	9
1996	6,202	1,346	22	927	15	610	10	582	9
1997	6,238	1,393	22	860	14	653	10	579	9
1998	6,055	1,442	24	714	12	625	10	520	9
1999	6,054	1,496	25	651	11	634	10	585	10
2000	5,920	1,365	23	677	11	659	11	571	10
2001(1)	5,915	1,409	24	643	11	700	12	553	9
2002	5,534	1,373	25	609	11	638	12	505	9
2003	5,575	1,353	24	632	11	604	11	531	10
2004	5,764	1,398	24	559	10	738	13	602	10
2005	5,734	1,437	25	567	10	664	12	607	11
2006	5,840	1,356	23	540	9	738	13	589	10
2007	5,657	1,414	25	628	11	746	13	504	9
2008(2)	5,214	1,215	23	526	10	593	11	520	10
2009(3)	4,340	882	20	521	12	518	12	414	10
Footnotes: (1) Totals for 2001 exclude fatalities due to the events of September 11, 2001 which claimed the lives of 2,886 persons in work status. (2) The BLS news release issued August 20, 2009, reported a total of 5,071 fatal work injuries for calendar year 2008. Since then, an additional 143 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related fatality count for 2008 to 5,214. (3) Totals for 2009 are preliminary. Revised and final 2009 data are scheduled to be released in April 2011.

Selected characteristics of fatal work injuries in Kentucky

Men accounted for 93 percent of the 97 work-related fatalities in 2009. Transportation incidents, which include highway, nonhighway, pedestrian, air, water, and rail fatalities, accounted for 33 percent of male deaths and contact with objects or equipment made up 23 percent. Seven women were fatally injured on the job, all from transportation incidents. (See table 2.)

Eighty-nine percent (86) of those who died from a workplace injury were white, non-Hispanic; 7 percent (7) were black, non-Hispanic. Transportation incidents resulted in the most occupational fatalities for white, non-Hispanics (32) and black, non-Hispanics (5). Hispanics or Latinos accounted for three work-related fatalities. (See table 2.)

Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—made up 65 percent or 63 of the State’s work-related fatalities in 2009; workers 55 and older accounted for 32 percent or 31 fatalities. (See table 2.)

Two industry sectors accounted for more than half (52 percent) of the workplace fatalities in Kentucky—trade, transportation, and utilities (31) and natural resources and mining (19). Transportation incidents accounted for 58 percent of the deaths in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry. Together, contact with objects or equipment (9) and transportation incidents (7) accounted for 84 percent of the deaths in natural resources and mining. (See table 3.)

Transportation and material moving (25) and construction and extraction (14) led all other occupation groups in worker fatalities. Combined, these two groups accounted for 40 percent of all worker fatalities in Kentucky. Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in transportation and material moving occupations, accounting for 88 percent of total fatalities. Together, falls (5), contact with objects and equipment (4), and exposure to harmful substances or environments (4) accounted for 93 percent of the workplace fatalities in construction and extraction occupations. (See table 4.)

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 Southeast Information Office at 404-893-4222 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Information on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and other programs and surveys are available at our Web site at www.bls.gov/ro4/.

Footnotes

(1) Fatal events are categorized into several major groupings including transportation incidents, falls, and assaults and violent acts, 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 at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1. The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part III 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 thanks the Kentucky Labor Cabinet 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.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure for all fatalities and major private industry(1) sector, Kentucky, 2009

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	97	35	19	8	8	57	31		6	7	4		5
Contact with objects and equipment	21	14	9		5	6
Struck by object or equipment	15	8	5		3	6
Struck by falling object or equipment	11	6	4			4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	5	5	3
Caught in running equipment or machinery	3	3
Falls	10	4		4		6	3
Fall to lower level	9	4		4		5
Fall from ladder	3
Fall from scaffold, staging	3
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	12	3		3		9
Contact with electric current	6					5
Contact with overhead power lines	3
Exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances	6					4
Transportation accidents	37	11	7		3	24	18
Highway accident	27	5	3			22	17
Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment	14	4				10	8
Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment, unspecified	3
Moving in opposite directions, oncoming	9	3				6	5
Vehicle struck object on side of road	7					7	5
Noncollision accident	6					5	4
Jack-knifed or overturned--no collision	4					3	3
Nonhighway accident, except rail, air, water	5	5	4
Noncollision accident	5	5	4
Overturned	4	4	3
Pedestrian, nonpassenger struck by vehicle, mobile equipment	5
Pedestrian struck by vehicle, mobile equipment in roadway	3
Assaults and violent acts	15					11	4						3
Assaults and violent acts by person(s)	9					8	3
Shooting	6					5
Stabbing	3					3
Self-inflicted injury	4					3
Suicide, attempted suicide	4					3
Footnotes: (1) Industry data from 2003 to 2008 are classified using the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Industry data after 2008 are classified using the 2007 NAICS. (2) Based on the 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, 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. Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. n.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Data for 2009 are preliminary. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

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Last Modified Date: October 26, 2010