Number of fatal work injuries, 1992–2007
6,800
6,632
6,331
6,400
6,217
6,275 6,202 6,238
6,055 6,054
6,000
5,920 5,915
5,764 5,734 5,840
5,657
5,534 5,575
5,600
5,200
4,800
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
The 2007 total of 5,657 work-related fatalities represented a three percent decrease from the 5,840 fatal
work injuries reported for 2006.
NOTE: Data from 2001 exclude fatalities resulting from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
1
Rate of fatal work injuries, 1992–2007
6.0
5.2
5.0
5.2
5.3
4.9
4.8
4.8
4.5
4.5
4.3
4.0
4.3
4.0
4.0
4.1
4.0
4.0
3.8
3.0
2.0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
The rate of fatal work injuries in 2007 was 3.8 fatalities per 100,000 workers, lower than the rate for any
year since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.
Rate = (Fatal work injuries/Employment) x 100,000. Employment data, except for military, based on the Current Population Survey (CPS). Prior to 1999, resident
military figure derived from Bureau of the Census data. From 1999 to the present, figure based on Department of Defense (DOD) figures. Fatalities to workers
under 16 were not included in the rate calculation to maintain consistency with CPS data.
NOTE: Data from 2001 exclude fatalities resulting from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Current Population Survey, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, U.S. Bureau of the
Census, and U.S. Department of Defense, 2009.
2
Number of fatal work injuries, by State, 2007
WA
90
ND
25
MT
54
WY
48
UT
78
CO
126
IL
185
KS
101
CA
461
AZ
97
OK
104
NM
52
MO
156
PA
220
OH
165
KY
112
WV
61
TN
154
AR
89
MS
93
TX
528
IN
127
AL
108
NH
14
ME
21
NY
220
MI
120
IA
89
NE
63
NV
71
VT
10
WI
104
SD
22
ID
31
OR
69
MN
72
VA
146
NC
167
GA
193
DE
10
MD
82
NJ CT
106 38
MA
75
RI
5
DC
13
SC
122
LA
139
Decreased in 2007
Increased in 2007
AK
30
FL
363
No change in 2007
HI
23
Twenty-eight States had fewer fatal workplace injuries in 2007 compared to 2006. Twenty-one States and
the District of Columbia had more fatal injuries in 2007 than in 2006. Connecticut had the same number of
fatal injuries in 2007 as in 2006.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
3
Manner in which workplace fatalities occurred, 2007
Fires and explosions (3%)
Exposure to harmful substances or
environments (9%)
Falls
(15%)
Total fatalities = 5,657
Highway (25%)
Fall to lower
level (13%)
Assaults and
violent acts (15%)
Transportation
incidents (42%)
Homicide
(11%)
Struck
by object
( 9%)
Contact with objects and
equipment (16%)
More work-related fatalities resulted from transportation incidents than from any other event.
Highway incidents alone accounted for one out of every four fatal work injuries in 2007.
NOTE: Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
4
Difference in workplace fatality counts, by event, 2006–07
2006 Level
ALL EVENTS
-183
Transportation incidents
-108
Contact with objects and
equipment
-73
Exposure to harmful substances
or environments
-50
Fires and explosions
-50
2006 Total = 5,840
2007 Total = 5,657
Falls
20
76
Assaults and violent acts
-200
-175
-150
-125
-100
-75
-50
-25
0
25
50
75
100
Change in fatal events from 2006 level
Fatal work injuries resulting from transportation incidents, contact with objects and equipment, exposure
to harmful substances or environments, and fires and explosions all decreased in 2007. Fatal work
injuries resulting from falls and assaults and violent acts increased in 2007 from 2006 levels.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
5
Four most frequent work-related fatal events, 1992–2007
Number of fatalities
1,600
1,442
1,400
1,158
1,080
1,074
1,373
1,365
1,346
1,200
1,044
927
860
600
557
618
565
665
547
582 579
520
827
847
589
628
696
643
706
770
719
714 721
691
716
591
1,356
822
810
734
651
1,353
1,036
800
600
1,414
1,398
1,496
1,242
1,000
1,437
1,409
1,393
1,343 1,346
585
571 553
400
602
609
651 677
607
632
559
505
531
567 540
504
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Highway incidents
Homicides
Falls
Struck by object
Workplace homicides have declined over 40 percent since 1994, while fatal falls have trended
higher. For the first time since 2003, homicides outnumbered struck by object fatalities as the third
most frequent fatal event in 2007.
NOTE: Data from 2001 exclude fatalities resulting from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
6
Falls, by type of fall, 2007
From roof
19%
O the r or unknown
20%
Total falls = 847
Down stairs or ste ps
3%
From building girde rs
or structural ste e l
5%
From ladde r
16%
From floor, dock, or
ground le ve l
6%
O n same le ve l
10%
From scaffold, staging
11%
From nonmoving
ve hicle
11%
Of the 847 fatal falls in 2007, over one-third involved falls from roofs or ladders.
NOTE: Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
7
Employment and fatalities, by gender of worker, 2007
Women
Women
8%
46%
54%
92%
Men
Men
Employment = 147,215,000
Fatalities = 5,657
Men continued to record a disproportionate share of fatalities relative to their employment in 2007.
SOURCE: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, and U.S. Department of Defense,
2009.
8
Fatal injury events, by gender of worker, 2007
25
Highway incidents
31
10
Homicides
26
15
Falls
11
Exposure to
harmful substances or
environments
Men = 5,228
Women = 429
9
5
17
Contact with
objects and equipment
5
3
Fires and explosions
1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percent of fatalities within gender
A higher percentage of fatal work injuries to women resulted from highway incidents and homicides
than to men. A higher percentage of fatal work injuries to men resulted from falls, exposure to harmful
substances and environments, contact with objects and equipment, and fires and explosions.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
9
Number of fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers,
1992-2007
990
1,000
902
895
900
841
815
800
707
700
600
634
619
323
323
306
303
285
263
274
321
262
533
500
400
624
638
794
730
658
937
923
302
314
288
277
267
279
258
300
336
342
371
379
405
320
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
200
275
468
494
1999
2000
572
578
2001
2002
596
638
667
634
2005
2006
2007
520
100
0
1992
Foreign-born
2003
2004
Native-born
Fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers decreased in 2007 after reaching a series high in 2006. More
than two-thirds of fatally-injured Hispanic or Latino workers in 2007 were born outside of the United States.
NOTE: Data from 2001 exclude fatalities resulting from the September 11 terrorist attacks.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
10
Fatal occupational injuries to foreign-born workers, by region of origin, 2007
Africa (3%)
Canada (1%)
Australia and Oceania (0.5%)
South America (5%)
Caribbean (7%)
Europe (9%)
Mexico (44%)
Total workers = 1,009
Central America,
except Mexico (11%)
Asia (19%)
Workers born in Mexico accounted for the largest portion (44 percent) of foreign-born workers who died
at work in the United States.
NOTE: Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
11
Fatal work injury rates, by age group, 2007
15.0
10.2
10.0
5.0
All worker fatality
rate = 3.8
3.4
2.6
3.0
3.1
20 to 24
years
25 to 34
years
4.1
4.6
0.9
0.0
16 to 17
years
18 to 19
years
35 to 44
years
45 to 54
years
55 to 64
years
65 years
and over
Fatal work injury rates for workers 45 years of age and over were higher than the overall U.S. rate, but
workers 44 years of age and under had lower rates.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
12
Number and rate of fatal occupational injuries, by industry sector, 2007
Construction
10.5
1,204
Transportation and warehousing
16.9
890
Agriculture, forestry,
fishing, and hunting
27.9
585
2.5
545
Government
Professional and business services
3.1
476
Manufacturing
2.5
400
Retail trade
2.1
348
Leisure and hospitality
260
Wholesale trade
207
Mining
183
Other services (exc. public admin.)
Educational and health services
Total fatalities = 5,657
175
All worker fatality rate = 3.8
149
2.2
4.7
25.1
2.5
0.7
79
Information
2.3
34
Utilities
1,500
1.2
119
Financial activities
1,250
1,000
750
500
Number of fatalities
250
4.0
0
10
20
30
Fatality rate
(per 100,000 employed)
40
Although construction had the highest number of fatal injuries in 2007, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting and
mining had the highest fatality rates.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
13
Fatal occupational injuries in the private mining industry, 2003–07
Number of fatalities
192
200
152
150
159
141
54
67
183
61
61
56
100
50
85
98
98
2003
2004
2005
125
122
2006
2007
0
Oil and gas extraction industries
All other mining
Fatal work injuries in the private mining industry declined in 2007, led by a 40 percent decrease in coal mining
fatalities (from 47 in 2006 to 28 in 2007). Oil and gas industry fatalities accounted for two-thirds of the fatal
work injuries in mining in 2007.
NOTE: Oil and gas extraction industries includes NAICS 211 (oil and gas extraction), NAICS 213111 (drilling oil and gas wells), and NAICS 213112 (support
activities for oil and gas operations).
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
14
Number and rate of fatal occupational injuries, by major occupation group, 2007
Transportation and material 1,503
moving
Construction and extraction
17.1
12.3
1,172
Service
3.1
739
Management, business, and
financial
2.6
556
Installation, maintenance, and
repair
380
Sales and related
327
7.2
2.0
Production
266
Farming, forestry, and fishing
258
Professional and related
254
Office and administrative
support
2.8
25.4
0.8
0.7
134
Military
750
500
Number of fatalities
250
0
All worker fatality rate = 3.8
5.5
64
1,500 1,250 1,000
Total fatalities = 5,657
5
10
15
20
25
30
Fatality rate
(per 100,000 employed)
Although transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries in
2007, the highest fatality rate among major occupational groups was for farming, fishing, and forestry.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
15
Selected occupations with high fatality rates, 2007
Fishers and related
fishing workers
111.8
Logging workers
38
86.4
76
Total fatalities = 5,657
Aircraft pilots and flight
engineers
87
70.7
Structural iron and steel
workers
45.5
Farmers and ranchers
39.5
Roofers
29.4
Electrical power-line
installers and repairers
29.1
Driver/sales workers and
truck drivers
Refuse and recyclable
material collectors
All worker fatality rate = 3.8
40
293
79
30
28.2
976
22.8
Police and sheriff’s
patrol officers
18
21.8
150
50
100
Fatality rate
(per 100,000 employed)
146
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
Number of fatalities
Fatal work injury rates were highest for fishers, logging workers, and aircraft pilots and flight engineers in 2007.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
16
Distribution of fatalities by selected occupations in the private construction
industry, 2006–07
26%
27%
Construction laborers
Carpenters
8%
First-line managers/
supervisors of construction
trades and extraction
workers
8%
7%
9%
Roofers
6%
6%
Electricians
6%
6%
Total fatalities in 2007 = 1,204
Total fatalities in 2006 = 1,239
6%
5%
Construction managers
Truck drivers, heavy
and tractor-trailer
2007
4%
4%
2006
Painters, construction
and maintenance
3%
4%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Percent of private construction fatalities
Fatal work injuries involving construction laborers accounted for more than one out of every four private
construction fatalities in both 2006 and 2007.
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2009.
17