A preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were
recorded in the United States in 2014, an increase of 2 percent over the
revised count of 4,585 fatal work injuries in 2013, according to results from
the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) conducted by the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics. The preliminary rate of fatal work injury for U.S. workers
in 2014 was 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers; the revised rate
for 2013 was also 3.3.
Revised 2014 data from CFOI will be released in the late
spring of 2016. Over the last 5 years, net increases to the preliminary count
have averaged 173 cases, ranging from a low of 84 in 2011 (up 2 percent) to a high
of 245 in 2012 (up 6 percent).
Key preliminary findings of the 2014 Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries:
- The number of fatal work injuries in private goods-producing industries in 2014 was 9 percent higher than the revised 2013 count but slightly lower in private service-providing industries. Fatal injuries were higher in mining (up 17 percent), agriculture (up 14 percent), manufacturing (up 9 percent), and construction (up 6 percent). Fatal work injuries for government workers were lower (down 12 percent).
- Falls, slips, and trips increased 10 percent to 793 in 2014 from 724 in 2013. This was driven largely by an increase in falls to a lower level to 647 in 2014 from 595 in 2013.
- Fatal work injuries involving workers 55 years of age and over rose 9 percent to 1,621 in 2014 up from 1,490 in 2013. The preliminary 2014 count for workers 55 and over is the highest total ever reported by CFOI.
- After a sharp decline in 2013, fatal work injuries among self-employed workers increased 10 percent in 2014 from 950 in 2013 to 1,047 in 2014.
- Women incurred 13 percent more fatal work injuries in 2014 than in 2013. Even with this increase, women accounted for only 8 percent of all fatal occupational injuries in 2014.
- Fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers were lower in 2014, while fatal injuries among non-Hispanic white, black or African-American, and Asian workers were all higher.
- In 2014, 797 decedents were identified as contracted workers, 6 percent higher than the 749 fatally-injured contracted workers reported in 2013. Workers who were contracted at the time of their fatal injury accounted for 17 percent of all fatal work injury cases in 2014.
- The number of fatal work injuries among police officers and police supervisors was higher in 2014, rising from 88 in 2013 to 103 in 2014, an increase of 17 percent.
Worker
characteristics
Fatal injuries to self-employed workers rose 10 percent
in 2014 to 1,047, up from 950 in 2013. Although higher than in 2013, the 2014
preliminary total for self-employed workers is about the same as the 10-year
average for the series. Fatal injuries among wage and salary workers remained
at about the same level as in 2013.
Fatal work injuries involving workers age 45 to 54 years,
55 to 64 years, and 65 years of age and over all increased in 2014 compared to
2013 totals. The number of workers 55 years and over who were fatally injured in
2014 increased 9 percent to 1,621, the highest annual total since the inception
of the fatality census in 1992. Workers of a wide variety of ages are included
in the 2014 CFOI counts – 8 workers under the age of 16 are included as well as
8 workers age 90 and over.
Fatal injuries among women rose 13 percent in 2014 to 359
from 319 in 2013. Fatal work injuries among men in 2014 were slightly higher
than the previous year. Consistent with previous years, men accounted for 92
percent of all fatal occupational injuries.
Fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers fell
3 percent to 789 in 2014, compared to 817 in 2013.
Fatal work injuries were higher among non-Hispanic white,
non-Hispanic black or African-American, and non-Hispanic Asian workers.
Overall, there were 827 fatal work injuries involving
foreign-born workers in 2014. These 827
foreign-born workers came from over 80 different
countries, of which the greatest share(334 or 40 percent) was born in Mexico. Of the 789 fatal
work injuries incurred by Hispanicor Latino workers, 503 (64 percent) involved foreign-born
workers. Of the 134 fatal work injuries incurred by non-Hispanic Asian workers,
116 (87 percent) involved foreign-born workers.
For more detailed information on fatal injuries by worker
characteristics, see the worker characteristics table in the 2014 data section
at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm.
Type of incident
In 2014, fatal work injuries due to transportation
incidents were slightly higher – 1,891, up from 1,865 in 2013. Overall,
transportation incidents accounted for 40 percent of fatal workplace injuries
in 2014 (see chart 1).
Within the transportation event category, roadway
incidents constituted 57 percent of the fatal work injury total in 2014. The
second largest number of transportation fatalities in 2014 involved pedestrian
vehicular incidents (17 percent). Fatalities resulting from pedestrian
vehicular incidents were up 6 percent from last year’s revised count (313 in
2014 up from 294 in 2013). Rail vehicle incidents also increased in 2014,
rising 34 percent to 55 fatal injuries from 41 in 2013.
(Note that roadway incident counts presented in this
release are expected to rise when updated 2014 data are released in the late
spring of 2016 because key source documentation detailing specific
transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)
Fatal work injuries due to violence and other injuries by
persons or animals were lower in 2014, with 749 deaths in 2014 compared to 773
in 2013. The number of workplace homicides was about the same as the total in
2013,but workplace suicides decreased slightly in 2014, from
282 to 271. Among the workplace homicides in which women were the victims, the
greatest share of assailants were relatives or domestic partners (32 percent of
those homicides). In workplace homicides involving men, robbers were the most
common type of assailant (33 percent).
Fatal falls, slips, and trips were up 10 percent in 2014
from the previous year. Falls to lower level were up 9 percent to 647 from 595
in 2013, and falls on the same level increased 17 percent. In 532 of the 647
fatal falls to lower level, the height of the fall was known. Of those cases in
which the height of fall was known, four-fifths involved falls of 30 feet or
less (427) while about two-thirds (340) involved falls of 20 feet or less.
Work-related injury deaths due to contact with objects
and equipment were down slightly from the revised 2013 number (721 to 708). The
largest proportion of fatal injuries in this category (34 percent) occurred
when workers were struck by falling objects or equipment. The next largest
share (28 percent) involved injuries in which decedents were struck by powered
vehicles in nontransport situations (e.g., struck by a rolling vehicle or by a
vehicle that had tipped over while on jacks).
Fatal work injuries due to fires decreased 35 percent
from 82 in 2013 to 53 in 2014. Fatal injuries resulting from explosions,
however, increased 25 percent to 84 cases, led by an increase in explosions of
pressure vessels, piping, or tires.
A total of 372 workers were killed in 163 multiple
fatality incidents (events where more than one worker was killed). For more
detailed information on fatal injuries by incident, see the event tables in the
2014 data section at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm.
Occupation
Transportation and material moving occupations accounted
for the largest share (28%) of fatal occupational injuries of any occupation
group. Fatal work injuries in this group rose 3 percent to 1,289 in 2014, the highest
total since 2008. Drivers/sales workers and truck drivers (see chart 2)
accounted for nearly 2 out of every 3 fatal injuries in this group (835 of the
1,289 fatal injuries in 2014). In this group, drivers/sales workers increased
74 percent to 54 in 2014, and heavy and tractor-trailer drivers had their
highest total since 2008 (725 fatalities in 2014).
Fatal work injuries in construction and extraction
occupations increased 5 percent (40 cases) in 2014 to 885. This is the highest total for
this occupation group since 2008. The fatal injury rate for workers in
construction and extraction occupations was 11.8 per 100,000 FTE workers in
2014 and 12.2 per 100,000 FTE workers in 2013.
Fatal injuries among construction trades
workers increased 3 percent in 2014 to 611 fatalities, the highest count since
2009. Fatal work injuries to construction laborers, the occupation within
construction trades workers with the highest number of fatalities, decreased by
14 cases in 2014 to 206. Conversely, the number of fatally-injured electricians
increased by 14 cases in 2014 to 78.
The number of fatal work injuries among protective
service occupations decreased 15 percent in 2014 to 211 fatalities, a series
low for this occupation group. This was led by a drop in fatalities among
firefighters and first-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention
workers, down 51 percent to 35 in 2014. Fatal injuries to police officers and
first-line supervisors of police and detectives, however, increased 17 percent to
103 in 2014.
Fatalities among farming, fishing, and forestry
occupations rose 9 percent to 253 in 2014. The increase was led by fatalities
involving agricultural workers (up 12 percent to 143) and fatalities involving
logging workers (up 31 percent to 77).
Fatal injuries to resident military personnel declined to
55 from 71 in 2013.
For more detailed information on fatal injuries by
occupation, see the occupation tables in the 2014 data section at
www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm.
Industry
In the private sector, a total of 4,251 fatal work
injuries were recorded in 2014, 4 percent higher than the revised total of
4,101 in 2013. Goods-producing industries were up 9 percent in 2014. Totals
were higher for private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (up 17
percent); agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (up 14 percent);
manufacturing (up 9 percent); and construction (up 6 percent).
Construction fatalities rose to 874 in 2014 from 828 in
2013 (see chart 3). The number of fatal work injuries in construction in 2014
was the highest reported total since 2008. The fatal injury rate for workers in
the private construction industry was 9.5 per 100,000 FTE workers in 2014 and
9.7 per 100,000 FTE workers in 2013. Heavy and civil engineering construction
recorded a series low of 138 fatal injuries in 2014, down from 165 in 2013.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting fatalities
were 14 percent higher in 2014 at 568 compared to 500 in 2013. Fatal injuries
in forestry and logging rose to 92 in 2014 from 81 in 2013 and the highest total
since 2008. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting recorded the highest
fatal injury rate of any industry sector at 24.9 fatal work injuries per
100,000 FTE workers in 2014.
Fatal work injuries in the private mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction sector were 17 percent higher in 2014, rising to 181
from 155 in 2013, and the fatal injury rate also increased to 14.1 per 100,000
FTE workers in 2014 from 12.4 per 100,000 FTE workers in 2013. While coal
mining recorded smaller numbers of fatal work injuries in 2014, the number of
fatal work injury cases in oil and gas extraction industries were 27 percent
higher in 2014, rising to 142 in 2014 from 112 in 2013. Oil and gas extraction
industries include oil and gas extraction (North American Industry
Classification System [NAICS] 21111), drilling oil and gas wells (NAICS
213111), and support activities for oil and gas operations (NAICS 213112).
Service-providing industries in the private sector
decreased slightly from 2013. Fatal work injuries in transportation and
warehousing accounted for 735 fatal work injuries in 2014, almost unchanged
from the revised 2013 count of 733 fatalities. Financial activities rose 31
percent, while wholesale trade fell 11 percent.
Fatal occupational injuries among government workers fell
12 percent to a series low of 428 fatal work injuries in 2014, down from 484 in
2013. Federal government work fatalities, which fell 29 percent to 92 in 2014
from 129 in 2013, accounted for most of the decline.
For more detailed information on fatal injuries by
industry, see the industry tables in the 2014 data section at
www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm.
Contracted workers
In 2014, the number of fatal occupational injuries
incurred by contracted workers was 797, or 17 percent of all fatal injuries,
compared to 749 (16 percent) reported in 2013. Falls to a lower level accounted
for 33 percent of contracted worker deaths while struck by object or equipment
(17 percent), pedestrian vehicular incidents (12 percent), and exposure to
electricity (9 percent) incidents were also frequent events among contracted
workers. These four types of incidents each constituted a greater share of
fatalities among contracted workers than they did for all workers.
Fatally-injured contracted workers were most often
contracted by a firm in the private construction industry sector (164 or 21
percent of all contracted workers). They were also frequently contracted by a
government entity (148 or 19 percent) and by firms in the private financial
activities (81 or 10 percent); private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas
extraction (72 or 9 percent); and private manufacturing (70 or 9 percent) industry
sectors.
Over half of all contracted workers (415
workers) were working in construction and extraction occupations when fatally
injured. Decedents in this occupation group were most often employed as
construction laborers (108); electricians (48); first-line supervisors of
construction trades and extraction workers (44); roofers (42); and painters,
construction and maintenance (25). Among contracted workers who were employed
outside the construction and extraction occupation group, the largest number of
fatal occupational injuries was incurred by heavy and tractor-trailer truck
drivers (76 workers); landscaping and groundskeeping workers (21); security
guards (17); tree trimmers and pruners (16); heating, air conditioning, and
refrigeration mechanics and installers (15); and excavating and loading machine
and dragline operators (13).
For more detailed information on fatal injuries incurred
by contracted workers, see the contracted workers table in the miscellaneous
CFOI data tables section at ww.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#other and the CFOI
definition of contracted workers at http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm.
State and
metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
Twenty-four states reported higher numbers of fatal work
injuries in 2014 than in 2013, while 22 states and the District of Columbia
reported lower numbers. Four states reported the same number as in 2013.
For more detailed state results, contact the individual
state agency responsible for the collection of CFOI data in that state.
Although data for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam are not
included in the national totals for this release, results for these
jurisdictions are available. Participating agencies and their telephone numbers
are listed in Table 6.
Detailed data are available on fatal work injuries for
more than 50 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and counts of fatal work
injuries are available for over 300 MSAs. Eleven MSAs reported 50 or more fatal
occupational injuries in 2014. For additional data by MSA, see the tables in
the MSA section at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm#MSA.
Background of the
program
The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of
the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a
count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar
year. The CFOI program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data
sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This ensures
counts are as complete and accurate as possible. For the 2014 data, over 19,800
unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process.
For technical information and definitions for CFOI, please go to the BLS
Handbook of Methods on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch9.pdf.
The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII),
another component of the OSHS program, presents frequency counts and incidence
rates by industry and also by detailed case circumstances and worker
characteristics for nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses for cases that
result in days away from work. Incidence rates for 2014 by industry and case
type will be published in October 2015, and information on 2014 case
circumstances and workercharacteristics will be available in November 2015. For
additional data, access the BLS website: www.bls.gov/iif/.
Beginning with 2014 data, CFOI began classifying industry
using the 2012 version of the North American Industry Classification System
(NAICS 2012). Industry data from 2009 to 2013 were classified using the NAICS
2007. NAICS 2012 includes revisions across several sectors. For more
information, go to http://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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