Abstract
This statistical compilation reported the numbers and rates of fatal occupational injuries by state and industrial sector in an effort to identify industries where higher risks of sustaining a fatal injury at work exist. Data in the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities files was obtained from death certificates. For inclusion, a positive response to the injury at work section on the certificate was required. Of approximately 7000 traumatic occupational fatalities occurring each year, 95 percent involved men, 84 percent resulted from unintentional injuries, 13 percent resulted from occupational homicides, and 2.8 percent were occupational suicides. Half of the employees in the country were in the 20 to 39 year age group and 50 percent of the fatalities occurred in this range. Older workers had the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers. Wyoming and Alaska had the highest rates of occupational fatalities, with Massachusetts having the lowest. Comparing the average annual number and rate of deaths by industry indicated that the greatest proportion of traumatic occupational fatalities per industry was in the construction industry at 20.4 percent, followed by transportation, communication and public utilities at 19.3 percent, manufacturing at 17.9 percent, and agriculture at 15.1 percent. When labor force data were used to compute injury rates, the largest number of fatalities per 100,000 workers was in the mining industry (30.1), construction (23.1), agriculture (20.3), and transportation, communication, and public utility fields (19.5 percent).
Source Name
Division of Safety Research, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia, 25 pages, 12 references
