Estimates of the lifetime risk of occupational fatal injury were developed, based on national fatality data from NIOSH and the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance system. The goal was to define the general lifetime risk of occupational injury and death within specific industries and occupations, and to define cause related lifetime risks for those occupations identified as having the highest general lifetime risks. The industry with the highest lifetime risk was logging; followed by commercial fishing, hunting, and trapping; taxicab service; coal mining; and water transportation. The highest numbers of fatalities were reported in the construction industry, followed by trucking service; agricultural crop production; logging; and justice, public order, and safety. The six highest risk occupations were timber cutting and logging occupations; fishers, hunters, and trappers; water transportation occupations; structural metal workers; extractive occupations; and airline pilots. The occupations with the most fatalities were heavy truck drivers followed by farmers; timber cutting and logging occupations; construction supervisors; and farm workers. The highest cause specific lifetime risk occurred among workers in timber cutting and logging occupations being struck by falling objects, followed by airplane pilots killed in other and nonspecific accidents to an aircraft. Cause specific lifetime risks greater than 10 deaths per 1,000 workers were also identified for fishers, hunters, and trappers and included drowning associated with water transportation and watercraft accidents causing submersion. The authors suggest that risk assessment for traumatic causes of death be considered equally with risk assessments for illness causing exposures.
David E. Fosbroke, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505
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