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 Technical information: (202) 606-6175 USDL 99 - 208

 Media information: (202) 606-5902 FOR RELEASE: 10 a.m. EDT

 Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/oshhome.htm Wednesday, August 4, 1999

 NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES, 1998

 The number of fatal work injuries fell to 6,026 during 1998, about 

 3 percent below the previous year and the lowest count since the Census 

 of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor 

 Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, began in 1992. An 18 percent drop 

 in job-related homicides accounted for a large portion of the decline.

 (See table 1.) Deaths from workers being struck by falling objects or 

 caught in running machinery also fell from their 1997 totals.

 In contrast, worker deaths from highway crashes, from being struck 

 by vehicles, and from contacts with overhead powerlines were at their 

 highest levels during the 7-year period. The construction industry 

 reported the largest number of fatal work injuries of any industry and 

 accounted for nearly one-fifth of the fatality total in 1998. 

 Profiles of 1998 fatal work injuries 

 Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job 

 fatalities during 1998, accounting for 24 percent of the fatal work 

 injury total. (See table 1.) The number of these fatalities increased 

 slightly over their 1997 total to reach the highest level since the BLS 

 fatality census began in 1992. This rise resulted mainly from an 

 increase in the number of workers killed in highway crashes between 

 oncoming vehicles. Slightly over two-fifths of the 1,431 victims of 

 job-related highway fatalities were employed as truck drivers. 

 The number of workers fatally struck by vehicles rose to 413, 

 an increase of 13 percent from their 1997 total and the highest number 

 in the 7-year period that the fatality census has been compiled. The 

 accompanying table presents these fatalities for selected industries in 

 1998. In contrast to job-related fatalities, total highway and 

 pedestrian fatalities dropped in 1998 from 1997, according to 

 preliminary figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

 Industry Number Percent

 Total job-related fatalities, "struck by vehicles" 413 100

 Private sector 348 84

 Construction 103 25

 Highway and street construction 45 11

 Transportation and public utilities 81 20

 Trucking and warehousing 56 14

 Services 51 12

 Agriculture, forestry, and fishing 48 12
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 Manufacturing 31 8

 Retail trade 23 6

 Public sector 65 16

 Highway and street construction 17 4

 Police protection 13 3

 The second leading cause of on-the-job deaths, workplace homicides, 

 fell to its lowest level in the past 7 years. A total of 709 workers 

 died as a result of job-related homicide in 1998 compared with 1,080 in 

 1994, which had the highest count in the 7-year period. The drop in 

 homicide at work was most pronounced in retail trade, where homicides 

 fell by 46 percent from 1994. The following table shows counts of 

 workplace homicides for selected industries during 1994-98.

 Industry 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

 Total homicides 1,080 1,036 927 860 709

 Retail trade 530 422 437 395 286

 Grocery stores 196 152 146 141 95

 Eating and drinking places 135 121 135 109 69

 Gasoline service stations 41 36 23 34 24

 Taxicab 87 68 50 74 48

 Detective and armored car services 49 27 29 21 18

 Police protection 65 61 45 61 50

 Robbery continued to be the primary motive of job-related homicides 

 in retail trade when a motive could be ascertained from the source 

 documents. The 18 percent drop in workplace homicides from 1997 was 

 more pronounced than the 8 percent decline in total homicides that was 

 reported by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

 In 1998, deaths resulting from on-the-job falls totaled 702, nearly 

 the same as the worker homicide total. Modest increases in falls from 

 roofs and scaffolds resulted in 7-year highs for these two totals. Most 

 of the worker deaths resulting from falls from roofs and scaffolds 

 occurred in the construction industry, which accounts for about half the 

 fatal workplace falls each year.

 Electrocutions accounted for 6 percent of the fatal injuries and 

 increased by 12 percent from 1997. Contact with overhead power lines 

 accounted for about half the deaths from electrocution. 

 In fatal event categories that increased from 1997 to 1998, much 

 of the increases occurred in the construction industry. The following 

 table lists the major fatal events in the construction industry during 

 1997 and 1998.

 Event 1997 1998

 Number Number Percent

 -------------------------------- ------- ---------------

 Total construction 

 fatalities (private sector) 1,107 1,171 100
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 Falls 377 383 33

 From roofs 129 123 11

 From scaffolds 63 84 7

 From ladders 63 54 5

 From building girders or 

 other structural steel 38 39 3

 Electrocutions 140 171 15

 Highway crashes 125 147 13

 Worker struck by vehicle 86 103 9

 Struck by falling objects 65 67 6

 Trench cave-ins 26 36 3

 Collapsing structures 28 28 2

 On average, about 17 workers were fatally injured each day 

 during 1998. Eighty-four percent of fatally injured workers 

 died the day they were injured; 97 percent died within 30 days. 

 There were 227 multiple-fatality incidents (incidents that resulted 

 in two or more worker deaths), resulting in 555 job-related 

 deaths. This was a slight increase over the number of 

 multiple-fatality events reported for 1997, when 220 incidents 

 resulted in 544 deaths. Unlike some previous years, there was no 

 single event such as an airline crash or explosion with more than a 

 dozen fatalities in 1998.

 Occupation highlights (see table 2):

 * Occupations with large numbers of fatal injuries included truck 

 drivers, construction trades, farm occupations, and sales occupations. 

 * Fatal injuries to truck drivers were at their highest level in the 

 7-year period. In contrast, the number of fatalities in sales 

 occupations fell to its lowest level during the same period, primarily 

 because of the drop in homicides. (For more information on fatalities 

 for selected occupations, see BLS Report 934, Fatal Workplace Injuries 

 in 1997: A Collection of Data and Analysis.)

 Relative risk (see tables 3 and 4):

 A comparison of percent distributions of fatalities and employment 

 can be used to evaluate the relative risk of a job-related fatality for 

 a given industry or worker characteristic. For example, the 

 construction industry accounted for 19 percent of the fatality total, 

 3 times its 6-percent share of total employment. While employment can 

 be used to evaluate the relative risk of a fatal work injury, other 

 measures, such as employee exposure hours, also can be used. 

 Industry highlights (see table 3):

 * Industry divisions with large numbers of fatalities relative to their 

 employment include agriculture, forestry, and fishing; construction; 

 transportation and public utilities; and mining.

 * The number of fatal work injuries in retail trade dropped 15 percent 

 from 1997 totals, primarily due to a decline in workplace homicides. 
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 Demographic highlights (see table 4):

 * Men, the self-employed, and older workers suffered fatal injuries 

 more often than their employment shares would suggest. Differences 

 in the industries and occupations of these worker groups explain in 

 part their high relative risk of fatal injury on the job. 

 * Highway-related incidents were the leading cause of job-related 

 fatalities among men; homicides were the leading cause of fatal 

 injuries among women workers.

 * The majority of fatally injured workers under 17 years of age were 

 killed while doing farm work; two-fifths of worker fatalities among 

 17-year olds occurred in the construction industry.

 State highlights (see table 5):

 * In general, the states with the largest number of persons employed 

 have the largest number of work-related fatalities. Three of the 

 largest states--California, Texas, and Florida--accounted for 

 one-fourth of the total fatalities. Each state's industry mix, 

 geographical features, age of population, and other characteristics 

 of the workforce must be considered when evaluating state fatality 

 profiles. 

 * Job-related homicides in the New York City and Los Angeles 

 metropolitan areas dropped by 69 and 54 percent, respectively, 

 from their 7-year highs reported in 1993. These declines accounted 

 for half of the national decline in job-related homicides from 

 1993 to 1998. 

 Background of the program

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS 

 safety and health statistics program, provides the most complete count 

 of fatal work injuries available because it uses diverse state and 

 federal data sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work 

 injuries. Information about each workplace fatality (occupation and 

 other worker characteristics, equipment being used, and circumstances 

 of the event) is obtained by cross-referencing source documents, 

 such as death certificates, workers' compensation records, and reports 

 to federal and state agencies. This method assures counts are as 

 complete and accurate as possible. 

 This is the seventh year that the fatality census has been 

 conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The BLS 

 fatality census is a federal/state cooperative venture in which costs 

 are shared equally. Additional state-specific data are available from 

 the participating state agencies listed in table 6.

 Another BLS program, the Survey of Occupational Injuries and 

 Illnesses, profiles worker and case characteristics of nonfatal 
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 workplace injuries and illnesses that result in lost worktime and 

 presents frequency counts and incidence rates by industry. Copies 

 of the 1997 news release on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are 

 available from BLS by calling (202) 606-6179. Incidence rates for 

 1998 by industry will be published in December 1999, and information 

 on 1998 worker and case characteristics will be available in 

 April 2000. For additional data, access the BLS World Wide Web 

 Internet site: http://www.bls.gov/oshhome.htm. To request a copy 

 of BLS Report 934, which includes several articles and highlights 

 1997 fatality data, e-mail your address to CFOIstaff@bls.gov or 

 write to Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, 

 Room 3180, Washington, DC 20212. 

 (Charts 1 and 2 appear here in the printed release.)

 Chart 1. The manner in which workplace fatalities occurred, 1998 

 Chart 2. Occupations with large numbers of worker fatalities and 

 the leading event, 1998

 Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1993-98

 Event or exposure(1) Fatalities

 1993-97 1997(2) 1998

 average Number Number Percent

 Total 6,335 6,238 6,026 100

 Transportation incidents 2,611 2,605 2,630 44

 Highway 1,334 1,393 1,431 24

 Collision between 

 vehicles, mobile equipment 652 640 701 12

 Moving in same direction 109 103 118 2

 Moving in opposite directions,

 oncoming 234 230 271 4

 Moving in intersection 132 142 142 2

 Vehicle struck stationary object

 or equipment 249 282 306 5

 Noncollision 360 387 373 6

 Jackknifed or overturned--

 no collision 267 298 300 5

 Nonhighway (farm, industrial premises) 388 377 384 6

 Overturned 214 216 216 4

 Aircraft 315 261 223 4

 Worker struck by a vehicle 373 367 413 7

 Water vehicle 106 109 112 2

 Railway 83 93 60 1

Assaults and violent acts 1,241 1,111 960 16

 Homicides 995 860 709 12

 Shooting 810 708 569 9

 Stabbing 75 73 61 1

 Other, including bombing 110 79 79 1
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 Self-inflicted injuries 215 216 223 4

Contact with objects and equipment 1,005 1,035 941 16

 Struck by object 573 579 517 9

 Struck by falling object 369 384 317 5

 Struck by flying object 65 54 58 1

 Caught in or compressed by equipment

 or objects 290 320 266 4

 Caught in running equipment or machinery 153 189 129 2

 Caught in or crushed in collapsing

 materials 124 118 140 2

Falls 668 716 702 12

 Fall to lower level 591 653 623 10

 Fall from ladder 94 116 111 2

 Fall from roof 139 154 156 3

 Fall from scaffold 83 87 97 2

 Fall on same level 52 44 51 1

Exposure to harmful substances or environments 586 554 572 9

 Contact with electric current 320 298 334 6

 Contact with overhead powerlines 128 138 153 3

 Contact with temperature extremes 43 40 46 1

 Exposure to caustic, noxious, or 

 allergenic substances 120 123 104 2

 Inhalation of substance 70 59 48 1

 Oxygen deficiency 101 90 87 1

 Drowning, submersion 80 72 75 1

Fires and explosions 199 196 205 3

Other events or exposures(3) 26 21 16 -

 1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structure.

 2 The BLS news release issued Aug. 12,1998, reported a total of 6,218 fatal work injuries 

for calendar year 1997. Since then, an additional 20 job-related fatalities were identified, 

bringing the total job-related fatality count for 1997 to 6,238.

 3 Includes the category "Bodily reaction and exertion."

 NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. 

Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent 

or data that are not available or that do not meet publication criteria.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state 

and federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1993-98.

 Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or exposure, 1998

 Occupation(1) Fatalities Major event or exposure(2)

 (percent)

 

 Number Percent Highway3 Homicide Struck by object Fall to lower level

 -------------------- ----------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Total 6,026 100 24 12 9 10
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 Managerial and professional 

 specialty 637 11 27 21 3 7

 Executive, administrative

 and managerial 408 7 25 25 4 9

 Professional specialty 229 4 31 13 2 4 

 Technical, sales, and 

 administrative support 678 11 24 35 2 3

 Technicians and related 

 support occupations 68 3 20 3 - -

 Airplane pilots and 

 navigators 91 2 - - - -

 Sales occupations 396 7 23 52 2 3 

 Supervisors and 

 proprietors, sales 

 occupations 185 3 11 63 2 5

 Sales workers, retail 

 and personal services 152 3 24 53 - 3

 Cashiers 52 1 - 87 - -

 Administrative support 

 occupations, including 

 clerical 114 2 34 25 3 7

 Service occupations 439 7 22 33 1 4

 Protective service 

 occupations 257 4 25 35 1 -

 Firefighting and fire

 prevention occupations, 

 including supervisors 45 1 18 - - -

 Police and detectives,

 including supervisors 137 2 34 38 - -

 Guards, including 

 supervisors 75 1 12 52 - -

 Farming, forestry, and fishing 921 15 11 2 18 6 

 Farming operators and 

 managers 370 6 11 2 15 4 

 Farmers, except 

 horticultural 277 5 9 1 16 3

 Managers, farms, except 

 horticultural 81 1 17 - 9 4

 Other agricultural and 

 related occupations 361 6 16 3 11 9

 Farm workers, including 

 supervisors 234 4 15 5 9 5

 Forestry and logging 

 occupations 118 2 3 - 60 5

 Fishers, hunters, 

 and trappers 72 1 - - - -

 Fishers, including vessel

 captains and officers 71 1 - - - -

 Precision production, craft, 
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 and repair 1,084 18 10 4 11 27

 Mechanics and repairers 285 5 13 6 18 11

 Construction trades 631 10 9 1 7 38

 Carpenters and 

 apprentices 90 1 4 - 12 59

 Electricians and 

 apprentices 124 2 7 - 8 15

 Painters 41 1 15 - - 46

 Roofers 50 1 6 - - 76

 Structural metal 

 workers 52 1 - - 10 81

 Operators, fabricators, and 

 laborers 2,151 36 36 6 9 9

 Machine operators, 

 assemblers, and inspectors 221 4 5 6 16 10

 Transportation and material 

 moving occupations 1,257 21 55 7 7 2

 Motor vehicle operators 1,020 17 66 8 5 2

 Truck drivers 879 15 69 3 6 2 

 Driver-sales workers 36 1 64 14 - -

 Taxicab drivers 

 and chauffeurs 82 1 38 60 - - 

 Material moving equipment 

 operators 197 3 9 2 16 5

 Handlers, equipment cleaners,

 helpers, and laborers 673 11 10 5 10 21

 Construction laborers 335 6 11 - 6 31

 Laborers, except 

 construction 192 3 9 4 16 12

 Military(4) 88 1 12 - 9 -

 1 Based on the 1990 Occupational Classification System developed by the Bureau of the Census.

 2 The figure shown is the percent of the total fatalities for that occupational group.

 3 "Highway" includes deaths to vehicle occupants resulting from traffic incidents that occur on the public roadway, 

shoulder, or surrounding area. It excludes incidents occurring entirely off the roadway, such as in parking lots 

and on farms; incidents involving trains; and deaths to pedestrians or other nonpassengers.

 4 Resident armed forces.

 NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to 

totals because of rounding. There were 28 fatalities for which there was insufficient information to determine an 

occupation classification. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are not available or that do not meet 

publication criteria.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, 

Census 

of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1998.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1998

 

 Fatalities Employment(2) 

 (in thousands) 

 

 Industry SIC 

 code(1) 1997 
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 1993-97 (revised) Number Percent Number Percent 

 average Number 

 ------------------------ -------- ------- ----------- -------- ------- -------- --------

 

 Total.................. 6,335 6,238 6,026 100 132,684 100 

 Private industry....... 5,662 5,616 5,428 90 113,066 85 

Agriculture, forestry and 

 fishing................. 831 833 831 14 3,450 3 

 Agricultural production 

 - crops............... 01 383 373 378 6 1,012 1 

 Agricultural production 

 - livestock........... 02 178 183 174 3 1,092 1 

 Agricultural services.. 07 165 178 167 3 1,259 1 

 

Mining................... 164 158 146 2 618 - 

 Coal mining............ 12 39 32 30 - 82 - 

 Oil and gas extraction. 13 88 85 76 1 373 - 

 

Construction............. 1,034 1,107 1,171 19 8,044 6 

 General building 

 contractors........... 15 180 194 212 4 - - 

 Heavy construction, 

 except building....... 16 249 252 271 4 - - 

 Special trades 

 contractors........... 17 597 648 679 11 - - 

 

Manufacturing............ 747 744 694 12 20,665 16 

 Food and kindred 

 products.............. 20 78 78 72 1 1,654 1 

 Lumber and wood 

 products.............. 24 198 199 170 3 861 1 

 

Transportation and public 

 utilities............... 944 1,008 909 15 7,713 6 

 Local and interurban 

 passenger 

 transportation........ 41 109 106 85 1 552 - 

 Trucking and 

 warehousing........... 42 509 573 562 9 2,578 2 

 Transportation by air.. 45 91 83 74 1 832 1 

 Electric, gas, and 

 sanitary services..... 49 86 89 83 1 1,060 1 

 

Wholesale trade.......... 258 241 228 4 5,077 4 

Retail trade............. 728 670 569 9 22,010 17 

 Food stores............ 54 205 192 135 2 3,602 3 

 Automotive dealers and 

 service stations...... 55 120 115 119 2 2,221 2 

 Eating and drinking 

 places................ 58 174 151 107 2 6,723 5 

 
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Finance, insurance, and 

 real estate............. 114 97 92 2 8,399 6 

 

Services................. 776 727 757 13 37,090 28 

 Business services...... 73 202 183 194 3 6,403 5 

 Automotive repair, 

 services, and parking. 75 108 110 132 2 1,532 1 

 

 Government(3).......... 674 622 598 10 19,618 15 

Federal government 

 (including resident 

 armed forces)........... 209 162 164 3 4,468 3 

State government......... 129 125 135 2 5,160 4 

Local government......... 329 331 295 5 9,990 8 

 Police protection.... 9221 101 114 101 2 - - 

 1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.

 2 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older, plus resident 

armed forces, from the Current Population Survey, 1998.

 3 Includes fatalities to workers employed by government organizations regardless of industry.

 NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages 

may not add to totals because of rounding. There were 31 fatalities for which there was insufficient 

information to determine a specific industry classification, though a distinction between private sector 

and government was made for each. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are not available 

or that do not meet publication criteria.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal 

agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1993-98.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 1998

 

 Fatalities Employment(1) 

 (in thousands) Most frequent events(2) 

 Characteristics (percent of total) 

 

 Number Percent Number Percent 

 Total.................. 6,026 100 132,684 100 Highway (24 percent), 

 homicide (12 percent) 

 Employee status 

 

Wage and salary 

 workers .............. 4,782 79 122,240 92 Highway (26), homicide (11) 

Self-employed(3)......... 1,244 21 10,444 8 Nonhighway (16), highway (15) 

 

 Sex 

Men...................... 5,544 92 71,744 54 Highway (23), fall to lower level (11) 

Women.................... 482 8 60,940 46 Homicide (34), highway (29) 

 

 Age(4) 
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 under 16 years......... 33 1 - - Nonhighway (42), homicide (12) 

 16 to 17 years......... 32 1 2,764 2 Highway (28), fall to lower level (16) 

 18 to 19 years......... 136 2 4,383 3 Highway (29), electrocution (10) 

 20 to 24 years......... 418 7 12,923 10 Highway (25), fall to lower level (11) 

 25 to 34 years......... 1,233 20 31,850 24 Highway (23), homicide (14) 

 35 to 44 years......... 1,521 25 36,543 28 Highway (23), homicide (13)

 45 to 54 years......... 1,271 21 27,623 21 Highway (26), fall to lower level (11) 

 55 to 64 years......... 835 14 12,873 10 Highway (26), fall to lower level (13) 

 65 and over............ 534 9 3,725 3 Highway (23), nonhighway (19) 

 

 Race 

White.................... 5,016 83 111,863 84 Highway (24), fall to lower level (10) 

Black.................... 591 10 14,795 11 Highway (22), homicide (22) 

Asian or Pacific Islander 148 2 - - Homicide (46), fall to lower level (13) 

American Indian, Aleut, 

 Eskimo.................. 28 - - - Highway (18) 

Other.................... 243 4 - - Highway (22), fall to lower level (17) 

 

 Hispanic origin 

Hispanic(5).............. 700 12 13,381 10 Highway (19), fall to lower level (16) 

 1 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older, plus resident armed forces, 

from the Current Population Survey, 1998.

 2 "Highway" includes deaths to vehicle occupants resulting from traffic incidents that occur on the public 

roadway, shoulder, or surrounding area. It excludes incidents occurring entirely off the roadway, such as in 

parking lots and on farms. "Nonhighway" includes transport-related deaths of vehicle occupants that occur or 

originate entirely off the roadway. Incidents involving trains and deaths to pedestrians or other nonpassengers 

are excluded from both categories.

 3 Includes paid and unpaid family workers and may include owners of incorporated businesses or members 

of partnerships.

 4 There were 13 fatalities for which age was not reported.

 5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. Hispanic employment does not include resident armed forces.

 NOTE: Totals may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of 

rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are not available or that do not meet publication criteria.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with state and federal agencies, 

Census 

of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1998.

Table 5. Fatal occupational injuries by State and event or exposure, 1998

 

 Total Fatalities(1) Event or exposure 

 (percent) 

 

 Exposure 

 State of injury Trans- Contact to 

 portation Assaults with harmful Fires 
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 1997 1998 in- and objects Falls sub- and 

 (revised) cidents(3) violent and stances explosions

 acts(4) equipment or 

 environments 

 ---------------------- ------------------ ---------- -------- --------- ------- ---------- --------

 

 Total(5)............... 6,238 6,026 44 16 16 12 9 3 

Alabama.................. 139 135 49 13 16 5 13 3 

Alaska................... 51 43 70 16 - 9 - - 

Arizona.................. 61 71 41 13 18 10 13 6 

Arkansas................. 102 86 48 10 17 12 8 5 

California............... 651 617 40 24 11 13 9 1 

Colorado................. 120 77 49 12 19 13 5 - 

Connecticut.............. 32 55 35 29 5 16 13 - 

Delaware................. 17 11 45 - - - - - 

District of Columbia..... 23 13 - 46 23 - - - 

Florida.................. 366 384 42 22 9 15 11 2 

Georgia.................. 242 195 41 17 16 15 8 3 

Hawaii................... 19 12 58 - - 25 - - 

Idaho.................... 56 51 53 6 20 8 10 - 

Illinois................. 240 216 37 18 17 16 11 2 

Indiana.................. 190 154 53 18 12 9 7 - 

Iowa..................... 80 68 50 - 21 13 9 4 

Kansas................... 93 98 53 8 12 3 12 11 

Kentucky................. 143 117 38 14 27 12 9 - 

Louisiana................ 137 159 45 13 13 7 12 11 

Maine.................... 19 26 50 - 23 15 - - 

Maryland................. 82 78 50 21 6 9 10 4 

Massachusetts............ 69 44 34 9 20 20 11 - 

Michigan................. 174 179 30 18 20 12 12 8 

Minnesota................ 72 84 40 4 32 11 10 4 

Mississippi.............. 104 113 50 14 13 9 9 4 

Missouri................. 123 145 43 12 17 14 10 3 

Montana.................. 56 58 50 22 7 14 5 - 

Nebraska................. 46 56 59 9 20 - 9 - 

Nevada................... 55 60 50 25 7 12 - 7 

New Hampshire............ 23 23 43 22 17 13 - - 

New Jersey............... 101 103 43 14 19 14 8 3 

New Mexico............... 50 48 40 15 15 6 12 10 

New York (inc. N.Y.C.)... 264 243 32 22 15 17 8 6 

 New York City.......... 109 94 11 41 12 20 6 10 

North Carolina........... 210 228 49 16 17 11 7 - 

North Dakota............. 35 24 42 - 46 - - - 

Ohio..................... 201 186 46 11 18 13 5 6 

Oklahoma................. 104 75 49 9 17 9 11 - 

Oregon................... 84 72 54 8 24 7 7 - 

Pennsylvania............. 259 235 43 15 18 9 10 6 

Rhode Island............. 11 12 50 - - - - - 

South Carolina........... 131 110 42 22 14 11 10 - 

South Dakota............. 23 28 54 - 32 - - - 

Tennessee................ 168 150 49 12 17 7 15 - 

Texas.................... 459 523 41 15 15 11 14 4 
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Utah..................... 66 67 57 - 12 15 9 4 

Vermont.................. 9 16 38 - 25 - - 19 

Virginia................. 166 176 43 23 15 13 6 - 

Washington............... 112 112 44 9 14 12 13 7 

West Virginia............ 53 57 33 7 39 12 - 5 

Wisconsin................ 114 97 51 18 20 6 5 - 

Wyoming.................. 29 33 73 - 9 - 9 - 

 1 Includes other events and exposures, such as bodily reaction, in addition to those shown separately. 

 2 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification Structure.

 3 Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities and fatalities to workers struck by vehicles.

 4 Includes violence by persons, self-inflicted injuries, and assaults by animals.

 5 Includes fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the 50 States.

 NOTE: Percentages may not add to 100 because of rounding. Dashes indicate less than 0.5 percent or data that are 

not available or that do not meet publication criteria.

 SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, in cooperation with State and Federal Agencies, 

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1997-98.

Table 6. CFOI participating State agencies and telephone numbers

State Agency Telephone number

Alabama Department of Labor (334) 242-3460

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (907) 465-4539

Arizona Industrial Commission (602) 542-3739

Arkansas Department of Labor (501) 682-4542

California Department of Industrial Relations (415) 703-4757

Colorado Department of Public Health (303) 692-2168

Connecticut Labor Department (860) 566-4380

Delaware Department of Labor (302) 761-8223

District of Columbia Center for Health Statistics (202) 442-5922

Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security (850) 922-8953

Georgia Department of Labor (404) 656-2966

Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (808) 586-9008

Idaho Industrial Commission (208) 334-6090

Illinois Department of Public Health (217) 785-1873

Indiana Department of Labor (317) 232-2665

Iowa Department of Labor Services (515) 281-5151

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (785) 296-1058

Kentucky Labor Cabinet (502) 564-3070

Louisiana Department of Labor (504) 342-3126

Maine Bureau of Labor Standards (207) 624-6440

Maryland Division of Labor and Industry (410) 767-2356

Massachusetts Department of Public Health (617) 624-5628

Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (517) 322-5258

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (651) 296-3885

Mississippi Department of Health (601) 576-7741

Missouri Bureau of Health Services Statistics (573) 751-6103

Montana Department of Labor and Industry (406) 444-3297

Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court (402) 471-3547

Nevada Division of Industrial Relations (775) 687-3298

New Hampshire Department of Public Health (603) 271-4647

New Jersey Department of Health (609) 984-7160

New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (505) 827-4230
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New York Department of Health (518) 402-7900

New York City Department of Health (212) 788-4585

North Carolina Department of Labor (919) 733-0337

North Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483

Ohio Department of Health (614) 466-4183

Oklahoma Department of Labor (405) 528-1500

Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (503) 947-8254

Pennsylvania Department of Health (717) 783-2548

Rhode Island Department of Health (401) 277-2812

South Carolina Department of Labor (803) 734-4298

South Dakota Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483

Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (615) 741-1749

Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (512) 440-3852

Utah Labor Commission (801) 530-6823

Vermont Department of Labor and Industry (802) 828-2195

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (804) 786-6427

Washington Department of Labor and Industries (360) 902-5510

West Virginia Department of Labor (304) 558-7890

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (608) 266-7850

Wyoming Bureau of Labor Statistics (816) 426-2483

TECHNICAL NOTES

Definitions

 For a fatality to be included in the census, the decedent must have 

been employed (that is working for pay, compensation, or profit) at the 

time of the event, engaged in a legal work activity, or present at the 

site of the incident as a requirement of his or her job. These criteria 

are generally broader than those used by federal and state agencies 

administering specific laws and regulations. (Fatalities that occur 

during a person's commute to or from work are excluded from the census 

counts.)

 Data presented in this release include deaths occurring in 1998 

that resulted from traumatic occupational injuries. An injury is 

defined as any intentional or unintentional wound or damage to the 

body resulting from acute exposure to energy, such as heat, electricity, 

or kinetic energy from a crash or from the absence of such essentials as 

heat or oxygen caused by a specific event, incident, or series of events 

within a single workday or shift. Included are open wounds, intracranial 

and internal injuries, heatstroke, hypothermia, asphyxiations, acute 

poisonings resulting from short-term exposures limited to the worker's 

shift, suicides and homicides, and work injuries listed as underlying or 

contributory causes of death.

 Information on work-related fatal illnesses are not reported in 

the BLS census and are excluded from the attached tables because the 

latency period of many occupational illnesses and the difficulty of 

linking illnesses to work make identification of a universe problematic. 

Partial information on fatal occupational illnesses, compiled 

separately, is available in BLS Report 934.
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Measurement techniques and limitations

 Data for the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries are compiled 

from various federal, state, and local administrative sources--including 

death certificates, workers' compensation reports and claims, reports to 

various regulatory agencies, medical examiner reports, and police 

reports--as well as news reports. Diverse sources are used because 

studies have shown that no single source captures all job-related 

fatalities. Source documents are matched so that each fatality is 

counted only once. To ensure that a fatality occurred while the 

decedent was at work, information is verified from two or more 

independent source documents or from a source document and a 

follow-up questionnaire. Approximately 30 data elements are 

collected, coded, and tabulated, including information about the 

worker, the fatal incident, and the machinery or equipment involved.

Identification and verification of work-related fatalities.

 Because some state laws and regulations prohibit 

enumerators from contacting the next-of-kin, it was not possible to 

independently verify work relationship (whether a fatality is job 

related) for 177 fatal work injuries in 1998; however, the 

information on the initiating source document for these cases was 

sufficient to determine that the incident was likely to be jobrelated. Data for these fatalities, which primarily affected 

self-employed workers, are included in the Census of Fatal Occupational 

Injuries counts. An additional 18 fatalities submitted by states 

were not included because the initiating source document had 

insufficient information to determine work relationship, which could 

not be verified by either an independent source document or a 

follow-up questionnaire.

 States may identify additional fatal work injuries after 

data collection closeout for a reference year. In addition, other 

fatalities excluded from the published count because of insufficient 

information to determine work relationship may subsequently be verified 

as work related. States have up to one year to update their initial 

published state counts. This procedure ensures that fatality data are 

disseminated as quickly as possible and that no legitimate case is 

excluded from the counts. Thus, each year's report should be considered 

preliminary until the next year's data are issued. Increases in the 

published counts based on additional information have averaged less than 

100 fatalities per year or less than 1.5 percent of the total.

Federal/state agency coverage

 The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all 

fatal work injuries, whether they are covered by the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies 

or are 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.
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 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 America'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. Fatalities occurring in activities 

regulated by federal agencies other than OSHA accounted for about 

18 percent of the fatal work injuries in 1998.

 Fatalities occurring among several other groups of workers are 

generally not covered by any federal or state agencies. These groups 

include self-employed and unpaid family workers, which accounted for 

about 21 percent of the fatalities; laborers on small farms, accounting 

for about 2 percent of the fatalities; and state and local government 

employees in states without OSHA-approved safety programs, which 

accounted for about 4 percent. (Approximately one-half of the states 

have approved OSHA safety programs, which cover state and local 

government employees.) 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: BLS thanks the participating states 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 agencies 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 Department of Energy; the National Association of Chiefs 

of Police; United Steelworkers of America; 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.