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
 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
 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.  
 

 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 
 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
    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

 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, 
  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                                         
                                     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  
                                                                                               
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)                                                                            
                                                                                          
                                                                                          
  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  
                           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   
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
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.

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 job-
related.  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.

	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.