CF NR 8/7/97 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1996


Technical information:                           USDL - 97 - 266
G. Toscano  (202) 606-6175
Media contact:                                   FOR RELEASE:  10 a.m. EDT
K. Hoyle  (202) 606-5902                         Thursday, August 7, 1997




         NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES, 1996



	Largely as a result of reductions in job-related homicides and
electrocutions, the number of fatal work injuries fell in 1996 to 6,112,
the lowest level in the five-year history of the Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor.  The downward trend in the past two years reversed
the increases reported in 1993 and 1994.  (See table 1.)

        Job-related electrocutions dropped 20 percent, and homicides
fell 12 percent from 1995 to 1996.  In contrast, fatalities from falls
to lower levels continued to rise, reaching a five-year high.  Half of
the fatal falls occurred in the construction industry.  This release
profiles these and other fatal work injuries by type of event,
occupation, industry, demographic characteristics of the worker, and
state where injury occurred.


Profiles of 1996 fatal work injuries

	Highway traffic incidents and homicides continued to lead all
other events that resulted in fatal work injuries in 1996.  These two
events totaled over a third of the work injury deaths that occurred
during the year.  (See table 1 and chart 1.)

	Work-related highway deaths accounted for 22 percent of the
6,112 fatal work injuries in 1996.  Slightly over half of the highway
fatality victims were driving or riding in a truck.  The following table
shows the most common vehicles occupied by highway fatality victims:

Vehicle               Number    Percent

Truck                  746        56
  Semitrailer truck    352        27
  Pickup truck         144        11
  Delivery truck        37         3
  Dump truck            31         2
Automobile             345        26
Van                     73         6
Tractor                 25         2
Other or not reported  135        10

        Off-road transport-related incidents (such as tractors or
forklifts overturning) and workers being struck by vehicles each
accounted for about 6 percent of worker fatalities.  Air, rail, and
water transport together accounted for another 8 percent.

	Homicide, the second leading cause of job-related deaths,
accounted for 15 percent of fatal work injuries in 1996.  Work-related
homicides fell 12 percent below the 1995 total and 16 percent below
1994, when job-related homicides recorded  a five-year high.  While
most industry divisions had declines in the number of job-related
homicides, retail trade and services had slight increases over 1995.
Managers of food serving and lodging establishments and sales
supervisors and proprietors were particularly affected by the
increases.  Taxicab drivers had one of the largest declines in
homicides.

	Robbery was the primary motive of job-related homicides.
Almost half of the homicide victims worked in retail establishments,
such as grocery stores and eating and drinking establishments, where
cash is readily available.  Disputes among coworkers and with customers
and clients accounted for about one-seventh of the homicide total.
Many of these homicides were committed after the worker was fired or
the customer or tenant was asked to leave the premises.  Arguments with
customers and clients ranged from disagreements over monetary issues,
such as rental or legal fees owed and quality of goods or services
received, to disputes over refusal to serve alcohol.  Domestic disputes
accounted for one-sixth of the workplace homicides for female workers.



Circumstances or alleged perpetrator        Number    Percent

Robberies and other crimes                    726       80
Work associates                               129       14
  Coworker, former coworker                    75        8
  Customer, client                             54        6
Relatives                                      31        3
  Husband, ex-husband                          20        2
  Other relative                               11        1
Other personal acquaintances                   26        3
  Boyfriend, ex-boyfriend                      11        1
  Other acquaintance                           15        2


	Falls continued to rise in 1996, accounting for 11 percent
of the fatal work injuries.  One-fifth were from or through roofs;
falls from scaffolding and from ladders each accounted for about
one-seventh.  While still relatively small in number, falls from
nonmoving vehicles rose by almost two-thirds over the previous year.

	Nine percent of the fatally injured workers were struck by
various objects, such as falling trees, machinery or vehicles that had
slipped into gear, and various building materials.  Fatalities
resulting from being struck by falling objects were at their highest
level since the fatality census began in 1992.  An increase in the
number of workers killed by falling trees and tree limbs in 1996
was partly responsible for the higher level in 1996.

	Job-related electrocutions dropped below 300 for the first
time in the five-year period and accounted for 5 percent of worker
deaths in 1996.  Construction trade workers, such as painters,
electricians, and carpenters, accounted for a large portion of the
decline from the 1995 total.   Two-fifths of the worker deaths
from electrocution resulted from the worker or equipment being
used coming in contact with overhead power lines.

	On average, about 17 workers were fatally injured each day
during 1996.  Eighty-four percent of fatally injured workers died the
day they were injured; 97 percent died within 30 days.  There were
189 multiple fatality incidents (incidents that resulted in two or
more worker deaths) resulting in 546 job-related deaths.  This was
about 10 percent fewer multiple fatality incidents than in 1995 when
217 events resulted in 686 fatal work injuries.


Occupation highlights (table 2 and chart 2):

* Occupations with large numbers of fatal injuries included truck
drivers, construction trades, farm occupations, and sales occupations.

* The specific events or exposures responsible for workers' deaths
varied considerably among occupations.  Highway crashes, jackknifings,
and rollovers together accounted for about two-thirds of the truck
drivers' deaths, while homicides accounted for about three-fifths of
the fatalities among workers in sales occupations.  Slightly over
one-third of the deaths in farm occupations occurred in tractor-related
incidents, and about two-fifths of worker deaths in construction trades
resulted from falls to lower levels.


Industry highlights (table 3):

* The construction industry accounted for one out of every six fatal
work injuries that occurred during 1996.

* Industry divisions with large numbers of fatalities relative to their
employment include agriculture, forestry, and fishing; construction;
transportation and public utilities; and mining.


Relative risk (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 occupation, industry, or worker
characteristic.  For example, the construction industry accounted
for about 17 percent of the fatality total, about 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.  (The annual
average employment data shown in tables 3 and 4 are from the Current
Population Survey.)


State highlights (table 5):

* In general, states that have the largest number of persons employed
also reported the largest number of work-related fatalities.  Twelve
of the largest states accounted for almost half of the total fatality
count; three of these 12 states--California, Texas, and Florida--
accounted for one-fourth of the total.  A state's industry mix,
however, also must be considered when evaluating its occupational
fatality profile, especially when large numbers of workers are employed
in relatively dangerous industries, such as agriculture, mining,
and construction.

* Five states reported changes of 20 or more fatalities that represented
at least a 20 percent difference compared with 1995.  Major disasters,
such as the Oklahoma City bombing or an airline crash, can cause
substantial year-to-year fluctuations in occupational fatality totals.




State         1995    1996    Numeric    Percent   Contributing factor
                               change     change

Colorado       112     90       -22        -20     General decline

Louisiana      139    103       -36        -26     Fewer air and water
                                                     vehicle incidents

Mississippi    128    103       -25        -20     Fewer transport-
                                                     related incidents

Oklahoma       200     87      -113        -57     Federal building
                                                     bombing in 1995

Pennsylvania   233    282        49         21     General increase




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 fifth 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 Bureau 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 1995 news release on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are
available from BLS by calling (202) 606-6304.  Incidence rates for
1996 by industry will be published in December 1997, and information
on 1996 worker and case characteristics will be available in April 1998.
For additional occupational safety and health data, access the
BLS World Wide Web Internet site:  http://www.bls.gov/oshhome.htm.


Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1992-1996

                                         Fatalities

Event or exposure(1)     1992    1993    1994   1995(2)     1996
                        Number  Number  Number  Number  Number  Percent

     Total              6,217   6,331   6,632    6,275   6,112    100

Transportation
incidents               2,484   2,501   2,762    2,587   2,556     42

  Highway               1,158   1,243   1,343    1,346   1,324     22

    Collision between
    vehicles, mobile
    equipment             578     657     654      642     656     11

      Moving in same
      direction            78      99     120      127      95      2

      Moving in opposite
      directions,
      oncoming            201     244     230      246     214      4

      Moving in
      intersection        107     123     144       99     153      3

    Vehicle struck
    stationary object or
    equipment             192     190     255      275     240      4

    Noncollision          301     336     373      352     348      6

      Jackknifed or
      overturned--
      no collision        213     237     274      261     264      4

  Nonhighway (farm,
  industrial premises)    436     392     409      387     369      6

       Overturned         208     212     226      209     204      3

  Aircraft                353     282     426      283     320      5

  Worker struck by
  a vehicle               346     365     391      388     349      6

  Water vehicle           109     120      94       87     107      2

  Railway                  66      86      81       82      75      1

Assaults and
violent acts            1,281   1,329   1,321    1,280   1,144     19

  Homicides             1,044   1,074   1,080    1,036     912     15

    Shooting              852     884     934      762     751     12

    Stabbing               90      95      60       67      79      1

    Other, including
    bombing               102      95      86      207      82      1

  Self-inflicted
  injuries                205     222     214      221     199      3

Contact with objects
and equipment           1,004   1,045   1,017      916   1,005     16

  Struck by object        557     566     590      547     579      9

    Struck by falling
    object                361     346     372      341     402      7

    Struck by flying
    object                 77      82      68       63      58      1

  Caught in or
  compressed  by
  equipment or objects    316     309     280      255     283      5

    Caught in running
    equipment or
    machinery             159     151     147      131     146      2

  Caught in or crushed
  in collapsing
  materials               110     138     132       99     130      2

Falls                     600     618     665      651     684     11

  Fall to lower level     507     533     580      578     607     10

    Fall from ladder       78      76      86       97      95      2

    Fall from roof        108     120     129      143     148      2

    Fall from scaffold     66      71      89       82      88      1

  Fall on same level       62      49      63       53      49      1

Exposure to harmful
substances or
environments              605     592     641      609     523      9

  Contact with electric
  current                 334     325     348      348     279      5

    Contact with overhead
    powerlines            140     115     132      139     116      2

  Contact with
  temperature extremes     33      38      50       56      32      1

    Exposure to caustic,
    noxious, or
    allergenic substance  127     115     133      107     119      2

      Inhalation of
      substances           83      68      84       62      75      1

    Oxygen deficiency     111     111     109       97      92      2

      Drowning,
      submersion           78      89      89       77      67      1

Fires and explosions      167     204     202      207     184      3

Other events or
exposures(3)               76      43      24       25      16      -


   1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification
   Structures.
   2 The BLS news release issued August 8,1996, reported a total of
   6,210 fatal work injuries for calendar year 1995.  Since then, an
   additional 65 job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the
   total job-related fatality count for 1995 to 6,275.
   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, 1992-1996.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or
exposure, 1996

Occupation(1)         Fatalities            Major event or exposure(2)
                                                    (percent)
                   ---------------   --------------------------------------
                                                                     Fall
                                                            Struck    to
                                                              by     lower
                    Number  Percent   Highway3  Homicide    object   level

    Total           6,112     100        22        15          9       10

Managerial and
professional
specialty             711      12        23        26          4        7

  Executive,
  administrative,
  and managerial      437       7        19        32          5        8

  Professional
  specialty           274       4        31        15          2        6

Technical, sales,
and administrative
support               761      12        22        43          2        2

  Technicians and
  related support
  occupations         163       3        13         -          4        -

    Airplane pilots
    and navigators    100       2         -         -          -        -

  Sales occupations   503       8        22        59          1        2

    Supervisors and
    proprietors,
    sales
    occupations       225       4        16        65          2        -

    Sales workers,
    retail and
    personal
    services          192       3        17        69          -        3

      Cashiers         94       2         -        90          -        -

    Administrative
    support
    occupations,
    including
    clerical           95       2        36        31          4        -

Service occupations.  492       8        19        38          2        5

  Protective service
  occupations         248       4        26        44          1        1

    Firefighting and
    fire prevention
    occupations,
    including
    supervisors        37       1        38         -          -        -

    Police and
    detectives,
    including
    supervisors       114       2        33         48         -        -

    Guards,
    including
    supervisors        97       2        12         54         -        -

Farming, forestry,
and fishing           883      14         9          2        22        7

  Farming operators
  and managers        376       6         7          1        15        7

    Farmers, except
    horticultural     304       5         6          1        14        6

    Managers, farms,
    except
    horticultural      59       1         8          -        17        7

  Other agricultural
  and related
  occupations         301       5        14          4        12        9

    Farm workers,
    including
    supervisors       193       3        17          4         8        4

  Forestry and
  logging
  occupations         134       2         5          -        74        5

    Timber cutting
    and logging
    occupations       118       2         4          -        76        3

  Fishers, hunters,
  and trappers         72       1         -          -         -        -

    Fishers            66       1         -          -         -        -

Precision
production, craft,
and repair          1,072      18        12          3        11       26

  Mechanics and
  repairers           282       5        18          6        15       10

  Construction
  trades              592      10        10          2         8       39

    Carpenters and
    apprentices        87       1         7          -        15       57

    Electricians and
    apprentices        98       2         9          -         5       18

    Painters           45       1         -          -         -       56

    Roofers            61       1         -          -         5       67

    Structural metal
    workers            52       1         -          -         8       77

Operators,
fabricators, and
laborers            2,006      33        33          7        10        8

  Machine operators,
  assemblers,
  and inspectors      218       4         5          5        20       13

  Transportation and
  material moving
  occupations       1,154      19        51          8         7        3

    Motor vehicle
    operators         913      15        62          9         5        3

      Truck drivers   785      13        65          3         6        3

      Driver-sales
      workers          35       1        54         23         -        -

      Taxicab drivers
      and chauffeurs   65       1        25         71         -        -

    Material moving
    equipment
    operators         177       3        13          3        22        3

  Handlers, equipment
  cleaners, helpers,
  and laborers        634      10        10          7        13       15

    Construction
    laborers          291       5         9          1        14       21

    Laborers,
    except
    construction      213       3         7          9        14       13

Military(4)           123       2        10          2         5        4


   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 64 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, 1996.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1996


                                 Fatalities              Employment2
Industry           SIC                                  (in thousands)
                  code(1)     1995         1996
                            (revised)  
                 --------   ---------  ---------------  --------------
                             Number    Number  Percent  Number  Percent

     Total                   6,275     6,112     100    127,997   100

 Private industry            5,495     5,521      90    108,472    85


Agriculture,
forestry, and
fishing                        800       798      13      3,505     3

 Agricultural
 production -
 crops                01       363       335       5      1,025     1

 Agricultural
 production -
 livestock            02       162       154       3      1,214     1

 Agricultural
 services             07       156       171       3      1,189     1

Mining                         156       152       2        567     -

 Coal mining          12        43        39       1         98     -

 Oil and gas
 extraction           13        77        82       1        302     -

Construction                 1,055     1,039      17      7,464     6

 General building
 contractors          15       176       183       3         -      -

 Heavy construction,
 except building      16       246       247       4         -      -

 Special trades
 contractors          17       618       599      10         -      -

Manufacturing                  709       715      12     20,434    16

 Food and kindred
 products             20        75        70       1      1,706     1

 Lumber and wood
 products             24       183       203       3        794     1

Transportation and
public utilities               901       947      15      7,248     6

 Local and interurban
 passenger
 transportation       41       117        78       1        503     -

 Trucking and
 warehousing          42       476       511       8      2,451     2

 Transportation
 by air               45        80       113       2        778     1

 Electric, gas, and
 sanitary services    49        91        88       1      1,066     1

Wholesale trade                256       267       4      4,942     4

Retail trade                   687       672      11     21,443    17

 Food stores          54       190       173       3      3,507     3

 Automotive dealers
 and service
 stations             55       125        98        2     2,165     2

 Eating and
 drinking places      58       168       166        3     6,483     5

Finance, insurance,
and real estate                125       114        2     7,862     6

Services                       749       767       13    35,008    27

 Business services    73       212       168        3     5,680     4

 Automotive repair,
 services,
 and parking          75       117       103        2     1,618     1

Government(3)                  780       591       10    19,525    15

 Federal (including
 resident armed
 forces)                       301       178        3     4,583     4

 State                         127       127        2     5,150     4

 Local                         341       284        5     9,791     8

   Police
   protection       9221       110        76        1       -       -

   1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.
   2 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years
   of age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current
   Population Survey, 1996.
   3 Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental 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 54 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, 1995-1996.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected
worker characteristics, 1996


Characteristics      Fatalities        Employment
                                    (in thousands)(1)     Most frequent
                                                             event(2)
                  Number  Percent    Number    Percent   (percent of total)

  Total           6,112    100      127,997      100     Highway (22 percent)


Employee status


Wage and salary
workers           4,906     80      117,329       92      Highway (24)

Self-employed(3)  1,207     20       10,668        8      Homicide (20)



Sex and age

Men               5,605     92       69,329       54      Highway (21)
Women               507      8       58,668       46      Homicide (34)


Both sexes(4)

Under 16 years       27      -           -         -      Nonhighway (22)
16 to 17 years       43      1        2,648        2      Highway (23)
18 to 19 years      124      2        3,941        3         "    (27)
20 to 24 years      440      7       12,532       10         "    (18)
25 to 34 years    1,336     22       32,579       25         "    (23)
35 to 44 years    1,563     26       35,319       28         "    (23)
45 to 54 years    1,226     20       25,550       20         "    (22)
55 to 64 years      847     14       11,741        9         "    (22)
65 years and
over                492      8        3,690        3      Nonhighway(19)


Race

White             5,047     83      108,805       85      Highway (22)
Black               617     10       13,789       11      Homicide (28)
Asian or
Pacific Islander    163      3           -         -      Homicide (57)
American Indian,
Aleut, Eskimo        35      1           -         -      Highway (23)
Other or not
reported            250      4           -         -      Homicide (17)


Hispanic origin

Hispanic(5)         626     10        11,725       9      Homicide (20)

   1 The employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years
   of age and older, plus resident armed forces, from the Current
   Population Survey, 1996.
   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 14 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, 1996.

Table 5.  Fatal occupational injuries by State and event or exposure, 1996
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
                          Total                                Event or exposure(2)                   
                        Fatalities (1)                                (percent)                         
                       ----------------  --------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                      
                                                                                    Exposure          
   State of injury        1995      1996     Trans-             Contact                to             
                       (Revised)           portation  Assaults    with               harmful  Fires and
                                         incidents(3)   and     objects    Falls      sub-    explosions
                                                      violent     and                stanes         
                                                      acts(4)  equipment               or             
                                                                                    environ-          
                                                                                     ments            
                                                                                                                                                                                                            
                         ------    -----  ---------  --------  --------   -------  ---------   --------
  Total(5)............   6,275     6,112       42        19        16        11         9         3   
                                                                                                      
Alabama...............     150       153       38        22        21         9         8        -    
Alaska................      78        63       81        10         6        -         -         -    
Arizona...............      86        71       44        15        14         8        17        -    
Arkansas..............      93        88       50        14        16        10         7        -    
California............     646       599       42        29         9        10         8         2   
Colorado..............     112        90       47        17        12        11        12        -    
Connecticut...........      32        35       40        20        -         23        -         -    
Delaware..............      12        18       39        22        -         -         -         -    
District of Columbia..      16        19       -         53        -         21        -         -    
Florida...............     391       333       37        26         9        16        11         2   
                                                                                                      
Georgia...............     237       213       50        16        14        11         8         2   
Hawaii................      24        27       67        -         -         -         -         -    
Idaho.................      53        62       60        -         21         8         8        -    
Illinois..............     250       262       36        19        18        13        11         3   
Indiana...............     156       143       48        17        14        10         7         5   
Iowa..................      54        70       50        -         24        14         9        -    
Kansas................      95        85       52        11        15         8        13        -    
Kentucky..............     140       141       43         9        30         9         4         6   
Louisiana.............     139       103       35        13        29        13        10        -    
Maine.................      18        23       26        -         17        30        -         -    
                                                                                                      
Maryland..............      86        82       38        28        22         7         5        -    
Massachusetts.........      66        62       23        16        21        27        10        -    
Michigan..............     149       155       37        23        15        14         8         3   
Minnesota.............      84        92       41        11        25        12         9        -    
Mississippi...........     128       103       35        23        21         7        12        -    
Missouri..............     125       140       49        14        19        11         6        -    
Montana...............      34        50       28        26        18        -         14        10   
Nebraska..............      54        56       48        -         25        11         9        -    
Nevada................      51        52       31        25        12        19         8        -    
New Hampshire.........      12        11       55        -         -         -         -         -    
                                                                                                      
New Jersey............     118        99       40        20        17         7        10         5   
New Mexico............      58        60       30        22        17         8        15         8   
New York (except                                                                                      
   N.Y.C.)............     158       169       55        15        13        10         3         4   
New York City.........     144       148        9        55         8        16         7         4   
North Carolina........     187       191       50        17        16        12         5        -    
North Dakota..........      28        23       52        -         26        -         -         -    
Ohio..................     186       201       35        19        22         8        11         3   
Oklahoma..............     200        87       54        14         5         7        15         5   
Oregon................      73        85       55         8        16        11         6        -    
Pennsylvania..........     233       282       36        17        21        17         7         2   
                                                                                                      
Rhode Island..........      11         6       -         -         -         -         -         -    
South Carolina........     115       101       48        24        10         5         9         4   
South Dakota..........      26        32       53        -         22        -         12        -    
Tennessee.............     179       152       45        14        15        12         9         5   
Texas.................     475       514       40        20        14        10        10         6   
Utah..................      51        64       38        11        34         8         8        -    
Vermont...............      16         7       -         -         -         -         -         -    
Virginia..............     132       153       39        10        22        12        10         5   
Washington............     109       128       45        10        26        10         7        -    
West Virginia.........      56        66       56        -         26        11        -         -    
                                                                                                      
Wisconsin.............     117       108       39        11        25        14        10        -    
Wyoming...............      32        28       46        -         25        -         -         -    


     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 Structures.
     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 seven 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, 1995-1996.

Table 6. CFOI participating State agencies and telephone numbers

State				Agency							Telephone

Alabama				Department of Labor					(334) 242-3460
Alaska				Department of Labor					(907) 465-4539
Arizona                         Industrial Commission                                   (602) 542-3739
Arkansas                        Department of Labor                                     (501) 682-4542
California                      Department of Industrial Relations                      (415) 972-8625
Colorado                        Department of Public Health                             (303) 692-2163
Connecticut			Labor Department					(860) 566-4380
Delaware                        Department of Labor                                     (302) 761-8221
District of Columbia            Center for Health Statistics                            (202) 645-5963
Florida                         Dept. of Labor and Employment Security                  (850) 922-8953

Georgia				Department of Labor					(404) 656-2966
Hawaii                          Dept. of Labor and Industrial Relations                 (808) 586-9001
Idaho                           Industrial Commission                                   (208) 334-6061
Illinois                        Department of Public Health                             (217) 785-7130
Indiana				Department of Labor					(317) 232-2679
Iowa                            Department of Labor Services                            (515) 281-3661
Kansas                          Department of Health & Environment                      (913) 296-5293
Kentucky                        Labor Cabinet                                           (502) 564-6895
Louisiana                       Department of Labor                                     (504) 342-3126
Maine                           Bureau of Labor Standards                               (207) 624-6447

Maryland                        Division of Labor and Industry                          (410) 767-2356
Massachusetts                   Department of Public Health                             (617) 624-5628
Michigan                        Dept. of Consumer and Industry Services                 (517) 322-1850
Minnesota                       Department of Labor and Industry                        (612) 297-7429
Mississippi                     Department of Health                                    (601) 960-7741
Missouri                        Bureau of Health Services Statistics                    (573) 751-6274
Montana                         Department of Labor and Industry                        (406) 444-3239
Nebraska                        Workers' Compensation                                   (402) 471-6538
Nevada				Division of Industrial Relations			(702) 687-3298
New Hampshire                   Department of Public Health                             (603) 271-4647

New Jersey                      Department of Health                                    (609) 984-1863
New Mexico                      Health and Environment Division                         (505) 827-4230
New York                        Department of Health                                    (518) 458-6228
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                          Dept. of Consumer/Business Services                     (503) 378-8254
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					(615) 741-1748
Texas                           Workers' Compensation Commission                        (512) 440-3852
Utah                            Industrial Commission                                   (801) 530-6823
Vermont				Bureau of Labor Statistics				(617) 565-2300
Virginia                        Department of Labor & Industry                          (804) 786-5004
Washington                      Department of Labor & Industries                        (360) 902-5510
West Virginia			Department of Labor					(304) 558-7890
Wisconsin                       DWD, Workers' Compensation Research                     (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 1996
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 913.


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.  Multiple 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 216 fatal
work injuries in 1996; 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 28 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 close-out 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.


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 several other industries, such as
coal, metal, and nonmetal mining and 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, the
U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal
Aviation Administration.  Fatalities occurring in activities regulated by
federal agencies other than OSHA accounted for about 15 percent of the
fatal work injuries for 1996.


	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
20 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 Department of Defense; 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.