Technical information:  (202) 691-6175                                 
Media information:      (202) 691-5902                                  
Internet address:  http://stats.bls.gov/oshhome.htm                     

USDL 00-236
FOR RELEASE:  10 a.m. EDT
Thursday, August 17, 2000

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES, 1999

  The number of fatal work injuries that occurred during 1999 was 6,023,
nearly the same as the previous year's total despite an increase in
employment, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries,
conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
Decreases in job-related deaths from homicides and electrocutions in
1999 were offset by increases from workers struck by falling objects or
caught in running machinery.  Homicides fell from the second-leading
cause of fatal work injuries to the third, behind highway fatalities
and falls.  Construction reported the largest number of fatal work
injuries for any industry and accounted for one-fifth of the fatality total.

Profiles of 1999 fatal work injuries

  Highway crashes continued as the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities
during 1999, accounting for one-fourth of the fatal work injury total.
(See table 1 and chart 1.)  The number of these fatalities increased slightly over
1998 to reach the highest level since the BLS fatality census began in 1992.
Slightly over two-fifths of the 1,491 victims of job-related highway
fatalities were employed as truck drivers.

  In contrast to fatalities resulting from crashes that occurred on public
roadways, the number of workers killed in nonhighway crashes and
overturnings or killed after being struck by a vehicle declined from the
previous year.  The number of workers killed in air, water, and rail
vehicle incidents during 1999 was about the same as in 1998.

  In 1999, deaths resulting from on-the-job falls increased slightly to 717.
This increase, coupled with a decline in homicides, made falls the
second-leading cause of fatal work injuries for the first time since the
fatality census began in 1992. (See chart 2.)  About half of the fatal falls 
were from a roof, ladder, or scaffold, and slightly over half of the fatal falls
occurred in the construction industry.

  Now the third-leading cause of on-the-job deaths, workplace homicides
fell to the lowest level since the fatality census' inception in 1992.
Job-related homicides totaled 645 in 1999, a 10 percent drop from the
1998 total and a 40 percent decline from the 1,080 homicides that occurred
in 1994, which had the highest count in the 8-year period.  The drop
in homicides at work was most pronounced in retail trade, where homicides
fell by 51 percent from 1994.  The following table shows counts of
workplace homicides for selected industries during 1994-99.

(Chart 1. and Chart 2. appear here in the printed version of the News Release.)



Industry                      1994   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999
----------------------------  ----   ----  ----  ----  ----  ----
  Total homicides            1,080  1,034   927   860   714   645

Retail trade                   530    422   437   395   286   260
  Grocery stores               196    152   146   141    95    76
  Eating and drinking places   135    121   135   109    69    94
  Gasoline service stations     41     36    23    34    24    17
Taxicab                         87     68    50    74    48    51
Detective and armored
 car services                   49     27    29    21    18    17
Police protection               65     61    45    61    50    41



  Among the job-related homicides for which a motive could be ascertained
from the source documents, robbery continued to be the primary motive,
followed by violence by co-workers and customers or clients.  Occupations
with high numbers of homicides include those that typically engage in
cash transactions or have valuables on hand, including managers of food
and lodging establishments, sales supervisors and proprietors, cashiers,
and taxicab drivers.

  Workers struck by objects or equipment accounted for 10 percent of the
fatal work injuries in 1999.  These types of injuries increased from the
previous year.  Electrocutions accounted for 5 percent of the fatal
injuries and decreased by 17 percent from 1998.  Contact with overhead
power lines accounted for about two-fifths of the electrocutions.

  On average, about 17 workers were fatally injured each day during 1999.
Eighty-three percent of fatally injured workers died the day they were
injured; 97 percent died within 30 days.  There were 235 multiple-fatality
incidents (incidents that resulted in two or more worker deaths), resulting
in 617 job-related deaths.  Although this was a slight increase over the
227 multiple-fatality events reported for 1998, there was a more
substantial increase in the number of deaths  resulting from these types of
incidents in 1999 than in the previous year, when 555 worker deaths occurred.

Occupation highlights (table 2 and chart 3):

* Occupations with large numbers of fatal injuries included truck drivers,
construction trades, and farm occupations.

* Fatal injuries to truck drivers were at their highest level in the
8-year period.

* Mechanics and repairers also reported a noticeable increase in fatal
work injuries over the previous year, reaching its highest level in
the 8-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.


(Chart 3 appears here in the printed version of the News Release.)

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 industry or worker characteristic.  For example, the construction
industry accounted for 20 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 hours worked, also can be used.

Industry highlights (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.

* Retail trade posted a substantial decline in the number of fatal work
injuries in 1999 over the previous year;  transportation and public
utilities posted a substantial increase.

* A decline in fatal work injuries among government workers resulted in
the lowest levels during the 8-year period.

Demographic highlights (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 both men and women.  Homicides, which had been the
leading cause for women, were the second-leading cause in 1999.  Falls
ranked second for men.
 
* Two-fifths of fatally injured workers under 18 years of age were
killed while doing farm work; another one-fifth were killed while working
for a retail trade establishment.

State highlights by major regional area (table 5):

* In general, the states with the largest number of persons employed have
the largest number of work-related fatalities.  Four of the largest
states--California, Texas, Florida, and New York--accounted for over
one-fourth of the total fatalities in the U.S.  Each state's and
region's industry mix, geographical features, age of population, and
other characteristics of the workforce must be considered when evaluating
state and region fatality profiles.

* In all four regions of the U.S.--Northeast, Midwest, South, and
West--highway motor vehicle incidents were the leading event for
occupational fatalities.  In the Southern and Western  states, the
second leading event was homicide.  In the Northeast and Midwest states,
the second-leading events were falls to lower level and being struck by
an object, respectively.

* About 44 percent of the fatal occupational highway incidents and almost
half of the work-related homicides occurred in the South, which has
35 percent of total employment.

Background of the program

  The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational
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 eighth 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 1998 news release
on nonfatal injuries and illnesses are available from BLS by
calling (202) 691-6179 or by accessing the Website listed below.
Incidence rates for 1999 by industry will be published in December 2000,
and information on 1999 worker and case characteristics will be available
in April 2001.  For additional data, access the BLS 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.


Table 1.  Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1994-99


Event or exposure(1)                                  Fatalities

                                      1994-98     1998(2)        1999
                                 Average          Number    Number   Percent

     Total                        6,280            6,055     6,023     100
Transportation incidents          2,640            2,645     2,613      43
  Highway                         1,374            1,442     1,491      25
    Collision between vehicles,
     mobile equipment               662              707       711      12
      Moving in same direction      113              120       129       2
      Moving in opposite
       directions, oncoming         240              272       269       4
      Moving in intersection        136              143       160       3
    Vehicle struck stationary
     object or equipment            272              307       334       6
    Noncollision                    368              375       388       6
      Jackknifed or
       overturned--no collision     280              302       321       5
  Nonhighway (farm, industrial
   premises)                        387              388       353       6
      Overturned                    215              217       206       3
  Aircraft                          304              224       227       4
  Worker struck by a vehicle        382              413       377       6
  Water vehicle                     104              112       102       2
  Rail vehicle                       78               60        56       1

Assaults and violent acts         1,168              962       893      15
  Homicides                         923              714       645      11
    Shooting                        748              574       506       8
    Stabbing                         68               61        60       1
    Other                           107               79        79       1
  Self-inflicted injuries           215              221       208       3

Contact with objects and
 equipment                          984              944     1,029      17
  Struck by object                  564              520       585      10
    Struck by falling object        364              319       358       6
    Struck by flying object          60               59        55       1
  Caught in or compressed by
   equipment or objects             281              266       302       5
    Caught in running equipment
     or machinery                   148              129       163       3
  Caught in or crushed in
   collapsing materials             124              140       128       2

Falls                               686              706       717      12
  Fall to lower level               609              625       634      11
    Fall from ladder                101              111        96       2
    Fall from roof                  146              157       153       3
    Fall from scaffold               89               98        92       2
  Fall on same level                 53               51        66       1

Exposure to harmful substances
 or environments                    583              576       529       9
  Contact with electric current     322              334       278       5
    Contact with overhead
     powerlines                     136              153       124       2
  Contact with temperature extremes  45               48        50       1
  Exposure to caustic, noxious,
   or allergenic substances         118              105       106       2
    Inhalation of substance          66               48        55       1
  Oxygen deficiency                  96               87        93       2
    Drowning, submersion             77               75        75       1

Fires and explosions                199              206       216       4

Other events or exposures(3)         21               16        26       -

1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification
Structures.
2 The BLS news release issued Aug. 4, 1999, reported a total of 6,026 fatal
work injuries for calendar year 1998.  Since then, an additional 29
job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related
fatality count for 1998 to 6,055.
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, 1994-99.



Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or
exposure, 1999

Occupation(1)                 Fatalities          Major event or exposure(2)
                                              (percent of total for occupation)

                            Number   Percent    Highway     Homicide   Struck by    Fall to  
                                                                         object   lower level
                                                                                                                                                                                          
  Total..................|  6,023  |   100   |     25    |     11    |     10    |     11    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Managerial and           |         |         |           |           |           |           
 professional specialty..|    597  |    10   |     24    |     19    |      4    |      7    
  Executive,             |         |         |           |           |           |           
   administrative, and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
    managerial...........|    371  |     6   |     22    |     26    |      5    |      8    
  Professional specialty.|    226  |     4   |     27    |      8    |      3    |      6    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Technical, sales, and    |         |         |           |           |           |           
 administrative support..|    610  |    10   |     27    |     32    |      2    |      3    
  Technicians and related|         |         |           |           |           |           
   support occupations...|    158  |     3   |     16    |     -     |      3    |      3    
    Airplane pilots and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
     navigators..........|     94  |     2   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
  Sales occupations......|    356  |     6   |     28    |     49    |      2    |      2    
    Supervisors and      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     proprietors, sales  |         |         |           |           |           |           
     occupations.........|    140  |     2   |     13    |     62    |      4    |      2    
    Sales workers, retail|         |         |           |           |           |           
     and personal        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     services............|    144  |     2   |     27    |     51    |     -     |     -     
      Cashiers...........|     55  |     1   |     -     |     80    |     -     |     -     
  Administrative support |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations, including|         |         |           |           |           |           
   clerical..............|     96  |     2   |     44    |     19    |     -     |      4    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Service occupations......|    468  |     8   |     20    |     33    |      1    |      9    
  Protective service     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|    261  |     4   |     26    |     32    |      1    |      3    
    Firefighting and fire|         |         |           |           |           |           
     prevention          |         |         |           |           |           |           
     occupations,        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|     57  |     1   |     18    |     -     |     -     |      5    
    Police and           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     detectives,         |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|    132  |     2   |     39    |     36    |     -     |     -     
    Guards, including    |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|     72  |     1   |     10    |     50    |     -     |      4    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Farming, forestry, and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
 fishing.................|    897  |    15   |     13    |      2    |     21    |      5    
  Farming operators and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
   managers..............|    362  |     6   |     13    |      1    |     15    |      3    
    Farmers, except      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     horticultural.......|    233  |     4   |     13    |     -     |     17    |      3    
    Managers, farms,     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     except horitcultural|    118  |     2   |     13    |     -     |     10    |      4    
  Other agricultural and |         |         |           |           |           |           
   related occupations...|    335  |     6   |     18    |      4    |     14    |      8    
    Farm workers,        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|    206  |     3   |     22    |      4    |      9    |      4    
  Forestry and logging   |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|    122  |     2   |      6    |     -     |     67    |      3    
    Timber cutting and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
     logging occupations.|    102  |     2   |      4    |     -     |     73    |      3    
  Fishers, hunters, and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
   trappers..............|     78  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
    Fishers, including   |         |         |           |           |           |           
     vessel captains and |         |         |           |           |           |           
     officers............|     78  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Precision production,    |         |         |           |           |           |           
 craft, and repair.......|  1,142  |    19   |     11    |      3    |     12    |     28    
  Mechanics and repairers|    353  |     6   |     12    |      7    |     19    |     13    
  Construction trades....|    633  |    11   |     11    |      1    |      7    |     39    
    Carpenters and       |         |         |           |           |           |           
     apprentices.........|    103  |     2   |      6    |     -     |     13    |     48    
    Electricians and     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     apprentices.........|    105  |     2   |     15    |     -     |      4    |     12    
    Painters.............|     38  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     68    
    Roofers..............|     59  |     1   |      5    |     -     |     -     |     85    
    Structural metal     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     workers.............|     43  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     19    |     77    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Operators, fabricators,  |         |         |           |           |           |           
 and laborers............|  2,194  |    36   |     37    |      5    |     10    |      8    
  Machine operators,     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   assemblers, and       |         |         |           |           |           |           
   inspectors............|    216  |     4   |      5    |      4    |     14    |     15    
  Transportation and     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   material moving       |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|  1,320  |    22   |     56    |      6    |      7    |      2    
    Motor vehicle        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     operators...........|  1,063  |    18   |     67    |      8    |      5    |      2    
      Truck drivers......|    898  |    15   |     70    |      2    |      6    |      2    
      Driver-sales       |         |         |           |           |           |           
       workers...........|     42  |     1   |     79    |     10    |     -     |     -     
      Taxicab drivers and|         |         |           |           |           |           
       chauffeurs........|     74  |     1   |     28    |     69    |     -     |     -     
    Material moving      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     equipment operators.|    205  |     3   |     14    |     -     |     14    |      5    
  Handlers, equipment    |         |         |           |           |           |           
   cleaners, helpers, and|         |         |           |           |           |           
   laborers..............|    658  |    11   |     11    |      4    |     14    |     17    
    Construction laborers|    341  |     6   |     11    |     -     |     14    |     25    
    Laborers, except     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     construction........|    193  |     3   |     11    |      6    |     16    |     10    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Military.................|     80  |     1   |     24    |      -    |      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 35 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, 1999.


Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1999


                                             Fatalities                         Employment(2)
Industry                    SIC     ---------------------------------------    (in thousands)
                          Code(1)   1994-98      1998          1999        --------------------
                                    Average   (revised)  Number     Percent   Number  Percent

  Total..................|         |  6,280  |  6,055  |  6,023  |   100   | 134,666 |    100   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
Private industry.........|         |  5,625  |  5,457  |  5,461  |    91   | 114,570 |     85  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Agriculture, forestry  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   and fishing...........|         |    826  |    840  |    807  |    13   |   3,349 |      2  
    Agricultural         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     production - crops..|    01   |    379  |    380  |    350  |     6   |     955 |      1   
    Agricultural         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     production -        |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     livestock...........|    02   |    170  |    174  |    163  |     3   |     993 |      1  
    Agricultural services|    07   |    168  |    170  |    164  |     3   |   1,317 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Mining.................|         |    159  |    147  |    121  |     2   |     563 |     -   
    Coal mining..........|    12   |     37  |     30  |     35  |     1   |      84 |     -   
    Oil and gas          |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     extraction..........|    13   |     84  |     76  |     50  |     1   |     329 |     -   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Construction...........|         |  1,082  |  1,174  |  1,190  |    20   |   8,479 |      6  
    General building     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     contractors.........|    15   |    191  |    213  |    183  |     3   |       - |     -   
    Heavy construction,  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     except building.....|    16   |    253  |    272  |    280  |     5   |       - |     -   
    Special trades       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     contractors.........|    17   |    629  |    680  |    709  |    12   |       - |     -   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Manufacturing..........|         |    733  |    698  |    719  |    12   |  19,994 |     15  
    Food and kindred     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     products............|    20   |     75  |     72  |     83  |     1   |   1,643 |      1  
    Lumber and wood      |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     products............|    24   |    191  |    172  |    190  |     3   |     824 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Transportation and     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   public utilities......|         |    948  |    911  |  1,006  |    17   |   7,947 |      6  
    Local and interurban |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     passenger           |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     transportation......|    41   |    100  |     85  |    102  |     2   |     593 |     -   
    Trucking and         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     warehousing.........|    42   |    528  |    564  |    605  |    10   |   2,679 |      2  
    Transportation by air|    45   |     90  |     74  |     74  |     1   |     864 |      1  
    Electric, gas, and   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     sanitary services...|    49   |     88  |     83  |     86  |     1   |   1,029 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Wholesale trade........|         |    253  |    229  |    237  |     4   |   5,173 |      4  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Retail trade...........|         |    683  |    570  |    507  |     8   |  22,300 |     17  
    Food stores..........|    54   |    187  |    135  |    115  |     2   |   3,511 |      3  
    Automotive dealers   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     and service stations|    55   |    116  |    120  |     82  |     1   |   2,238 |      2  
    Eating and drinking  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     places..............|    58   |    155  |    107  |    145  |     2   |   6,718 |      5  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Finance, insurance, and|         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   real estate...........|         |    109  |     92  |    105  |     2   |   8,610 |      6  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Services...............|         |    773  |    763  |    732  |    12   |  38,240 |     28  
    Business services....|    73   |    203  |    196  |    161  |     3   |   6,756 |      5  
    Automotive repair,   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     services, and       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     parking.............|    75   |    111  |    133  |    132  |     2   |   1,576 |      2  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
Government...............|         |    656  |    598  |    562  |     9   |  20,096 |     15  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Federal (including     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   resident armed forces)|         |    204  |    162  |    147  |     2   |   4,427 |      3  
  State..................|         |    126  |    136  |    108  |     2   |   5,237 |      4  
  Local..................|         |    319  |    296  |    301  |     5   |  10,433 |      8  
  Police protection......|  9221   |    104  |    102  |     91  |     2   |       - |      -  


1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.
2 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older from the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense.
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 37 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, 1994-99.


Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 1999

Characteristics          Fatalities          Employment
                                         (in thousands)(1)       Most frequent events(2)
                    Number   Percent    Number    Percent      (percent of total)

Total              6,023       100    134,666       100       Highway (25), falls (12)

Employee status

Wage and salary
 workers           4,884        81    124,445        92       Highway (27), falls (13)
Self-employed(3)   1,139        19     10,221         8       Highway (14), homicides (14) 

Sex

Men                5,582        93     72,457        54       Highway (24), falls (12)
Women                441         7     62,209        46       Highway (34), homicides (29)

Age(4)

Under 16 years        26         -        -          -        Highway (35), nonhighway (19)
16 to 17 years        46         1      2,796         2       Highway (28), homicides (17)
18 to 19 years       122         2      4,494         3       Highway (26), struck by object (11)
20 to 24 years       450         7     13,242        10       Highway (26), homicides (11)
25 to 34 years     1,171        19     31,280        24       Highway (24), homicides (12)
35 to 44 years     1,499        25     36,983        28       Highway (24), falls (13)
45 to 54 years     1,326        22     28,671        21       Highway (25), homicides (12)
55 to 64 years       814        14     13,317        10       Highway (25), falls (14)
65 years and over    559         9      3,883         3       Highway (23), nonhighway (16)

Race

White              4,990        83    113,023        84       Highway (26), falls (12)
Black                626        10     15,284        11       Highway (23), homicides (19)
American Indian,
 Aleut, Eskimo        57         1        -          -        Highway (18), falls (14)
Asian, Pacific
 Islander            191         3        -          -        Homicides (46), highway (13) 
Other or not
 reported            159         3        -          -        Highway (20), falls and homicides (13)

Hispanic origin

Hispanic(5)          725        12     13,811        12       Highway (21), falls (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, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense.
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 10 fatalities for which age was not reported.
5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. 
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, 1999.




Table 5.  Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 1999

                               Fatalities(1)                        Event or exposure(2)                     
                                                            (percent of state total for 1999)       
                                                                                                         
                                                                                       Exposure          
                                                                   Contact                to             
     State of injury                            Trans-   Assaults    with               harmful   Fires  
                             1998      1999   portation    and     objects    Falls       sub      and   
                          (revised)               in-    violent     and               stances  explosio-
                                              cidents(3) acts(4)   equipment               or        ns   
                                                                                       environ-          
                                                                                        ments            

Total(5)                   6,055      6,023       43       15         17         12       9         4

Northeast                    853        756       36       18         15         17       8         5

Connecticut                   57         38       34       34         13         11       -         -
Maine                         26         32       50        9         22          9       -         -
Massachusetts                 44         82       32       10         13         24       6        15
New Hampshire                 23         14       36       21          -          -       -         -
New Jersey                   103        103       34       17         17         21       9         -
New York (incl. N.Y.C.)      243        241       30       25         12         18      11         2
New York City                 94        120       13       44          8         22       8         3
Pennsylvania                 235        221       41       12         18         15       5         7
Rhode Island                  12         11       36        -          -          -      27         -
Vermont                       16         14       43       29          -          -       -         -

Midwest                    1,340      1,417       44       12         20         11       9         4

Illinois                     216        208       34       17         19         14       11        4
Indiana                      155        171       46       15         16         12        7        3
Iowa                          68         80       52        -         26          4       10        8
Kansas                        98         81       49        5         23         12        6        -
Michigan                     179        182       34       15         18         13       10       10
Minnesota                     88         72       65        7         17          7        4        -
Missouri                     145        164       48       11         19         10       10        3
Nebraska                      56         65       51        9         26          6        -        5
North Dakota                  24         22       36        -         41          -        -        -
Ohio                         186        222       43       12         20         15        9        2
South Dakota                  28         45       58        7         16          -       13        -
Wisconsin                     97        105       45       11         22         10       10        3

South                      2,619      2,565       44       15         16         11       10        3

Alabama                      135        123       38       10         22         11       10        8
Arkansas                      86         76       49        8         12          5       17        8
Delaware                      11         14       36       29          -          -        -        -
District of Columbia          13         14       21       21          -         36        -        -
Florida                      384        345       39       17         15         16       10        2
Georgia                      202        229       44       17         16         10        9        3
Kentucky                     117        120       49       14         18          8        7        3
Louisiana                    159        141       39        9         26          8       16        4
Maryland                      78         82       40       29         12         11        6        -
Mississippi                  113        128       52        6         20         14        6        -
North Carolina               228        222       43       19         14         11       10        2
Oklahoma                      75         99       44       14         13         11       12        5
South Carolina               111        139       53       16          9          9        8        6
Tennessee                    150        154       49       12         18          8        8        4
Texas                        523        468       44       15         15         12       12        3
Virginia                     177        154       42       17         12         12       13        3
West Virginia                 57         57       35       12         33          9        9        -

West                       1,334      1,264       46       16         17         11        6        2

Alaska                        43         42       74        7         12          -        -        -
Arizona                       74         70       39       23         24          4        9        -
California                   626        591       44       19         14         12        7        3
Colorado                      77         98       47       18         15         10        5        4
Hawaii                        12         32       28       56          -          -        -        -
Idaho                         51         43       44        9         23         12        7        -
Montana                       58         49       45       10         29          6        -        6
Nevada                        60         57       37       18         19         18        7        -
New Mexico                    48         39       54       13         10         13        -        -
Oregon                        72         69       52        7         26          7        7        -
Utah                          67         54       56        6         24         11        -        -
Washington                   113         88       49        9         19         15        7        -
Wyoming                       33         32       56        -         28          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 Structures.
3  Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities and fatalities to workers struck by vehicles.
4  Includes homicides, self-inflicted injuries, and animal attacks.
5  Includes 21 fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the United States in 1999.
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, 1998-99.

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 of Arizona                (602) 542-3739
Arkansas        Department of Labor                     (501) 682-4542
California	Department of Industrial Relations	(415) 703-4757
Colorado        Department of Public Health             (303) 692-2173
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) 586-9001
Idaho   Industrial Commission                           (208) 334-6090
Illinois        Department of Public Health             (217) 785-1873
Indiana Department of Labor                             (317) 232-2668
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                     (225) 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) 576-7400
Missouri        Department of Health                    (573) 571-6155
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 and Senior Services     (609) 984-1863
New Mexico	Occupational Health and Safety Bureau	(505) 827-4230
New York State  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              (312) 353-7200
Ohio    Department of Health                            (614) 466-4183
Oklahoma        Department of Labor                     (405) 528-1500
Oregon	Department of Consumer and 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              (312) 353-7200
Tennessee Department of Labor and
 Workforce Development                                  (615) 741-1749
Texas   Workers' Compensation Commission                (512) 804-4651
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 1999 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 102
fatal work injuries in 1999; 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 19 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 16 percent of the fatal work
injuries in 1999.

  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 19 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 3 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.


Table 1.  Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1994-99


Event or exposure(1)                                  Fatalities

                                      1994-98     1998(2)        1999
                                 Average          Number    Number   Percent

     Total                        6,280            6,055     6,023     100
Transportation incidents          2,640            2,645     2,613      43
  Highway                         1,374            1,442     1,491      25
    Collision between vehicles,
     mobile equipment               662              707       711      12
      Moving in same direction      113              120       129       2
      Moving in opposite
       directions, oncoming         240              272       269       4
      Moving in intersection        136              143       160       3
    Vehicle struck stationary
     object or equipment            272              307       334       6
    Noncollision                    368              375       388       6
      Jackknifed or
       overturned--no collision     280              302       321       5
  Nonhighway (farm, industrial
   premises)                        387              388       353       6
      Overturned                    215              217       206       3
  Aircraft                          304              224       227       4
  Worker struck by a vehicle        382              413       377       6
  Water vehicle                     104              112       102       2
  Rail vehicle                       78               60        56       1

Assaults and violent acts         1,168              962       893      15
  Homicides                         923              714       645      11
    Shooting                        748              574       506       8
    Stabbing                         68               61        60       1
    Other                           107               79        79       1
  Self-inflicted injuries           215              221       208       3

Contact with objects and
 equipment                          984              944     1,029      17
  Struck by object                  564              520       585      10
    Struck by falling object        364              319       358       6
    Struck by flying object          60               59        55       1
  Caught in or compressed by
   equipment or objects             281              266       302       5
    Caught in running equipment
     or machinery                   148              129       163       3
  Caught in or crushed in
   collapsing materials             124              140       128       2

Falls                               686              706       717      12
  Fall to lower level               609              625       634      11
    Fall from ladder                101              111        96       2
    Fall from roof                  146              157       153       3
    Fall from scaffold               89               98        92       2
  Fall on same level                 53               51        66       1

Exposure to harmful substances
 or environments                    583              576       529       9
  Contact with electric current     322              334       278       5
    Contact with overhead
     powerlines                     136              153       124       2
  Contact with temperature extremes  45               48        50       1
  Exposure to caustic, noxious,
   or allergenic substances         118              105       106       2
    Inhalation of substance          66               48        55       1
  Oxygen deficiency                  96               87        93       2
    Drowning, submersion             77               75        75       1

Fires and explosions                199              206       216       4

Other events or exposures(3)         21               16        26       -

1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification
Structures.
2 The BLS news release issued Aug. 4, 1999, reported a total of 6,026 fatal
work injuries for calendar year 1998.  Since then, an additional 29
job-related fatalities were identified, bringing the total job-related
fatality count for 1998 to 6,055.
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, 1994-99.


Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation and major event or
exposure, 1999

Occupation(1)                 Fatalities          Major event or exposure(2)
                                              (percent of total for occupation)

                            Number   Percent    Highway     Homicide   Struck by    Fall to  
                                                                         object   lower level
                                                                                                                                                                                          
  Total..................|  6,023  |   100   |     25    |     11    |     10    |     11    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Managerial and           |         |         |           |           |           |           
 professional specialty..|    597  |    10   |     24    |     19    |      4    |      7    
  Executive,             |         |         |           |           |           |           
   administrative, and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
    managerial...........|    371  |     6   |     22    |     26    |      5    |      8    
  Professional specialty.|    226  |     4   |     27    |      8    |      3    |      6    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Technical, sales, and    |         |         |           |           |           |           
 administrative support..|    610  |    10   |     27    |     32    |      2    |      3    
  Technicians and related|         |         |           |           |           |           
   support occupations...|    158  |     3   |     16    |     -     |      3    |      3    
    Airplane pilots and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
     navigators..........|     94  |     2   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
  Sales occupations......|    356  |     6   |     28    |     49    |      2    |      2    
    Supervisors and      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     proprietors, sales  |         |         |           |           |           |           
     occupations.........|    140  |     2   |     13    |     62    |      4    |      2    
    Sales workers, retail|         |         |           |           |           |           
     and personal        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     services............|    144  |     2   |     27    |     51    |     -     |     -     
      Cashiers...........|     55  |     1   |     -     |     80    |     -     |     -     
  Administrative support |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations, including|         |         |           |           |           |           
   clerical..............|     96  |     2   |     44    |     19    |     -     |      4    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Service occupations......|    468  |     8   |     20    |     33    |      1    |      9    
  Protective service     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|    261  |     4   |     26    |     32    |      1    |      3    
    Firefighting and fire|         |         |           |           |           |           
     prevention          |         |         |           |           |           |           
     occupations,        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|     57  |     1   |     18    |     -     |     -     |      5    
    Police and           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     detectives,         |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|    132  |     2   |     39    |     36    |     -     |     -     
    Guards, including    |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|     72  |     1   |     10    |     50    |     -     |      4    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Farming, forestry, and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
 fishing.................|    897  |    15   |     13    |      2    |     21    |      5    
  Farming operators and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
   managers..............|    362  |     6   |     13    |      1    |     15    |      3    
    Farmers, except      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     horticultural.......|    233  |     4   |     13    |     -     |     17    |      3    
    Managers, farms,     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     except horitcultural|    118  |     2   |     13    |     -     |     10    |      4    
  Other agricultural and |         |         |           |           |           |           
   related occupations...|    335  |     6   |     18    |      4    |     14    |      8    
    Farm workers,        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     including           |         |         |           |           |           |           
     supervisors.........|    206  |     3   |     22    |      4    |      9    |      4    
  Forestry and logging   |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|    122  |     2   |      6    |     -     |     67    |      3    
    Timber cutting and   |         |         |           |           |           |           
     logging occupations.|    102  |     2   |      4    |     -     |     73    |      3    
  Fishers, hunters, and  |         |         |           |           |           |           
   trappers..............|     78  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
    Fishers, including   |         |         |           |           |           |           
     vessel captains and |         |         |           |           |           |           
     officers............|     78  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     -     
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Precision production,    |         |         |           |           |           |           
 craft, and repair.......|  1,142  |    19   |     11    |      3    |     12    |     28    
  Mechanics and repairers|    353  |     6   |     12    |      7    |     19    |     13    
  Construction trades....|    633  |    11   |     11    |      1    |      7    |     39    
    Carpenters and       |         |         |           |           |           |           
     apprentices.........|    103  |     2   |      6    |     -     |     13    |     48    
    Electricians and     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     apprentices.........|    105  |     2   |     15    |     -     |      4    |     12    
    Painters.............|     38  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     -     |     68    
    Roofers..............|     59  |     1   |      5    |     -     |     -     |     85    
    Structural metal     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     workers.............|     43  |     1   |     -     |     -     |     19    |     77    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Operators, fabricators,  |         |         |           |           |           |           
 and laborers............|  2,194  |    36   |     37    |      5    |     10    |      8    
  Machine operators,     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   assemblers, and       |         |         |           |           |           |           
   inspectors............|    216  |     4   |      5    |      4    |     14    |     15    
  Transportation and     |         |         |           |           |           |           
   material moving       |         |         |           |           |           |           
   occupations...........|  1,320  |    22   |     56    |      6    |      7    |      2    
    Motor vehicle        |         |         |           |           |           |           
     operators...........|  1,063  |    18   |     67    |      8    |      5    |      2    
      Truck drivers......|    898  |    15   |     70    |      2    |      6    |      2    
      Driver-sales       |         |         |           |           |           |           
       workers...........|     42  |     1   |     79    |     10    |     -     |     -     
      Taxicab drivers and|         |         |           |           |           |           
       chauffeurs........|     74  |     1   |     28    |     69    |     -     |     -     
    Material moving      |         |         |           |           |           |           
     equipment operators.|    205  |     3   |     14    |     -     |     14    |      5    
  Handlers, equipment    |         |         |           |           |           |           
   cleaners, helpers, and|         |         |           |           |           |           
   laborers..............|    658  |    11   |     11    |      4    |     14    |     17    
    Construction laborers|    341  |     6   |     11    |     -     |     14    |     25    
    Laborers, except     |         |         |           |           |           |           
     construction........|    193  |     3   |     11    |      6    |     16    |     10    
                         |         |         |           |           |           |           
Military.................|     80  |     1   |     24    |      -    |      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 35 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, 1999.




Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by industry, 1999


                                             Fatalities                         Employment(2)
Industry                    SIC     ---------------------------------------    (in thousands)
                          Code(1)   1994-98      1998          1999        --------------------
                                    Average   (revised)  Number     Percent   Number  Percent

  Total..................|         |  6,280  |  6,055  |  6,023  |   100   | 134,666 |    100   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
Private industry.........|         |  5,625  |  5,457  |  5,461  |    91   | 114,570 |     85  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Agriculture, forestry  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   and fishing...........|         |    826  |    840  |    807  |    13   |   3,349 |      2  
    Agricultural         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     production - crops..|    01   |    379  |    380  |    350  |     6   |     955 |      1   
    Agricultural         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     production -        |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     livestock...........|    02   |    170  |    174  |    163  |     3   |     993 |      1  
    Agricultural services|    07   |    168  |    170  |    164  |     3   |   1,317 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Mining.................|         |    159  |    147  |    121  |     2   |     563 |     -   
    Coal mining..........|    12   |     37  |     30  |     35  |     1   |      84 |     -   
    Oil and gas          |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     extraction..........|    13   |     84  |     76  |     50  |     1   |     329 |     -   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Construction...........|         |  1,082  |  1,174  |  1,190  |    20   |   8,479 |      6  
    General building     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     contractors.........|    15   |    191  |    213  |    183  |     3   |       - |     -   
    Heavy construction,  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     except building.....|    16   |    253  |    272  |    280  |     5   |       - |     -   
    Special trades       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     contractors.........|    17   |    629  |    680  |    709  |    12   |       - |     -   
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Manufacturing..........|         |    733  |    698  |    719  |    12   |  19,994 |     15  
    Food and kindred     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     products............|    20   |     75  |     72  |     83  |     1   |   1,643 |      1  
    Lumber and wood      |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     products............|    24   |    191  |    172  |    190  |     3   |     824 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Transportation and     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   public utilities......|         |    948  |    911  |  1,006  |    17   |   7,947 |      6  
    Local and interurban |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     passenger           |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     transportation......|    41   |    100  |     85  |    102  |     2   |     593 |     -   
    Trucking and         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     warehousing.........|    42   |    528  |    564  |    605  |    10   |   2,679 |      2  
    Transportation by air|    45   |     90  |     74  |     74  |     1   |     864 |      1  
    Electric, gas, and   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     sanitary services...|    49   |     88  |     83  |     86  |     1   |   1,029 |      1  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Wholesale trade........|         |    253  |    229  |    237  |     4   |   5,173 |      4  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Retail trade...........|         |    683  |    570  |    507  |     8   |  22,300 |     17  
    Food stores..........|    54   |    187  |    135  |    115  |     2   |   3,511 |      3  
    Automotive dealers   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     and service stations|    55   |    116  |    120  |     82  |     1   |   2,238 |      2  
    Eating and drinking  |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     places..............|    58   |    155  |    107  |    145  |     2   |   6,718 |      5  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Finance, insurance, and|         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   real estate...........|         |    109  |     92  |    105  |     2   |   8,610 |      6  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Services...............|         |    773  |    763  |    732  |    12   |  38,240 |     28  
    Business services....|    73   |    203  |    196  |    161  |     3   |   6,756 |      5  
    Automotive repair,   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     services, and       |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
     parking.............|    75   |    111  |    133  |    132  |     2   |   1,576 |      2  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
Government...............|         |    656  |    598  |    562  |     9   |  20,096 |     15  
                         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
  Federal (including     |         |         |         |         |         |         |         
   resident armed forces)|         |    204  |    162  |    147  |     2   |   4,427 |      3  
  State..................|         |    126  |    136  |    108  |     2   |   5,237 |      4  
  Local..................|         |    319  |    296  |    301  |     5   |  10,433 |      8  
  Police protection......|  9221   |    104  |    102  |     91  |     2   |       - |      -  


1 Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition.
2 Employment is an annual average of employed civilians 16 years of age and older from 
the Current Population Survey, 1999, adjusted to include data for resident armed forces 
from the Department of Defense.
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 37 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, 1994-99.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries and employment by selected worker characteristics, 1999

Characteristics          Fatalities          Employment
                                         (in thousands)(1)       Most frequent events(2)
                    Number   Percent    Number    Percent      (percent of total)

Total              6,023       100    134,666       100       Highway (25), falls (12)

Employee status

Wage and salary
 workers           4,884        81    124,445        92       Highway (27), falls (13)
Self-employed(3)   1,139        19     10,221         8       Highway (14), homicides (14) 

Sex

Men                5,582        93     72,457        54       Highway (24), falls (12)
Women                441         7     62,209        46       Highway (34), homicides (29)

Age(4)

Under 16 years        26         -        -          -        Highway (35), nonhighway (19)
16 to 17 years        46         1      2,796         2       Highway (28), homicides (17)
18 to 19 years       122         2      4,494         3       Highway (26), struck by object (11)
20 to 24 years       450         7     13,242        10       Highway (26), homicides (11)
25 to 34 years     1,171        19     31,280        24       Highway (24), homicides (12)
35 to 44 years     1,499        25     36,983        28       Highway (24), falls (13)
45 to 54 years     1,326        22     28,671        21       Highway (25), homicides (12)
55 to 64 years       814        14     13,317        10       Highway (25), falls (14)
65 years and over    559         9      3,883         3       Highway (23), nonhighway (16)

Race

White              4,990        83    113,023        84       Highway (26), falls (12)
Black                626        10     15,284        11       Highway (23), homicides (19)
American Indian,
 Aleut, Eskimo        57         1        -          -        Highway (18), falls (14)
Asian, Pacific
 Islander            191         3        -          -        Homicides (46), highway (13) 
Other or not
 reported            159         3        -          -        Highway (20), falls and homicides (13)

Hispanic origin

Hispanic(5)          725        12     13,811        12       Highway (21), falls (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, 1999, adjusted to 
include data for resident armed forces from the Department of Defense.
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 10 fatalities for which age was not reported.
5 Persons identified as Hispanic may be of any race. 
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, 1999.

Table 5.  Fatal occupational injuries by state and event or exposure, 1999

                               Fatalities(1)                        Event or exposure(2)                     
                                                            (percent of state total for 1999)       
                                                                                                         
                                                                                       Exposure          
                                                                   Contact                to             
     State of injury                            Trans-   Assaults    with               harmful   Fires  
                             1998      1999   portation    and     objects    Falls       sub      and   
                          (revised)               in-    violent     and               stances  explosio-
                                              cidents(3) acts(4)   equipment               or        ns   
                                                                                       environ-          
                                                                                        ments            

Total(5)                   6,055      6,023       43       15         17         12       9         4

Northeast                    853        756       36       18         15         17       8         5

Connecticut                   57         38       34       34         13         11       -         -
Maine                         26         32       50        9         22          9       -         -
Massachusetts                 44         82       32       10         13         24       6        15
New Hampshire                 23         14       36       21          -          -       -         -
New Jersey                   103        103       34       17         17         21       9         -
New York (incl. N.Y.C.)      243        241       30       25         12         18      11         2
New York City                 94        120       13       44          8         22       8         3
Pennsylvania                 235        221       41       12         18         15       5         7
Rhode Island                  12         11       36        -          -          -      27         -
Vermont                       16         14       43       29          -          -       -         -

Midwest                    1,340      1,417       44       12         20         11       9         4

Illinois                     216        208       34       17         19         14       11        4
Indiana                      155        171       46       15         16         12        7        3
Iowa                          68         80       52        -         26          4       10        8
Kansas                        98         81       49        5         23         12        6        -
Michigan                     179        182       34       15         18         13       10       10
Minnesota                     88         72       65        7         17          7        4        -
Missouri                     145        164       48       11         19         10       10        3
Nebraska                      56         65       51        9         26          6        -        5
North Dakota                  24         22       36        -         41          -        -        -
Ohio                         186        222       43       12         20         15        9        2
South Dakota                  28         45       58        7         16          -       13        -
Wisconsin                     97        105       45       11         22         10       10        3

South                      2,619      2,565       44       15         16         11       10        3

Alabama                      135        123       38       10         22         11       10        8
Arkansas                      86         76       49        8         12          5       17        8
Delaware                      11         14       36       29          -          -        -        -
District of Columbia          13         14       21       21          -         36        -        -
Florida                      384        345       39       17         15         16       10        2
Georgia                      202        229       44       17         16         10        9        3
Kentucky                     117        120       49       14         18          8        7        3
Louisiana                    159        141       39        9         26          8       16        4
Maryland                      78         82       40       29         12         11        6        -
Mississippi                  113        128       52        6         20         14        6        -
North Carolina               228        222       43       19         14         11       10        2
Oklahoma                      75         99       44       14         13         11       12        5
South Carolina               111        139       53       16          9          9        8        6
Tennessee                    150        154       49       12         18          8        8        4
Texas                        523        468       44       15         15         12       12        3
Virginia                     177        154       42       17         12         12       13        3
West Virginia                 57         57       35       12         33          9        9        -

West                       1,334      1,264       46       16         17         11        6        2

Alaska                        43         42       74        7         12          -        -        -
Arizona                       74         70       39       23         24          4        9        -
California                   626        591       44       19         14         12        7        3
Colorado                      77         98       47       18         15         10        5        4
Hawaii                        12         32       28       56          -          -        -        -
Idaho                         51         43       44        9         23         12        7        -
Montana                       58         49       45       10         29          6        -        6
Nevada                        60         57       37       18         19         18        7        -
New Mexico                    48         39       54       13         10         13        -        -
Oregon                        72         69       52        7         26          7        7        -
Utah                          67         54       56        6         24         11        -        -
Washington                   113         88       49        9         19         15        7        -
Wyoming                       33         32       56        -         28          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 Structures.
3  Includes highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities and fatalities to workers struck by vehicles.
4  Includes homicides, self-inflicted injuries, and animal attacks.
5  Includes 21 fatalities that occurred outside the territorial boundaries of the United States in 1999.
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, 1998-99.


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 of Arizona                (602) 542-3739
Arkansas        Department of Labor                     (501) 682-4542
California	Department of Industrial Relations	(415) 703-4757
Colorado        Department of Public Health             (303) 692-2173
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) 586-9001
Idaho   Industrial Commission                           (208) 334-6090
Illinois        Department of Public Health             (217) 785-1873
Indiana Department of Labor                             (317) 232-2668
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                     (225) 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) 576-7400
Missouri        Department of Health                    (573) 571-6155
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 and Senior Services     (609) 984-1863
New Mexico	Occupational Health and Safety Bureau	(505) 827-4230
New York State  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              (312) 353-7200
Ohio    Department of Health                            (614) 466-4183
Oklahoma        Department of Labor                     (405) 528-1500
Oregon	Department of Consumer and 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              (312) 353-7200
Tennessee Department of Labor and
 Workforce Development                                  (615) 741-1749
Texas   Workers' Compensation Commission                (512) 804-4651
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 1999 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 102
fatal work injuries in 1999; 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 19 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 16 percent of the fatal work
injuries in 1999.

  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 19 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 3 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.