37 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998

Profile of Fatal Work

Injuries in 1996

Thousands of workers die each year from on-the-job-injuries.

Although no one is immune from fatal work injuries, some workers

are more at risk than others because of the work they perform or

their work environment.

Guy A. Toscano is an economist and Janice A.

Windau is an epidemiologist in the Office of

Safety, Health, and Working Conditions,

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Tracy Jack and

Mark Zak of the same office provided

assistance. Telephone (202) 606-6175.

Transportation-related activities

result in a large number of

worker fatalities. In fact, twofifths of on-the-job deaths result from

vehicle-related incidents, such as

trucks jackknifing, farm tractors overturning, workers being struck by vehicles, and watercraft capsizing.

Other worker fatalities result from assaults during robberies; falls from

roofs and scaffolding; electrocutions

from contacting power lines; and being struck by falling objects. This article describes the types of events1 that

resulted in fatal injuries to workers and

profiles the most dangerous jobs in

1996.2 Employers, workers, and safety

and health professionals can use this

information to design and implement

safety programs for injury prevention.

Circumstances of fatal injuries

The number of fatal work injuries

fell in 1996 to the lowest level in 5

years. Highway traffic incidents and

homicides continued to lead all other

events in the number of fatal work injuries in 1996, contributing to over

one-third of the total that occurred

during the year. (See table 1.) Workrelated highway deaths accounted for

one-fifth of fatal work injuries in 1996.

Truckdrivers continue to make up

about two-fifths of the job-related

highway fatality victims; their number of highway fatalities remained virtually unchanged between 1994 and

1996. Overall, slightly more than half

of all job-related highway fatality victims were driving or riding in a truck.

The following tabulation shows the

most common vehicles occupied by

job-related highway fatality victims in

1996:

Because their jobs involve traveling to and from worksites, patients’

homes, and meetings with clients,

health care and social service workers, protective service workers, sales

representatives, and driver-sales workers also incur relatively large numbers

of job-related highway fatalities.

Off-road vehicle-related incidents,

such as a tractor overturning in the

field or a forklift overturning in a

warehouse, pose additional hazards,

particularly among farmers and industrial machine operators. These types

of incidents accounted for about 6 percent of all fatal work injuries in 1996.

Each year, about the same number

of workers are fatally struck by a vehicle. Persons who work near roadways, in parking lots, or near tractors

Total ................... 1,324 100

Truck ........................ 746 56

Semitrailer truck .... 352 27

Pickup truck .......... 144 11

Delivery truck ....... 37 3

Dump truck ........... 31 2

Automobile ............... 345 26

Van ........................... 73 6

Tractor ..................... 25 2

Other or not

 reported .................. 135 10

Number of

highway

fatalities

Vehicle Percent

BY GUY A. TO S CANO A N D

JANICE A. WINDAU
 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998 38

are at particular risk. In 1996, such

workers included truckdrivers unloading goods from their trucks, farmers

working in fields, police officers directing traffic or writing tickets, and

laborers working on construction sites

and performing various other duties.

Air, rail, and water transport together accounted for another 8 percent

of the fatal work injuries. Victims of

these types of fatal events included aircraft pilots and attendants, crop dusters, business travelers, railroad employees, fishers, and workers in the

water transportation industry.

Homicide was the second leading

cause of job-related deaths and accounted for 15 percent of fatal work

injuries during 1996. Mirroring a general trend in homicide risk throughout the United States, job-related homicides fell 12 percent below the 1995

total and 16 percent below 1994, when

job-related homicides recorded a 5-

year high. While most industry divisions had declines in the number of

job-related homicides, retail trade and

services had slight increases over

1995, consistent with their increase in

employment. Although the number of

job-related homicides for taxicab drivers declined substantially from the previous year, this occupational group still

had the highest rate of homicides during 1996. (See chart 1.)

Robbery was the primary motive of

job-related homicides. Almost half of

the homicide victims worked in retail

establishments where cash is readily

available, such as grocery stores and

eating and drinking establishments.

Disputes among coworkers and with

customers and clients accounted for

about one-seventh of the job-related

homicide total. Many of these homicides were committed after a worker

was fired or a customer or tenant was

asked to leave the premises. Arguments with customers and clients

ranged from disagreements over monetary issues, such as rental or legal fees

owed and quality of goods or services

received, to disputes over refusal to be

served alcohol. One-sixth of the workplace homicides for female workers

resulted from domestic disputes. The

following tabulation lists the relationship of alleged perpetrators to the homicide victim:

Worker deaths resulting from falls

continued to rise in 1996, accounting

for 11 percent of fatal work injuries.

Construction trade workers, such as

carpenters, roofers, structural metal

workers, and painters, accounted for

about one-third of fatal fall victims;

construction laborers had about onetenth of the total. Overall, about onehalf of job-related fatal falls occurred

in the construction industry, where

deaths due to falls have risen by about

one-fourth over the last 5 years. Part

of the increase can be explained by the

rise in construction activity over the

past few years.

One-fifth of falls were from, or

through, roofs; falls from scaffolding

and from ladders also resulted in large

numbers of deaths. While still relatively small in number, falls from

nonmoving vehicles rose by almost

two-thirds over the previous year. Increases in falls for truckdrivers and

construction trade workers were partly

responsible for this rise.

Various objects, such as falling

trees, building materials, and machinery or vehicles that slipped into gear,

struck nine percent of the fatally injured workers. Fatalities resulting

from being struck by falling objects

were at their highest level since the

fatality census began in 1992. Partly

responsible for the higher level in 1996

was an increase in the number of workers killed by falling trees, branches,

and logs. Besides timber cutting and

logging occupations, falling trees and

logs are hazardous to truckdrivers in

the lodging industry, heavy equipment

operators, construction laborers, farmers, and grounds-keepers.

Job-related electrocutions in 1996

declined 20 percent from their 1995

total to below 300 for the first time

since 1992. A reduction in the number of electrocutions among construction trade workers, such as painters,

electricians, and carpenters, accounted

for a large portion of the decline from

the 1995 total. About two-fifths of

worker deaths from electrocution resulted from the worker or equipment

being used coming into contact with

overhead power lines. Besides construction workers installing or repairing electrical lines, other workers coming in contact with overhead lines

include truckdrivers and heavy equipment operators raising truck booms or

truck beds, and farmers and groundskeepers trimming trees.

Fatality risk by industry

By comparing percent distributions

of fatalities and employment, the risk

of a job-related fatality for a given occupation, industry, or worker characteristic can be evaluated. For example,

the construction industry accounted for

about 17 percent of the fatality total,

about 3 times its 6-percent share of

total employment. Besides employment, other measures, such as employee exposure hours, can be used to

evaluate the risk of fatal work injuries

for a worker group.

The fatality rate in table 2 relates

the total number of job-related deaths

in 1996 to the annual average number

of workers facing that risk in each industry. Fatality rates can be used to

compare the risk of incurring a fatal

work injury among industries with

varying employment or exposure levels.3 The industry fatality rate is calculated by dividing the number of fatalities for an industry during a given

time period by the average number of

workers in that industry during that

Total ......................... 912 100

Robberies and other

 crimes ........................... 726 80

Work associates .............. 129 14

Coworker, former

 coworker ................... 75 8

Customer, client ........... 54 6

Relatives......................... 31 3

Husband,

 ex-husband ................ 20 2

Other relative ............... 11 1

Other personal

 acquaintances ............... 26 3

Boyfriend,

 ex-boyfriend .............. 11 1

Other acquaintance ...... 15 2

Circumstances or

alleged perpetrator

Number of

jobrelated

homicides

Percent
39 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998

time period. Thus, the fatality rate

depicts the risk of incurring a fatal

work injury within the industry and is

expressed as the number of fatalities

per standard measure—for example,

per 100,000 workers. In 1996, the fatality rate for workers in the construction industry was 13.9 deaths per

100,000 workers. Although the construction industry had more fatalities

than any other industry, workers in the

mining industry had the highest risk

of incurring a fatal work injury, at 26.8

deaths per 100,000 workers.

Industries employ workers in diverse occupations. For example, the

construction industry employs engineers, secretaries, truckdrivers, crane

operators, vehicle mechanics, real estate agents, and accounting clerks, in

addition to carpenters and electricians.

Because work activities performed by

workers in these occupations differ so

widely, hazards they face will also

vary. It is, therefore, beneficial to consider fatality risk by occupation, as

work activities and associated hazards

are more homogenous. For example,

a truckdriver for a construction firm

faces similar hazards on the highways

as a truckdriver employed by a manufacturing firm.

Fatality risk by occupation

Fatality counts are important in

evaluating hazardous jobs because the

number of workers killed indicates the

magnitude of a safety problem for a

group of workers. Table 3 lists the 50

occupations with the highest number

of fatalities. Combined, these occupations accounted for 74 percent of the

job-related fatalities in 1996. Truckdrivers, farm occupations, sales occupations, and construction laborers top

the list; these four occupations alone

accounted for 35 percent of all job-related fatalities in 1996.

If occupations with the highest fatality risk are considered, then fishers,

timber cutters, aircraft pilots, and

structural metal workers are the four

most dangerous jobs; they had the

highest fatality rates where data were

available to calculate the rates. But,

in comparison to the four occupations

with the largest number of fatalities,

these four high-risk occupations accounted for only 5 percent of the jobrelated fatalities. (Charts 2 and 3 compare occupations having the largest

number of fatal work injuries and those

with the highest fatality risk.) And, if

occupations with fewer than 20 fatalities had been included on the list, relatively more dangerous occupations

could have been identified. For example, if three painter apprentices are

killed at work during a year, the relative risk for that occupation group

would be 70 times greater than for the

average worker.4 Another method of

comparing risk among worker groups

is to compare the risk of a fatal work

injury for a particular group of workers to that of all workers. An index of

relative risk is expressed as the ratio

of the fatality rate for that group to the

rate for all workers. For example, table

3 shows the relative risk for taxicab

drivers at 6.7 meaning that taxi drivers are almost 7 times as likely to have

a fatal work injury as the average

worker.5

Truckdrivers. Truckdrivers accounted

for slightly more than 2 percent of the

employed workers in 1996 but incurred 13 percent of all job-related fatal injuries. Truckdrivers are a major

link between producers of goods and

consumers. They pick up raw materials from farmers and other suppliers

and deliver them to manufacturing

plants. Additionally, they deliver finished products across towns and States

to retailers and individual consumers.

However, working conditions for

truckers are often stressful and physically demanding. Truckers, particularly those who travel short distances,

often load and unload their own trucks,

requiring considerable lifting and carrying of heavy loads. Long distance

truckers often drive for many hours at

a stretch through bad weather, heavy

traffic, or difficult terrain. Truckers

involved in interstate commerce may

not return home for days or sometimes,

weeks. These long distance drivers

face boredom, loneliness, and fatigue.

As a result, a trucker’s work and

lifestyle can be contributing factors to

the high number of fatalities and the

high risk of fatal injuries on the highways.

Highway crashes, jackknifing, and

rollovers together account for about

two-thirds of truckdriver deaths, as

shown in the tabulation below. Some

truckers are struck by other vehicles

while inspecting their loads or are

crushed by falling materials from

trucks. In addition, truckdrivers may

become prey to highjackers or even

killed for their cargo.

Farm occupations. Workers in farm

occupations accounted for slightly less

than 2 percent of those employed but

incurred 9 percent of job-related fatalities in 1996. Because of the nature of farm work, farmers must often

be a jack-of-all-trades. It is not uncommon for a farmer to do mechanical repairs on farm equipment; perform electrical inspections on heating

systems used for tending animals;

work with chemicals, mixing various

ingredients to control crop disease and

pest infestation; or design and maintain an irrigation system to keep crops

growing. Because of the multitude of

tasks on a farm, workers are killed

under a variety of circumstances.

Total ........................ 785 100

Transportation incidents 616 78

Highway .................. 514 65

Collision between

 vehicles, mobile

 equipment ........... 181 23

Vehicle struck

 stationary object

 on side of road .... 118 15

Noncollision

 incident ............... 173 22

 Jack-knifed or

 overturned ...... 138 18

Nonhighway ............ 19 2

Worker struck by

 vehicle ................... 55 7

Collision with rail

 vehicle ................... 21 3

Contact with objects

 and equipment .......... 69 9

Falls ........................... 34 4

Exposure to harmful

 substances ................ 25 3

Assaults and violent

 acts ........................... 34 4

Event and exposure Percent

Number of

truckdriver

fatalities
 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998 40

Slightly more than one-third of the

deaths in farm occupations occurred

in tractor-related incidents that included workers falling from tractors

and hitting the ground, being struck

by equipment pulled by tractors, getting caught in the power take-off or

other moving parts, and being struck

by tractors that have overturned or

slipped into gear. Other farm workers are killed on highways, while delivering produce to market, picking up

supplies, or just getting to their fields

to work. Some are electrocuted by

overhead powerlines or while using

electrical equipment to do farm chores.

Others are killed while tending cattle

and horses, or from heatstroke, freezing weather, and lightning. The following tabulation shows the most common events and exposures resulting in

fatalities to farm workers:

Sales occupations.6 Sales occupations

accounted for 12 percent of those employed in 1996, but they incurred about

8 percent of all fatal work injuries,

indicating that their chance of fatal

injury was less than the average

worker.

Sales workers are employed in a

wide variety of industries, including

manufacturing, real estate, wholesale

and retail trade, as well as in such service industries as hotels, amusement

parks, and movie theaters and video

rentals. Besides assisting customers

with their selection of items, they often receive payment for purchases.

Some, particularly sales supervisors

and proprietors, are responsible for

picking up change at banks or depositing cash or other receipts. Largely

as a result of this proximity to cash,

slightly over half of their job-related

deaths result from homicide, primarily as a consequence of robberies.

Some sales work involves being on

the road, traveling to and from sales

meetings, picking up supplies, or delivering products to customers. Consequently, about one-fifth of sales

worker fatalities resulted from highway crashes, as shown in the following tabulation:

Construction laborers. Construction

laborers accounted for less than 1 percent of those employed but incurred

about 5 percent of all job-related fatalities. These laborers figuratively are

the “backbone” of the construction

industry. They mix mortar and haul

bricks and blocks for masons; build

scaffolding used by artisans to erect

buildings; and move materials at work

sites using various types of vehicles.

By virtue of their diverse job tasks,

construction laborers face numerous

hazards on a worksite. Some fall from

roofs, scaffolding, or ladders; come in

contact with electric current; are struck

or crushed by falling building materials; are engulfed in trench cave-ins;

and are struck by forklifts or other vehicles. The following tabulation

shows the most common events and

exposures that resulted in job-related

fatalities for construction laborers:

In conclusion, what do occupations

with the largest number of fatalities

have in common with those occupations at highest risk of a fatal injury?

In general, both of these groups of

workers primarily perform work activities in the outdoors and in other

environments that are more difficult

to control than, for example, in a

manufacturing plant. Additionally,

transporting materials using trucks,

tractors, and forklifts is a widespread

activity that often results in mishaps

between the worker and vehicle. Other

major incidents resulting in job-related

fatalities involve falls from elevations,

electrocutions from overhead powerlines, and being struck by objects.

Information on dangerous jobs and

their most frequent fatal events discussed in this article can be used by

employers and safety professionals to

target efforts to reduce fatal work injuries. Employee awareness of these

hazards, however, is key to workplace

safety.

Total ....................... 569 100

Transportation

 incidents ..................... 260 46

Highway vehicle

 incidents .................. 58 10

Nonhighway vehicle

 incidents .................. 172 30

Overturned

 vehicles ................. 112 20

Fell and struck by

 vehicle .................. 32 6

Worker struck by

 vehicle ..................... 22 4

Contact with objects

 and equipment ............ 151 27

Struck by objects ....... 71 12

Caught in or

 compressed by

 machinery ................ 64 11

Falls ............................. 42 7

Exposure to harmful

 substances ................... 45 8

Electrocutions............ 21 4

Animal assaults ............ 27 5

Event and exposure

Number of

farm

occupation

fatalities

Percent

Total ......................... 503 100

Transportation incidents . 141 28

Highway ...................... 113 22

Contact with objects

 and equipment .............. 13 3

Falls ............................... 17 3

Exposure to harmful

 substances ..................... 11 2

Assaults and violent

 acts ............................... 316 63

Homicides ................... 295 59

Shooting ................... 241 48

Stabbing ................... 27 5

Other ........................ 27 5

Event and exposure

Number of

sales

occupation

fatalities

Percent

Total ........................ 291 100

Transportation incidents 89 31

Highway ..................... 27 9

Nonhighway vehicle

 incidents ................... 8 3

Worker struck by

 vehicle, mobile

 equipment ................. 49 17

Contact with objects

 and equipment ............. 86 30

Struck by objects ........ 40 14

Caught in or crushed in

 collapsing materials .. 38 13

Excavation or

 trenching cave-in ... 28 10

Falls .............................. 65 22

Fall from roof ............. 30 10

Exposure to harmful

 substances..................... 39 13

Electrocutions............. 26 9

Event and exposure

Number of

construction

laborer

fatalities

Percent
41 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998

Chart 1. Occupations at “high-risk” of homicide, 1996

NOTE: The employment-based rates shown were calculated as follows:

 (N/W) x 100,000, where

 N = the number of workers in a particular group who were victims of homicide and,

 W = the annual average number of workers employed in that group.

 Employment data are from the 1996 Current Population Survey.

0 5 10 15 20

22.7

6.2

5.6

5.5

4.4

2.9

1.1

3.3

3.5

25

Taxicab drivers

(n = 46)

Guards

(n = 50)

Police, detectives

(n = 54)

Sales counter clerks

(n = 11)

Managers, food and lodging places

(n = 61)

Bartenders

(n = 11)

Sales supervisors and proprietors

(n = 147)

Cashiers

(n = 85)

Stock handlers and baggers

(n = 12)

Truckdrivers

(n = 27)

National average 0.7

0.9

Rate per 100,000 workers

1

 The event or exposure describes the manner

in which the injury was produced or inflicted by

the source of the injury. 2

 Data on fatal work injuries are from the

Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), 1996. This program,

which has collected occupational fatality data nationwide since 1992, uses diverse 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, news accounts, and reports to Federal and

State agencies. This method assures counts are as

complete and accurate as possible. For more information on the CFOI program, access the BLS

Internet site at http://stats.bls.gov/oshfat1.htm

or E-mail cfoistaff@bls.gov with your request. 3

 There is more than one method to calculate

fatality rates that measure the incidence of fatal

work injuries for groups of workers. An hoursbased rate measures the risk of fatality per standardized length of exposure; an employment-based

rate measures the risk for those employed during

—ENDNOTES—

a given period of time. 4

 Paul J. Leigh, “Causes of Death in the

Workplace,” Westport, CT: Quorum Books,

1995, p. 44. 5

 For additional information on relative risk

of both fatal and nonfatal injuries, see “Report on

the American Workforce,” U.S. Department of

Labor, 1994, pp. 95-138; and Guy A. Toscano,

“Dangerous Jobs,” Compensation and Working

Conditions, Summer 1997, pp. 57-60. 6

 Sales occupations include sales supervisors

and proprietors, cashiers, retail and wholesale

workers, and various sales representatives.

Chart 1. Occupations at "high-risk" of homicide, 1996

NOTE: The employment-based rates shown were calculated as follows:

(N/W) x 100,000 where

N = the number of workers in a particular group who were victims of homicide and,

W = the annual average number of workers employed in that group.

Employment data are from the 1996 Current Population Survey.
 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998 42

Structural metal workers

(n=52)

Extractive occupations

(n=87)

Construction laborers

(n=291)

Fishers

(n=66)

Timber cutters

(n=118)

Airplane pilots

(n=100)

Water transportation occupations

(n=42)

Taxicab drivers

(n=65)

Roofers

 (n=61)

Truckdrivers

(n=785)

National average

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

85.2

66.9

35.7

178.4

157.3

87.7

60.9

32.0

31.0

26.0

4.8

Rate per 100,000 workers

Truckdrivers

(Highway crash, jackknifing)

Farm occupations

(Tractor-related)

Sales occupations

(Homicides)

Construction laborers

(Falls)

Laborers, except construction

(Falling objects)

Military

(Air crash)

Timber cutters

(Felled trees)

Police and detectives, public

(Homicides)

Airplane pilots

(Air crash)

Electricians

(Electrocutions)

785

569

503

291

213

118

114

100

98

123

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

Chart 2. Occupations with large numbers of worker fatalities and the leading event, 1996

Chart 3. Occupations at "high-risk" of a fatal work injury, 1996

NOTE: The employment-based rates shown were calculated as follows:

(N/W) x 100,000, where

N = the number of fatally injured workers in a particular group (for example, roofers) and,

W = the annual average number of workers employed in that group.

Employment data are from the 1996 Current Population Survey.

NOTE: Leading fatal event for each occupation is shown in parentheses and in the checkered portion of the bar.
43 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, 1992-96

Event or exposure1

Fatalities

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Number Number Number Number Number Percent

Total ........................................................................... 6,217 6,331 6,632 6,275 6,112 100

Transportation incidents ............................................ 2,484 2,499 2,762 2,587 2,556 42

Highway ....................................................................... 1,158 1,242 1,343 1,346 1,324 22

Collision between vehicles, mobile equipment .......... 578 659 654 642 656 11

Moving in same direction ......................................... 78 100 120 127 95 2

Moving in opposite directions, oncoming ................. 201 245 230 246 214 4

Moving in intersection .............................................. 107 123 144 99 153 3

Vehicle struck stationary object or equipment ........... 192 189 255 275 240 4

Noncollision ............................................................... 301 336 373 352 348 6

Jack-knifed or overturned--no collision .................... 213 236 274 261 264 4

Nonhighway (farm, industrial premises) ...................... 436 392 409 387 369 6

Overturned ................................................................. 208 214 226 209 204 3

Aircraft ......................................................................... 353 282 426 283 320 5

Worker struck by a vehicle .......................................... 346 365 391 388 349 6

Water vehicle ............................................................... 109 119 94 87 107 2

Railway ........................................................................ 66 86 81 82 75 1

Assaults and violent acts ........................................... 1,281 1,329 1,321 1,280 1,144 19

Homicides .................................................................... 1,044 1,074 1,080 1,036 912 15

Shooting .................................................................... 852 884 934 762 751 12

Stabbing .................................................................... 90 95 60 67 79 1

Other, including bombing ........................................... 102 95 85 206 82 1

Self-inflicted injury ....................................................... 205 222 214 221 199 3

Contact with objects and equipment ......................... 1,004 1,045 1,017 916 1,005 16

Struck by object ........................................................... 557 565 590 547 579 9

Struck by falling object ............................................... 361 346 372 341 402 7

Struck by flying object ................................................ 77 81 68 63 58 1

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects ..... 316 311 280 255 283 5

Caught in running equipment or machinery ............... 159 151 147 131 146 2

Caught in or crushed in collapsing materials ............... 110 138 132 99 130 2

Falls .............................................................................. 600 618 665 651 684 11

Fall to lower level ......................................................... 507 534 580 578 607 10

Fall from ladder .......................................................... 78 76 86 97 95 2

Fall from roof ............................................................. 108 120 129 143 148 2

Fall from scaffold, staging .......................................... 66 71 89 82 88 1

Fall on same level ........................................................ 62 49 63 53 49 1

Exposure to harmful substances or environments .. 605 592 641 609 523 9

Contact with electric current ........................................ 334 325 348 348 279 5

Contact with overhead power lines ............................ 140 115 132 139 116 2

Contact with temperature extremes ............................. 33 38 50 56 32 1

Exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic

substances ............................................................ 127 116 133 107 119 2

Inhalation of substance .............................................. 83 68 84 62 75 1

Oxygen deficiency ....................................................... 111 112 109 97 92 2

Drowning, submersion ............................................... 78 90 89 77 67 1

Fires and explosions ................................................... 167 204 202 207 184 3

Other events or exposures2 ........................................ 76 44 24 25 16 3 ( )

1 Based on the 1992 BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification

Structures. 2 Includes the category "Bodily reaction and exertion." 3 Less than 0.5 percent.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown

separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Census of

Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1996.
 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998 44

Table 2. Number, percent, and rate of fatal occupational injuries by industry, 1996

Industry1

Fatalities

Employment

(thousands)2

Fatalities per

100,000

workers3

Relative

standard

error4

(percent) Number Percent

Total ........................................................... 6,112 100 127,997 4.8 0.2

Private industry ................................................... 5,521 90 108,472 5.1 .2

Agriculture, forestry and fishing ...................... 798 13 3,505 22.2 1.9

Agricultural production - crops ........................... 335 5 1,025 31.3 3.5

Agricultural production - livestock ...................... 154 3 1,214 12.2 3.2

Agricultural services .......................................... 171 3 1,189 14.3 3.2

Mining ................................................................. 152 2 567 26.8 4.7

Coal mining ........................................................ 39 1 98 39.8 11.3

Oil and gas extraction ........................................ 82 1 302 27.2 6.5

Construction ...................................................... 1,039 17 7,464 13.9 1.3

Manufacturing .................................................... 715 12 20,434 3.5 .7

Food and kindred products ................................ 70 1 1,706 4.1 2.7

Lumber and wood products ............................... 203 3 794 25.6 4.0

Transportation and public utilities ................... 947 15 7,248 13.1 1.3

Local and interurban passenger transportation 78 1 503 15.5 5.0

Trucking and warehousing ................................ 511 8 2,451 20.8 2.3

Transportation by air .......................................... 113 2 778 14.5 4.0

Electric, gas, and sanitary services ................... 88 1 1,066 8.3 3.4

Wholesale trade ................................................. 267 4 4,942 5.4 1.6

Retail trade ......................................................... 672 11 21,443 3.1 .7

Food stores ........................................................ 173 3 3,507 4.9 1.9

Automotive dealers and service stations ........... 98 2 2,165 4.5 2.4

Eating and drinking places ................................ 166 3 6,483 2.6 1.4

Finance, insurance, and real estate ................. 114 2 7,862 1.5 1.2

Services .............................................................. 767 13 35,008 2.2 .5

Business services .............................................. 168 3 5,680 3.0 1.5

Automotive repair, services, and parking .......... 103 2 1,618 6.4 2.8

Government5 ........................................................ 591 10 – – –

Federal ................................................................ 178 3 19,525 3.0 .8

State .................................................................... 127 2 4,583 3.9 1.6

Local .................................................................... 284 5 5,150 2.5 1.5

1 Based on the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, 1987 Edition. 2 The employment figures, except for military, are annual average

estimates of employed civilians 16 years of age and older, from the Current

Population Survey (CPS), 1996. The resident military figure, derived from

resident and civilian population data from the Bureau of the Census, was

added to the CPS employment total. 3 The rate represents the number of fatal occupational injuries per

100,000 employed workers and was calculated as follows: (N/W) x 100,000,

where N = the number of fatal work injuries, and W = the number of

employed workers, as described in the previous footnote. There were 27

fatally injured workers under the age of 16 years who were not included in

the rate calculations to maintain consistency with the CPS employment

figures. 4 The relative standard errors of the CPS employment estimates can be

used to approximate confidence ranges for the fatality rates. For example, a

confidence range for the mining rate can be approximated as follows: 26.8 x

.047 x 1.6 = 2.0, where 26.8 = the rate, .047 = the relative standard error (4.7

percent), and 1.6 = the factor for a 90 percent confidence level. The

confidence range for this rate is 24.8 to 28.8 (26.8 plus or minus 2.0). 5 Includes fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations

regardless of industry.

NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown

separately. There were 54 fatalities for which there was insufficient

information to determine a specific industry classification, though a distinction

between private and government was made for each. 

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Census

of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1996.
45 Compensation and Working Conditions Spring 1998

Table 3. Number, rate, and relative risk of fatal occupational injuries for selected occupations, 1996

Occupation1 Number of

fatalities

Employment

(thousands)2

Fatalities

per

100,000

workers3

Relative

standard

error4

(percent)

Index of

relative

risk5

Most frequent

fatal event

(percent)

Total .............................................................. 6,112 127,997 4.8 0.2 1.0 Highway (22)

Truckdrivers ....................................................... 785 3,019 26.0 2.0 5.5 Highway (65)

Farming occupations ......................................... 569 2,212 24.8 2.4 5.2 Vehicular (44)

Construction laborers ........................................ 291 809 35.7 3.9 7.5 Vehicular (29)

Sales, supervisors and proprietors .................... 225 4,501 5.0 1.7 1.0 Homicide (65)

Laborers, except construction ........................... 213 1,334 15.9 3.1 3.3 Vehicular (29)

Military ............................................................... 123 1,289 9.5 3.1 2.0 Aircraft crashes (60)

Timber cutting and logging ................................ 118 75 157.3 13.0 33.1 Struck by object (76)

Police and detectives ........................................ 114 960 11.9 3.6 2.4 Homicide (48)

Airplane pilots and navigators ........................... 100 114 87.7 10.5 18.5 Aircraft crashes (100)

Electricians ........................................................ 98 763 12.8 4.1 2.6 Electrocutions (50)

Guards ............................................................... 97 811 12.0 3.9 2.4 Homicide (54)

Cashiers ............................................................ 94 2,856 3.3 2.1 .7 Homicide (90)

Groundskeepers and gardeners ........................ 90 875 10.3 3.8 2.2 Vehicular (26)

Carpenters ......................................................... 87 1,220 7.1 3.2 1.5 Falls (57)

Extractive occupations ...................................... 87 130 66.9 9.8 14.1 Vehicular (26)

Managers, food serving and lodging ................. 75 1,383 5.4 3.0 1.1 Homicide (88)

Fishers ............................................................... 66 37 178.4 18.5 37.5 Drowning (74)

Taxicab drivers and chauffeurs ......................... 65 203 32.0 7.9 6.7 Homicide (71)

Janitors and cleaners ........................................ 63 2,205 2.9 2.4 .6 Falls (21)

Welders and cutters .......................................... 62 605 10.2 4.6 2.2 Falls (27)

Roofers .............................................................. 61 197 31.0 8.0 6.5 Falls (67)

Food preparation and service occupations ....... 53 5,906 .9 1.4 .2 Homicide (80)

Structural metal workers .................................... 52 61 85.2 14.4 17.9 Falls (77)

Industrial truck and tractor operators ................. 46 512 9.0 5.0 1.9 Vehicular (54)

Painters, construction and maintenance ........... 45 504 8.9 5.0 1.9 Falls (56)

Water transportation occupations ...................... 42 69 60.9 13.5 12.8 Fall from ship (36)

Social, recreation, and religious workers ........... 41 1,332 3.1 3.1 .6 Highway (39)

Heavy equipment mechanics ............................ 38 156 24.4 9.0 5.1 Contact with object (34)

Electrical power installers and repairers ............ 38 126 30.2 10.0 6.3 Electrocutions (61)

Operating engineers .......................................... 38 245 15.5 7.2 3.3 Highway (29)

Public transportation attendants ........................ 38 95 40.0 11.5 8.4 Aircraft crashes (92)

Firefighting and fire prevention occupations ...... 37 231 16.0 7.4 3.2 Highway (38)

Automobile mechanics ...................................... 35 889 3.9 3.8 .8 Struck by (29)

Driver-sales workers .......................................... 35 156 22.4 9.0 4.7 Highway (54)

Bus, truck, and stationary engine mechanics .... 34 336 10.1 6.1 2.1 Struck by (24)

Plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters ..................... 32 555 5.8 4.8 1.2 Falls (19)

Electrical and electronic equipment repairers ... 31 662 4.7 4.4 1.0 Transportation (55)

Precision metal working occupations ................ 30 910 3.3 3.7 .7 Contact with object (33)

Health assessment and treating occupations .... 27 2,812 1.0 2.1 .2 Highway (52)

Excavating and loading machine operators ...... 26 92 28.3 11.7 5.9 Contact with object (39)

Teachers, except postsecondary ...................... 24 4,724 .5 1.6 .1 Aircraft crashes (29)

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ........... 23 1,850 1.2 2.6 .3 Highway (52)

Athletes ............................................................. 23 85 27.1 12.2 5.7 Vehicular (39)

Stock handlers and baggers .............................. 22 1,106 2.0 3.4 .4 Homicide (55)

Rail transportation occupations ......................... 22 115 19.1 10.5 4.0 Railway collision (41)

Managers, properties and real estate ................ 21 530 4.0 4.9 .8 Homicide (43)

Heating, air conditioning mechanics .................. 21 304 6.9 6.4 1.5 Electrocutions (29)

Garbage collectors ............................................ 21 43 48.8 17.1 10.3 Vehicular (81)

Industrial machinery repairers ........................... 20 540 3.7 4.8 .8 Struck or crushed by (45)

Plant and system operators ............................... 20 260 7.7 7.0 1.6 Electrocutions (30)

1 Based on the 1990 Occupational Classification System developed by the Bureau

of the Census. Selected occupations had 20 or more work injury fatalities in 1996. 2 The employment figures, except for military, are annual average estimates of

employed civilians 16 years of age and older, from the Current Population Survey (CPS),

1996. The resident military figure, derived from resident and civilian population data from

the Bureau of the Census, was added to the CPS employment total. 3 The rate represents the number of fatal occupational injuries per 100,000

employed workers and was calculated as follows: (N/W) x 100,000, where N = the

number of fatal work injuries, and W = the number of employed workers, as described in

the previous footnote. There were 27 fatally injured workers under the age of 16 years

who were not included in the rate calculations to maintain consistency with the CPS

employment figures.

4 The relative standard errors of the CPS employment estimates can be used to

approximate confidence ranges for the fatality rates. For example, a confidence range

for the roofers rate can be approximated as follows: 31.0 x .08 x 1.6 = 4.0, where 31.0 =

the rate, .08 = the relative standard error (8.0 percent), and 1.6 = the factor for a 90

percent confidence level. The confidence range for this rate is 27.0 to 35.0 (31.0 plus or

minus 4.0). 5 Index of relative risk = Fatality rate for a given occupation/Fatality rate for all

workers.

SOURCE: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Census of Fatal

Occupational Injuries, 1996.