Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in conjunction with state agencies developed the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program in 1992 to produce accurate, comprehensive, descriptive, timely, and accessible counts of fatal workplace injuries that occur during a given year. A fatality is counted in the state the death occurred regardless of the state of employment to alleviate duplication of reporting in the states.

The fatality census uses diverse sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries in an effort to compile counts that are as complete as possible. Source documents such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, and Federal and State agency administrative records are cross-referenced to gather key information about each workplace fatality such as the particular occupation in which the fatality occurred, worker demographics, equipment or machinery involved, and circumstances of the event. Two or more independent source documents are used to verify the work relationship of each fatal work injury.

A work relationship exists if an event or exposure results in fatal injury or illness to a person on the employer’s premises and the person was there to work; off the employer’s premises and the person was there to work; or the event or exposure was related to the person’s work or status as an employee. Fatalities that occur during a person’s commute to or from work are excluded from census counts. Work is defined as legal duties, activities, or tasks that produce a product or result; and that which is done in exchange for money, goods, services, profit, or benefit. Although the scope of the fatality census is limited to work-related injuries, states may submit data on work-related fatal illnesses, such as heart attacks, that occur at work.

Information gathered by states participating in the CFOI program is used for statistical and research purposes only. The identifiers of all individuals and companies remain confidential according to BLS policy and confidentiality pledges to state source agencies. BLS and participating state agencies abide by any restrictions on followback or the release data imposed by source agencies.

Data compiled by the CFOI program are issued annually for the previous calendar year. These data are used by safety and health professionals, policy analysts, and researchers to prevent fatal work injuries by informing workers of life threatening hazards associated with various jobs, promote safer work practices through enhanced job safety training, develop new safety equipment, assess and improve workplace safety standards, and identify new areas for safety research.

Chart A-1 shows workplace fatalities by event or exposure in Missouri in 2005 in all ownerships. Transportation incidents had the highest percentage of workplace fatalities with 49 percent. Contact with objects and equipment had the next highest percentage of workplace fatalities with 23 percent.

Chart A-2 illustrates fatal work injuries by location in Missouri in 2005 in all ownerships. Street or highway was the location where the highest percent of fatal work injuries occurred with 37 percent. Farm was the next highest location for fatal work injuries with 22 percent. Industrial places or premises was the location for 16 percent of the fatal work injuries. These three locations combined accounted for 75 percent of the fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2005.

Chart A-3 shows occupations with the largest number of worker fatalities in Missouri in 2005 in all ownerships. Agricultural managers was the occupation with the most worker fatalities with 36. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers was the occupation with the second most worker fatalities with 33.

Chart A-4 shows occupations in the construction industry with the highest number of fatalities in Missouri in 2005 in all ownerships. All other was the construction industry occupation with the highest number of fatal injuries with 16 or 46 percent. Construction laborers was the occupation with the second highest number of fatal injuries in the construction industry with eight or 24 percent.

Chart A-5 illustrates fatality work injuries varied between men and women in Missouri in 2005. Men accounted for 170 of the 183 total fatal occupational injuries in Missouri in 2005. Transportation incidents was the event or exposure in 83 or 49 percent of the fatal occupational injuries that involved men. Women accounted for 13 of the 183 total fatal occupation injuries in Missouri in 2005. Transportation incidents was the event or exposure in seven or 54 percent of the fatal occupational injuries that involved women.

Chart A-6 shows the fatal work injuries in selected industries in Missouri in 2005 in all ownerships. Natural resources and mining was the major industry sector with the highest number of fatal work injuries with 45. Trade, transportation, and utilities was the major industry sector that had the second highest number of fatal work injuries with 40.

Table A-1 shows fatal occupational injuries by industry and event or exposure in Missouri in 2005. There were 183 fatal occupational injuries in Missouri in 2005. Transportation incidents was the event or exposure responsible for 91 of the 183 fatal occupational injuries. Transportation incidents include highway, nonhighway, air, water, and rail fatalities, and fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle. Contact with objects and equipment was the event or exposure that had the second highest number of fatal occupational injuries with 42. The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector (NAICS 11) was the sector that had the highest number of fatalities in 2005 with 43. Within the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector, crop production (NAICS 111) had 36 of the 43 fatalities. The construction sector (NAICS 23) was the sector that had the second highest number of fatal occupational injuries at 34. Within the construction sector, specialty trade contractors (NAICS 238) had 23 of the 34 fatalities. The transportation and warehousing sector (NAICS 48-49) had the third highest number of fatal occupational injuries with 22.

Table A-2 shows fatal occupational injuries resulting from transportation incidents and homicides by industry in Missouri in 2005. There were a total of 91 fatal occupational injuries as a result of transportation incidents. Highway incidents accounted for 51 of the total transportation incidents and non-highway incidents accounted for 21. The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector (NAICS 11) had the highest number of total transportation incidents with 21. Non-highway incidents accounted for 16 of these 21 transportation incidents. The transportation and warehousing sector (NAICS 48-49) had the second highest number of total transportation incidents with 18. Highway incidents accounted for 13 of these 18 transportation incidents. There were 14 fatal occupational injuries as a result of homicides. Homicides by shooting accounted for 13 of the 14 fatal occupational injuries. Eleven of the total homicides were in private industry.

Table A-3 presents the numbers and percents of fatal occupational injuries to private sector wage and salary workers, government workers, and self-employed workers by industry in Missouri in 2005. Private sector wage and salary workers may include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. The construction sector (NAICS 23) had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries among the private sector wage and salary workers with 27 or 26.2 percent. The transportation and warehousing sector (NAICS 48-49) had the second highest number of fatal occupational injuries for private sector wage and salary workers with 16 or 15.5 percent. The number and percent of fatal occupational injuries for government workers include fatalities to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. The public administration sector (NAICS 92) had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries among government workers with 12 or 80.0 percent. Self-employed workers include self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships. The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector (NAICS 11) had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries among self-employed workers at 39 or 60.0 percent. The construction sector (NAICS 23) had the second highest number of occupational fatalities of self-employed workers at seven or 10.8 percent.

Table A-4 presents fatal occupational injuries by primary and secondary source of injury by major private industry sector in Missouri in 2005. The primary source of injury identifies the object, substance, or exposure that directly produced or inflicted the injury. For most transportation incidents, the primary source identifies the vehicle in which the deceased was an occupant. For most falls, the primary source identifies the surface or object contacted. The secondary source of injury, if any, identifies the object, substance, or person that generated the source of injury or that contributed to the event or exposure. For vehicle collisions, the deceased’s vehicle is the primary source and the other object (truck, road, divider, etc.) is the secondary source. For most homicides, the "bullet" is the primary source and the "perpetrator" is the secondary source. For most falls, the secondary source identifies the equipment or surface from which the worker fell. The total goods producing industries had 94 total fatalities. Within goods producing, the natural resources and mining major industry sector comprised of NAICS 11, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and NAICS 21, mining had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries with 45. Vehicles was the leading primary source in the total goods producing industries with 52 total occupational injuries. Vehicles was the leading secondary source in the goods producing industries with 15 fatal occupational injuries. The total service providing industries had 74 total fatalities. Within service providing industries, the trade, transportation, and utilities major industry sector comprised of NAICS 42, wholesale trade, NAICS 44-45, retail trade, NAICS 48-49, transportation and warehousing, and NAICS 22, utilities, had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries with 40. Vehicles was the leading primary source in the total service providing industries with 43 fatal occupational injuries. Vehicles was also the leading secondary source in the total service providing industries with 20 fatal occupational injuries.

Table A-5 shows fatal occupational injuries by occupation and event or exposure in Missouri in 2005. The occupation groups with the highest numbers of total fatalities in 2005 were transportation and material moving occupations with 44; management occupations with 42; and construction and extraction occupations with 27. Within the transportation and material moving occupations, motor vehicle operators occupations accounted for 37 of the 44 fatalities. Within the management occupations, other management occupations accounted for 40 of the 42 fatalities. Within the construction and extraction occupations, construction trades workers accounted for 23 of the 27 fatalities. Transportation incidents was the event or exposure with the highest number of total fatalities at 91. Transportation incidents was the event or exposure in 37 of the 44 fatalities in the transportation and material moving occupations and in 23 of the 42 fatalities in the management occupations. Contact with objects and equipment was the second highest event or exposure with 42 total occupational injuries.

Table A-6 shows fatal occupational injuries resulting from transportation incidents and homicides by occupation in Missouri in 2005. The occupation group with the highest number of total fatal occupational injuries resulting from transportation incidents was the transportation and material moving occupations group with 37. The management occupations group had the second highest number of total fatal occupational injuries resulting from transportation incidents with 23. There were 14 fatal occupational injuries as a result of homicides. Homicides by shooting accounted for 13 of the 14 fatal occupational injuries.

Table A-7 presents fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics and event or exposure in Missouri in 2005. Of the 183 fatal occupational injuries that occurred in Missouri in 2005, 170 of the workers were men. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 171 of the 183 occupational fatalities. Workers between the ages of 45 to 54 had the highest number of fatal occupational injuries with 49. Wage and salary workers accounted for 118 of the 183 fatalities.

Table A-8 presents fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure and age in Missouri in 2005. The major events or exposures with the highest numbers of total fatal occupational injuries in 2005 were transportation accidents with 91, contact with objects and equipment with 42, and assaults and violent acts with 20. Of the 91 fatal occupational injuries where transportation accidents was the event or exposure, 22 occurred in workers aged 35 to 44 years. Of the 42 fatal occupational injuries where contact with objects and equipment was the event or exposure, 14 occurred in workers aged 45 to 54 years. Of the 20 fatal occupational injuries where assaults and violent acts was the event or exposure, workers aged 35-44 years and workers aged 45-54 years tied with six each.

Table A-9 presents fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure and major private industry sector in Missouri in 2005. Transportation accidents was the primary event or exposure for both total goods producing industries at 42 and total service providing industries at 42. Contact with objects and equipment was the second highest event or exposure in the goods producing industries at 30 and in the total service providing industries with 10.