2009 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)

Background

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 incident 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 Users

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.

Source of Injury

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 "assailant" is the secondary source. For most falls, the secondary source identifies the equipment or surface from which the worker fell.

Census Of Fatal Occupational Injuries Highlights

Industry

  • There were 142 total fatalities in Missouri in 2009.
    • One hundred, thirty-six fatalities were in private industry. Six fatalities were in government.
    • Eighty-seven fatalities were in private industry, goods-producing sectors. Forty-nine fatalities were in private industry, service-providing sectors.
    • Private industry major industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • natural resources and mining with 46;
      • construction with 37; and
      • trade, transportation, and utilities with 20.
    • Private industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting with 45;
      • construction with 37; and
      • retail trade with 11.

Category of workers

  • Private sector wage and salary workers accounted for 59 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 34 (57.6%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities. Service-providing sectors accounted for 25 (42.4%) of the fatalities.
    • The construction sector accounted for 27 (45.8%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
    • Within construction, specialty trade contractors accounted for 19 of the fatalities.
  • Government workers accounted for six of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Five (83.3%) of the government workers were in service-providing sectors.
    • Three (50.0%) of the government workers were in public administration.
    • Within public administration, police protection accounted for three of the fatalities.
  • Self-employed workers accounted for 77 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 53 (68.8%) of the self-employed worker fatalities. Service-providing sectors accounted for 24 (31.2%) of the fatalities.
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector accounted for 43 (55.8%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
    • Within agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, all other miscellaneous crop farming accounted for 35 of the fatalities.

Location

  • The locations of the total occupational fatalities were:
    • 28.2% farm;
    • 26.8% street or highway;
    • 14.8% industrial place or premises; and
    • 13.4% public building.

Event or exposure

  • The event or exposures of the total fatalities were:
    • 59 (41.5%) transportation incidents;
    • 27 (19.0%) contact with objects and equipment;
    • 24 (16.9%) assaults and violent acts;
    • 20 (14.1%) falls; and
    • 10 (7.0%) exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Transportation incidents

  • Transportation incidents was the event or exposure leading to the most (59) occupational fatalities in Missouri in 2009.
    • Highway incidents accounted for 26 of the transportation incidents. Non-highway incidents accounted for 21 of the transportation incidents.
    • Management occupations accounted for 22 of the transportation incidents. Twelve of the transportation incidents were in transportation and material moving occupations.
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting private industry sector accounted for 23 of the transportation incidents. Thirteen of the transportation incidents were in the construction private industry sector.

Homicides

  • Fifteen of the total occupational fatalities were homicides.
    • Fourteen of the homicides were homicides by shooting.
    • Fourteen of the homicides were in the private industry service-providing sectors.
    • Seven of the homicides were in sales and related occupations. All seven were homicides by shooting.

Source

  • Vehicles was the primary source in most (61) of the total fatalities.
  • Persons, plants, animals, and minerals was the secondary source for most (27) of the total fatalities.

Occupation

  • Management occupations was the occupational group with the most (43) fatal occupational injuries.
    • Twenty-two of the fatalities in management occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Farmers and ranchers accounted for 41 of the occupational fatalities within the management occupations.
  • There were 30 occupational fatalities in construction and extraction occupations.
    • Ten of the fatalities in construction and extraction occupations were transportation incidents.
    • First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers accounted for 12 of the occupational fatalities within the construction and extraction occupations.

Worker characteristics

  • Men accounted for 131 (92.3%) of the 142 fatal occupational injuries.
    • Fifty-three (40.5%) of the fatalities in male workers were due to transportation incidents.
  • Workers aged 55 to 64 years accounted for 33 (23.2%) of the occupational fatalities.
    • Workers aged 45 to 54 years accounted for 32 (22.5%) of the fatalities.
  • White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 124 (87.3%) of the total fatal occupational injuries.
    • Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for seven (4.9%) of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Hispanic or Latino workers accounted for six (4.2%) of the occupational fatalities.
    • Asian workers accounted for five (3.5%) of the fatalities.