2010 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 107 total fatalities in Missouri in 2010.
    • One hundred, one fatalities were in private industry. Six fatalities were in government.
    • Forty-seven fatalities were in private industry, goods-producing sectors. Fifty-four fatalities were in private industry, service-providing sectors.
    • Private industry major industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • trade, transportation, and utilities with 30;
      • natural resources and mining with 25; and
      • construction with 12.
    • Private industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting with 25;
      • construction with 12; and
      • manufacturing, wholesale trade, and retail trade with ten each.

Category of workers

  • Private sector wage and salary workers accounted for 65 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for 48 (73.8%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities. Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for 27 (41.5%) of the fatalities.
    • The goods-producing sector accounted for 17 (26.2%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
  • Government workers accounted for six of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Six (100.0%) of the government workers were in service-providing sectors.
    • Within public administration, police protection accounted for five (83.3%) of the fatalities.
  • Self-employed workers accounted for 36 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 30 (83.3%) of the self-employed worker fatalities. Service-providing sectors accounted for six (16.7%) of the fatalities.
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector accounted for 25 (69.4%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
    • Within agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, all other miscellaneous crop farming accounted for 23 (63.9%) of the fatalities.

Location

  • The locations of the total occupational fatalities were:
    • 42.1% street or highway;
    • 20.6% industrial place or premises;
    • 14.0% farm;
    • 12.1% other or not reported;
    • 7.5% public building; and
    • 3.7% private residence.

Event or exposure

  • The event or exposures of the total fatalities were:
    • 60 (56.1%) transportation incidents;
    • 14 (13.1%) contact with objects and equipment;
    • 14 (13.1%) falls;
    • 13 (12.1%) assaults and violent acts; and
    •  6 (5.6%) exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Transportation incidents

  • Transportation incidents was the event or exposure leading to the most (60) occupational fatalities in Missouri in 2010.
    • Highway incidents accounted for 38 of the transportation incidents. Non-highway incidents accounted for 15 of the transportation incidents.
    • Management occupations accounted for 19 of the transportation incidents. Fourteen of the transportation incidents were in transportation and material moving occupations.
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting private industry sector accounted for 18 of the transportation incidents. Seven of the transportation incidents were in the construction private industry sector.

Homicides

  • Eleven of the total occupational fatalities were homicides.
    • Nine of the homicides were homicides by shooting.
    • Eight of the homicides were in the private industry service-providing sectors.
    • Three of the homicides were in sales and related occupations. All three were homicides by shooting.

Source

  • Vehicles was the primary source in most (62) of the total fatalities.
  • Persons, plants, animals, and minerals; and vehicles were the leading secondary source for most of the total fatalities, accounting for 21 each.

Occupation

  • Management occupations was the occupational group with the most (28) fatal occupational injuries.
    • Nineteen of the fatalities in management occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Farmers and ranchers accounted for 23 of the occupational fatalities within the management occupations.
  • There were 19 occupational fatalities in transportation and material moving occupations.
    • Fourteen of the fatalities in transportation and material moving occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Motor vehicle operators accounted for 15 of the occupational fatalities within the transportation and material moving occupations.
  • There were 11 occupational fatalities in construction and extraction occupations.
    • Six of the fatalities in construction and extraction occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Construction trades workers accounted for nine of the occupational fatalities within the construction and extraction occupations.

Worker characteristics

  • Men accounted for 100 (93.5%) of the 107 fatal occupational injuries.
    • Fifty-eight (58.0%) of the fatalities in male workers were due to transportation incidents.
  • Workers aged 45 to 54 years accounted for 25 (23.4%) of the occupational fatalities.
    • Workers aged 35 to 44 years accounted for 23 (21.5%) of the fatalities.
  • White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 96 (89.7%) of the total fatal occupational injuries.
    • Black, non-Hispanic workers accounted for five (4.7%) of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Hispanic or Latino workers accounted for three (2.8%) of the occupational fatalities.
    • Asian workers accounted for three (2.8%) of the fatalities.