2011 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.

Census Of Fatal Occupational Injuries Highlights

Industry

  • There were 132 total fatalities in Missouri in 2011.
    • One hundred, eighteen fatalities were in private industry. Fourteen fatalities were in government.
    • Forty-two fatalities were in private industry, goods-producing sectors. Seventy-six fatalities were in private industry, service-providing sectors.
    • Private industry major industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • trade, transportation, and utilities with 40;
      • natural resources and mining with 18; and
      • construction with 18.
    • Private industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • Transportation and warehousing (NAICS 48-49) with 19;
      • agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (NAICS 11) with 18; and
      • construction (NAICS 23) with 18.

Category of workers

  • Private sector wage and salary workers accounted for 77 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for 60 (77.9%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities. Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for 32 (41.6%) of the fatalities.
    • The goods-producing sector accounted for 17 (22.1%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
  • Government workers accounted for 14 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Twelve (85.7%) of the government workers were in service-providing sectors.
    • Justice, public order, and safety activities accounted for eight (57.1%) of the fatalities.
  • Self-employed workers accounted for 41 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 25 (61.0%) of the self-employed worker fatalities. Service-providing sectors accounted for 16 (39.0%) of the fatalities.
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector accounted for 16 (39.0%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.

Event or exposure

  • The event or exposures of the total fatalities were:
    • 60 (45.5%) transportation incidents
    • 28 (21.2%) contact with objects and equipment;
    • 15 (11.4%) falls, slips, trips;
    • 13 (9.8%) violence and other injuries by persons or animals;
    • 11 (8.3%) exposure to harmful substances or environments; and
    • 5 (3.8%) fires and explosions.

Transportation incidents

  • Transportation incidents was the event or exposure leading to the most (60) occupational fatalities in Missouri in 2011.
    • Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 36 of the transportation incidents. Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 10 of the transportation incidents.
    • Transportation and material moving occupations accounted for 29 of the transportation incidents. Management occupations accounted for 12 of the transportation incidents.
    • The transportation and warehousing private industry sector accounted for 15 of the transportation incidents. Ten of the transportation incidents were in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting private industry sector.

Homicides

  • Ten of the total occupational fatalities were homicides.
    • Eight of the homicides were shooting by other person--intentional.
    • Eight of the homicides were in private industry service-providing sectors.
    • Five of the homicides were first-line supervisors of retail sales workers. Four of these homicides were shooting by other person--intentional.

Source

  • Vehicles was the primary source in most (72) of the total fatalities. Structures and surfaces was the source in 20 fatalities. Persons, plants, animals, and minerals was the source in 16 fatalities.
  • Vehicles was the leading secondary source for 19 of the total fatalities. Structures and surfaces was the secondary source in 15 fatalities. Environmental and elemental conditions was the secondary source in 14 fatalities. (Twelve of these fatalities can be attributed to the Joplin tornado in May, 2011.)

Occupation

  • Transportation and material moving occupations was the occupational group with the most (35) fatal occupational injuries.
    • Twenty-nine of the fatalities in transportation and material moving occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Driver/sales workers and truck drivers accounted for 23 of the occupational fatalities within the transportation and material moving occupations.
  • There were 22 occupational fatalities in management occupations.
    • Twelve of the fatalities in management occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 15 of the occupational fatalities within the management occupations.
  • There were also 22 occupational fatalities in construction and extraction occupations.
    • Falls, slips, trips had eight fatalities in construction and extraction occupations.
    • Construction trades workers accounted for 15 of the occupational fatalities within the construction and extraction occupations.

Worker Characteristics

  • Male workers accounted for 119 (90.2%) of the 132 fatal occupational injuries.
    • Fifty-seven (47.9%) of the fatalities in male workers were due to transportation incidents.
  • Workers aged 55 to 64 years accounted for 30 (22.7%) of the fatalities.
    • Workers aged 45 to 54 years accounted for 29 (22.0%) of the fatalities.
    • Workers over 45 years old accounted for almost two-thirds (64.4%) of the occupational fatalities in 2011.
  • White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 116 (87.9%) of the total fatal occupational injuries.
    • Black or African-American, non-Hispanic workers accounted for ten (7.6%) of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Hispanic or Latino workers accounted for four (3.0%) of the occupational fatalities.