2016 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 124 total work-related fatalities in Missouri in 2016.
    • There were 115 work-related fatalities in private industry. Nine fatalities were in government.
    • Private industry, service-providing sectors had 58 work-related fatalities in 2016. (There had been 65 fatalities in 2015.)
    • There were 57 work-related fatalities in private industry, goods-producing sectors in 2016. (There had been 43 fatalities in 2015.)
    • Private industry major industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • Natural resources and mining with 34;
      • Trade, transportation, and utilities with 31; and
      • Construction with 15.
    • Private industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (NAICS 11) with 34;
      • Transportation and warehousing (NAICS 48-49) with 23; and
      • Construction (NAICS 23) with 15.

Category of workers

  • Private sector wage and salary workers accounted for 73 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for 48 (65.8%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
      • Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for 27 (37.0%) of the fatalities.
    • The goods-producing sectors accounted for 25 (34.2%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
      • Construction accounted for 11 (15.1%) of the fatalities.
      • Manufacturing accounted for eight (11.0 %) of the fatalities.
  • Government workers accounted for nine of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Seven (77.8%) of the government workers were in service-providing sectors.
      • Public administration accounted for four (44.4%) of the fatalities.
  • Self-employed workers accounted for 42 of the total occupational fatalities in 2016. (There had been 31 fatalities in self-employed workers in 2015.)
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 32 (76.2%) of the self-employed worker fatalities in 2016. (There had been 20 fatalities in goods-producing sectors in 2015.)
      • Natural resources and mining accounted for 28 (66.7%) of the self-employed worker fatalities in 2016. (There had been 17 fatalities in natural resources and mining in 2015.) 
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for 10 (23.8%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
      • Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for four (9.5%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.

Event or exposure

  • The event or exposures of the total fatalities in 2016 were:
    • 48 (38.7%) transportation incidents (60 fatalities in 2015);
    • 24 (19.4%) contact with objects and equipment (13 fatalities in 2015) ;
    • 20 (16.1%) violence and other injuries by persons or animals (13 fatalities in 2015);
    • 18 (14.5%) falls, slips, trips; and
    • 12 (9.7%) exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Transportation incidents

  • Transportation incidents was the event or exposure leading to the most (48) occupational fatalities in Missouri in 2016.
    • Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 28 of the transportation incidents. Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 13 of the transportation incidents. Pedestrian vehicular incidents accounted for five of the transportation incidents.
    • Transportation and material moving occupations accounted for 25 of the transportation incidents. Management occupations accounted for 15 of the transportation incidents. 
    • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting private industry sector accounted for 16 of the transportation incidents. The transportation and warehousing private industry sector accounted for 14 of the transportation incidents. 

Homicides

  • Thirteen of the total occupational fatalities in 2016 were homicides. (There had been seven homicides in 2015.)
    • Ten of the homicides in 2016 were shooting by other person--intentional. (There had been six shootings in 2015.)
    • Ten of the homicides were in private industry. Nine of these homicides were shooting by other person—intentional.
    • Eight of the homicides were in private industry service-providing sectors. Seven of these homicides were shooting by other person--intentional.
    • Three of the homicides in 2016 were in governmental organizations.

Source

  • Vehicles was the primary source in most (60) of the total fatalities. Persons, plants, animals, and minerals was the source in 29 fatalities in 2016. (Persons, plants, animals, and minerals had been the source in 20 fatalities in 2015.)
  • Vehicles was the secondary source in 16 fatalities. Tools, instruments, and equipment was the secondary source in 15 fatalities.

Occupation

  • Transportation and material moving occupations was the occupational group with the most (36) fatal occupational injuries.
    • Twenty-five of the fatalities in transportation and material moving occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 23 of the occupational fatalities within the transportation and material moving occupations.
  • There were 27 occupational fatalities in management occupations in 2016. (There had been 19 occupational fatalities in management occupations in 2015.)
    • Fifteen of the fatalities in management occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 25 of the occupational fatalities within the management occupations in 2016. (Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers had accounted for 16 occupational fatalities in 2015.)

Worker characteristics

  • Male workers accounted for 120 (96.8%) of the 124 fatal occupational injuries.
    • Forty-eight of the fatalities in male workers were due to transportation incidents.
    • Contact with objects and equipment was the event or exposure for 24 fatalities in male workers.
  • Workers aged 45 to 54 years accounted for 28 (22.6%) of the fatalities. Workers aged 35 to 44 years and 65 years and older each accounted for 25 (20.2%) of the fatalities.
  • White (non-Hispanic) workers accounted for 107 (86.3%) of the total fatal occupational injuries.
    • Black or African-American (non-Hispanic) workers accounted for nine (7.3%) of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Hispanic or Latino workers accounted for five (4.0%) of the total occupational fatalities.