Fatal work injuries totaled 58 in 2011 for Washington, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that while the 2011 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Washington had declined by 46 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 128 in 1996 to a low of 58 in 2011. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2011, down from a final count of 4,690 fatal work injuries recorded in 2010, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program conducted by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Final 2011 CFOI data will be released in Spring 2013.

Of the 58 fatal work injuries reported in Washington in 2011, half of the events resulted from transportation incidents (29). Other major event categories each reported nine or fewer deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 12 deaths; in fact, it accounted for more than 20 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, aircraft incidents, accounted for six fatalities.

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2011, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. Washington’s 50-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was larger than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally with 17 percent of work related fatalities, 7 percentage points higher than the share in Washington. Contact with objects or equipment (15 percent) and falls, slips, and trips (14 percent) were the third and fourth most frequent events, respectively, in the nation.

Additional key characteristics:

• The trade, transportation, and utilities industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 20, up from18 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 14 of the worker deaths, while fatalities due to contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, and trips accounted for 3 each.
• The public sector had the second highest fatality count with 10; the count was 11 in the prior year. Transportation incidents accounted for five worker deaths in this sector.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 22. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for ten deaths within this group. Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at nine, followed by those in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations at five.
• Men accounted for 52, or 90 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up more than half (52 percent) of these fatalities.
• In Washington, 79 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 71 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 35, or 60 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2011. Nationally, workers in this group also accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 58 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Washington, 91 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder was self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site here: www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1.htm. The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part III of the BLS Handbook of Methods.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments.The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Washington Department of Labor & Industries.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Washington, 2011(P)

Event or exposure(1)	Number	Percent
Total	58	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	6	10
Intentional injury by person	4	7
Intentional injury by other person	3	5
Transportation incidents	29	50
Aircraft incidents	6	10
Other in-flight crash	5	9
Pedestrian vehicular incident	4	7
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	12	21
Roadway collision with other vehicle	7	12
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	3	5
Roadway noncollision incident	3	5
Falls, slips, trips	9	16
Falls to lower level	8	14
Other fall to lower level	6	10
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	5	9
Exposure to electricity	4	7
Indirect exposure to electricity	3	5
Contact with objects and equipment	9	16
Struck by object or equipment	7	12
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	5	9
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Washington, 2010-2011

Industry(1)	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	58	100
Private industry	93	48	83
Natural resources and mining	22	5	9
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	21	4	7
Construction	9	6	10
Construction	9	6	10
Heavy and civil engineering construction	--	3	5
Manufacturing	14	5	9
Manufacturing	14	5	9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	18	20	34
Wholesale trade	--	5	9
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	--	3	5
Transportation and warehousing	11	14	24
Truck transportation	6	9	16
General freight trucking	6	6	10
General freight trucking, long-distance	5	5	9
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	3	5	9
Specialized freight trucking	--	3	5
Professional and business services	12	7	12
Administrative and waste services	10	6	10
Administrative and support services	8	4	7
Services to buildings and dwellings	4	3	5
Landscaping services	3	3	5
Leisure and hospitality	6	3	5
Government(3)	11	10	17
Federal government(4)	--	4	7
State government(4)	--	4	7
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. Includes all fatal occupational injuries meeting this ownership criterion across all specified years, regardless of industry classification system. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Washington, 2010-2011

Occupation(1)	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	58	100
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	4	5	9
Grounds maintenance workers	--	4	7
Grounds maintenance workers	--	4	7
Office and administrative support occupations	--	3	5
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers	--	3	5
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	19	4	7
Construction and extraction occupations	8	9	16
Construction trades workers	7	8	14
Construction laborers	--	5	9
Construction laborers	--	5	9
Transportation and material moving occupations	18	22	38
Motor vehicle operators	9	14	24
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	9	11	19
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	8	10	17
Material moving workers	6	4	7
Military specific occupations(2)	--	4	7
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data for 2010 are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2000. Occupation data for 2011 are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (2) Military specific occupations include fatalities to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Washington, 2010-2011

Worker characteristics	2010	2011(P)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	58	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers(1)	86	53	91
Self-employed(2)	18	5	9
Gender
Men	95	52	90
Women	9	6	10
Age(3)
20 to 24 years	6	4	7
25 to 34 years	22	12	21
35 to 44 years	21	10	17
45 to 54 years	22	13	22
55 to 64 years	18	14	24
65 years and over	15	4	7
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White, non-Hispanic	84	46	79
Hispanic or Latino	14	5	9
Footnotes: (1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (2) Includes 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. (3) Information may not be available for all age groups. (4) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers. (P) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2011 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2013.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

 

Last Modified Date: January 2, 2013