Fatal work injuries totaled 57 in 2018 for West Virginia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the number of work-related fatalities in West Virginia increased from 51 in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 95 in 2010 to a low of 35 in 2015. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 5,250 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2018, up from the 5,147 fatal injuries in 2017, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In West Virginia, transportation incidents resulted in 25 fatal work injuries and exposure to harmful substances or environments accounted for 11 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 63 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents rose from 19 in 2017, and worker fatalities due to exposure to harmful substances or environments increased from 8. Unintentional overdoses due to nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol while at work accounted for 7 of the 11 worker deaths among exposure to harmful substances and environments.

Falls, slips, or trips and contact with objects and equipment were tied for the third-most frequent fatal work event in the state with eight fatalities each. Fatalities due to falls, slips, or trips decreased over the year from 11, while fatalities due to contact with objects and equipment decreased from 9.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2018, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (16 percent), followed by falls, slips, and trips (15 percent) and contact with objects and equipment (15 percent).

Industry

The private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry had the largest numbers of fatalities in West Virginia with 13, followed by the private transportation and warehousing industry with 10 fatalities in 2018. (See table 2.) Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry fatalities were up from 12 in the previous year, while those in the transportation and warehousing industry decreased from 12 in 2017. Support activities for oil and gas operations accounted for 8 of the 13 fatal incidents in the mining sector, while general freight trucking accounted for the 7 of the 10 fatalities in the transportation and warehousing sector.

The most frequent event in both the private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry and the private transportation and warehousing industry was transportation incidents causing six and seven of the fatalities in these industries, respectively.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 20 and 18, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (15). In the construction and extraction group, extraction workers accounted for seven fatal injuries, followed by construction trades workers with five fatalities.

Contracted Workers

A contractor is defined as a worker employed by one firm but working at the behest of another firm that exercises overall responsibility for the operations at the site of the fatal injury. In 2018, West Virginia had 10 fatally-injured workers identified as fitting the contractor criteria; of those, 5 were in construction and extraction occupations.

Additional highlights:

• Men accounted for 98 percent of the work-related fatalities in West Virginia, higher than the 92-percent national share. (See table 4.) The most frequent fatal event for men was transportation incidents (25), followed by exposure to harmful substances or environments (10).
• White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 88 percent of those who died from a workplace injury in the state. Nationwide, this group accounted for 65 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 72 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2018, higher than the 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 57 fatally-injured workers in West Virginia, 91 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. Transportation incidents accounted for 46 percent of the fatalities to wage and salary workers.
• The most frequent day of occurrence for workplace fatalities in the state was Monday, accounting for 23 percent. This day accounted for 16 percent of workplace fatalities nationally.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, is a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI uses a variety of state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This ensures counts are as complete and accurate as possible. For the 2018 national data, over 24,800 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm.

Federal/State agency coverage. The CFOI includes data for all fatal work injuries, some of which may be outside the scope of other agencies or regulatory coverage. Comparisons between CFOI counts and those released by other agencies should account for the different coverage requirements and definitions used by each agency. For more information on the scope of CFOI, see www.bls.gov/iif/cfoiscope.htm and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/concepts.htm.

Acknowledgments. BLS appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that provided source documents used to identify fatal work injuries. Among these agencies are the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the National Transportation Safety Board; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Mine Safety and Health Administration; the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (Federal Employees’ Compensation and Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation divisions); the Federal Railroad Administration; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; state vital statistics registrars, coroners, and medical examiners; state departments of health, labor, and industrial relations and workers’ compensation agencies; state and local police departments; and state farm bureaus.

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

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, West Virginia, 2017–18

Event or exposure (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	51	57	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	--	3	5
Intentional injury by person	--	--	--
Suicides	--	--	--
Shooting--intentional self-harm	--	1	2
Animal and insect related incidents	--	1	2
Struck by animal	--	1	2
Transportation incidents	19	25	44
Pedestrian vehicular incident	3	4	7
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	--	3	5
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone	--	2	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in work zone	--	1	2
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	2	1	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area	--	1	2
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	12	16	28
Roadway collision with other vehicle	5	5	9
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	7	9	16
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	6	9	16
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	1	5	9
Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle	--	2	4
Fire or explosion	4	2	4
Explosion	3	2	4
Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids	2	2	4
Fall, slip, trip	11	8	14
Fall to lower level	6	7	12
Other fall to lower level	4	7	12
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet	--	3	5
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	8	11	19
Exposure to electricity	--	3	5
Direct exposure to electricity	--	3	5
Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts	--	3	5
Exposure to other harmful substances	8	7	12
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	5	7	12
Contact with objects and equipment	9	8	14
Struck by object or equipment	8	7	12
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	6	4	7
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, West Virginia, 2017–18

Industry (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	51	57	100
Private industry	47	50	88
Goods producing	23	31	54
Natural resources and mining	16	16	28
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	4	3	5
Animal production and aquaculture	--	1	2
Cattle ranching and farming	--	1	2
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2)	12	13	23
Mining (except oil and gas)	8	5	9
Coal mining	8	5	9
Coal mining	8	5	9
Bituminous coal and lignite surface mining	2	2	4
Bituminous coal underground mining	6	3	5
Support activities for mining	4	8	14
Support activities for mining	4	8	14
Support activities for mining	4	8	14
Support activities for oil and gas operations	4	8	14
Construction	6	9	16
Heavy and civil engineering construction	3	3	5
Specialty trade contractors	--	5	9
Manufacturing	1	6	11
Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing	--	1	2
Beverage manufacturing	--	1	2
Soft drink and ice manufacturing	--	1	2
Ice manufacturing	--	1	2
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing	--	1	2
Rubber product manufacturing	--	1	2
Other rubber product manufacturing	--	1	2
Service providing	24	19	33
Trade, transportation, and utilities	15	13	23
Transportation and warehousing	12	10	18
Truck transportation	9	9	16
General freight trucking	--	7	12
General freight trucking, local	--	2	4
General freight trucking, long-distance	--	5	9
Specialized freight trucking	7	--	--
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	3	1	2
Professional and business services	3	3	5
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	--	3	5
Waste management and remediation services	1	1	2
Waste collection	--	1	2
Waste collection	--	1	2
Solid waste collection	--	1	2
Leisure and hospitality	--	--	--
Accommodation and food services	--	--	--
Accommodation	--	1	2
Traveler accommodation	--	1	2
Hotels (except casino hotels) and motels	--	1	2
Other services, except public administration	--	1	2
Repair and maintenance	--	1	2
Automotive repair and maintenance	--	1	2
Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair	--	1	2
Automotive glass replacement shops	--	1	2
Government (3)	4	7	12
State government	2	2	4
Goods producing	2	2	4
Construction	2	2	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	2	2	4
Highway, street, and bridge construction	2	2	4
Highway, street, and bridge construction	2	2	4
Local government	--	5	9
Goods producing	--	1	2
Construction	--	1	2
Service providing	--	4	7
Professional and business services	--	1	2
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	--	1	2
Waste management and remediation services	--	1	2
Waste collection	--	1	2
Waste collection	--	1	2
Solid waste collection	--	1	2
Public administration	1	--	--
Justice, public order, and safety activities	1	--	--
Justice, public order, and safety activities	1	--	--
Fire protection	--	2	4
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Cassification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safecty and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, West Virginia, 2017–18

Occupation (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	51	57	100
Management, business, science, and arts occupations	5	--	--
Management, business, and financial occupations	--	--	--
Management occupations	--	--	--
Other management occupations	--	--	--
Agricultural managers	--	1	2
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	--	1	2
Service occupations	4	7	12
Protective service occupations	1	4	7
First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers	1	1	2
First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers	--	1	2
First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers	--	1	2
Fire fighting and prevention workers	--	1	2
Firefighters	--	1	2
Firefighters	--	1	2
Other protective service workers	--	--	--
Miscellaneous protective service workers	--	1	2
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	21	23	40
Construction and extraction occupations	14	18	32
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	5	4	7
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	5	4	7
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	5	4	7
Construction trades workers	6	5	9
Electricians	--	1	2
Electricians	--	1	2
Other construction and related workers	--	--	--
Highway maintenance workers	--	1	2
Highway maintenance workers	--	1	2
Extraction workers	2	7	12
Mining machine operators	2	--	--
Mine cutting and channeling machine operators	--	1	2
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4	3	5
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	19	24	42
Production occupations	2	4	7
Supervisors of production workers	--	1	2
First-line supervisors/managers of production and operating workers	--	1	2
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	1	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	17	20	35
Motor vehicle operators	12	15	26
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	12	15	26
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	12	15	26
Material moving workers	3	5	9
Dredge, excavating, and loading machine operators	--	1	2
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators	--	1	2
Shuttle car operators	1	1	2
Mine shuttle car operators	1	1	2
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, West Virginia, 2017–18

Worker characteristics	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	51	57	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	43	52	91
Self-employed (2)	8	5	9
Gender
Men	49	56	98
Women	--	1	2
Age (3)
20 to 24 years	1	3	5
25 to 34 years	9	12	21
35 to 44 years	12	14	25
45 to 54 years	15	15	26
55 to 64 years	8	7	12
65 years and over	4	6	11
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	46	50	88
Hispanic or Latino	--	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.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.