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News Release Information

17-133-CHI
Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Fatal Work Injuries in Ohio — 2015

Fatal work injuries totaled 202 in 2015 for Ohio, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Ohio was up from 185 the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 222 in 1999 to a low of 137 in 2009. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries in 2014, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In Ohio, transportation incidents resulted in 92 fatal work injuries and falls, slips, or trips and contact with objects or equipment each accounted for 29 fatalities. These three major categories accounted for 74 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents increased from 63 over the year. Worker fatalities due to falls, slips, or trips declined by 5, while contact with objects or equipment declined by 6 from 2014.

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the third-most frequent with 27 work-related deaths, down from 31 in the prior year. Exposure to harmful substances or environments resulted in 23 work-related deaths, up from 17 in 2014.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2015, accounting for approximately 42 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second-most frequent type of event (17 percent), followed by contact with objects and equipment (15 percent) and violence and other injuries by persons or animals (15 percent).

Industry

The private construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in Ohio with 37, little changed from previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal event in the construction sector with 14 worker deaths, followed by falls, slips, and trips with 11 fatalities. Fifty-seven percent those fatally injured in this sector worked in specialty trade contracting.

The private transportation and warehousing sector had 36 workplace fatalities, up from 23 in the previous year. General freight trucking-long distance accounted for 12, or 33 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 63 and 33, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving occupations were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (35). Construction trades workers accounted for most of the 33 fatalities among construction and extraction workers with 26 fatalities.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 89 percent of the work-related fatalities in Ohio, slightly lower than the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 44 percent of the fatalities for men in Ohio.
  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 84 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths.
  • Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 60 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
  • Of the 202 fatal work injuries in Ohio, 75 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both groups of workers was transportation incidents.
Change in the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) News Release Schedule

Beginning with the 2015 reference year, CFOI will publish a single, annual release with no revisions. A similar schedule will be followed in subsequent years. Preliminary releases, which normally appeared in August or September in past years, will no longer be produced.


Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI program uses diverse 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 2015 data, over 21,400 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for CFOI, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch9.pdf.

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. BLS thanks the Ohio BWC Division of Safety and Hygiene for their efforts in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work injuries. BLS also 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 will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Ohio, 2014–15
Event or exposure (1)20142015
NumberNumberPercent

Total

185202100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

312713

Intentional injury by person

282512

Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)

18178

Shooting by other person--intentional

17147

Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)

1084

Shooting--intentional self-harm

442

Transportation incidents

639246

Aircraft incidents

1105

Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing

--94

Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--into structure, object, or ground

--94

Pedestrian vehicular incident

11147

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway

342

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in roadway

--42

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

352

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

345527

Roadway collision with other vehicle

193316

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

684

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

494

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

542

Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway

--84

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

10189

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

10189

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

15105

Nonroadway noncollision incident

1273

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway

842

Fires and explosions

521

Falls, slips, trips

342914

Falls on same level

952

Falls to lower level

232110

Other fall to lower level

18178

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

172311

Exposure to electricity

273

Direct exposure to electricity

273

Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts

252

Exposure to other harmful substances

14157

Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose

10115

Inhalation of harmful substance

242

Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode

242

Contact with objects and equipment

352914

Struck by object or equipment

202311

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

8115

Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle

363

Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle

10115

Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part

--42

Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material

542

Overexertion and bodily reaction

------

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, Ohio, 2014–15
Industry (1)20142015
NumberNumberPercent

Total

185202100

Private industry

17119195

Natural resources and mining

332211

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

29189

Crop production

26136

Mining (2)

442

Construction

383718

Construction

383718

Construction of buildings

852

Residential building construction

842

Residential building construction

842

Heavy and civil engineering construction

7115

Land subdivision

--73

Land subdivision

--73

Specialty trade contractors

232110

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

494

Roofing contractors

363

Building equipment contractors

473

Electrical contractors

342

Manufacturing

21199

Manufacturing

21199

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

484

Architectural and structural metals manufacturing

142

Machine shops; turned product; and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing

--42

Machine shops

--42

Trade, transportation, and utilities

425527

Wholesale trade

873

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

142

Retail trade

11115

Transportation and warehousing

233618

Truck transportation

142512

General freight trucking

10157

General freight trucking, long-distance

7126

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

152

Specialized freight trucking

384

Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance

--42

Information

--10

Financial activities

363

Real estate and rental and leasing

--63

Real estate

--42

Professional and business services

9168

Administrative and waste services

7147

Administrative and support services

7115

Services to buildings and dwellings

573

Landscaping services

563

Educational and health services

794

Health care and social assistance

594

Leisure and hospitality

11136

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

442

Accommodation and food services

794

Food services and drinking places

684

Restaurants and other eating places

463

Restaurants and other eating places

463

Limited-service restaurants

--52

Other services, except public administration

7136

Other services, except public administration

7136

Repair and maintenance

473

Automotive repair and maintenance

263

Government (3)

14115

Federal government

131

State government

210

Local government

1173

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 Classification System, 2012, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety 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, Ohio, 2014–15
Occupation (1)20142015
NumberNumberPercent

Total

185202100

Management occupations

262211

Other management occupations

252211

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

21136

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

21136

Property, real estate, and community association managers

--63

Property, real estate, and community association managers

--63

Business and financial operations occupations

------

Computer and mathematical occupations

1----

Architecture and engineering occupations

------

Life, physical, and social science occupations

------

Community and social services occupations

142

Legal occupations

1----

Education, training, and library occupations

2----

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

121

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

484

Health diagnosing and treating practitioners

142

Healthcare support occupations

110

Protective service occupations

484

Food preparation and serving related occupations

221

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

9105

Grounds maintenance workers

642

Grounds maintenance workers

642

Personal care and service occupations

131

Sales and related occupations

8136

Supervisors of sales workers

773

First-line supervisors of sales workers

773

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

463

Office and administrative support occupations

421

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

852

Agricultural workers

642

Construction and extraction occupations

323316

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

452

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

452

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

452

Construction trades workers

262613

Carpenters

--52

Carpenters

--52

Construction laborers

1252

Construction laborers

1252

Electricians

342

Electricians

342

Roofers

--52

Roofers

--52

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

19126

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

352

Automotive technicians and repairers

--42

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

1042

Production occupations

11136

Metal workers and plastic workers

763

Welding, soldering, and brazing workers

342

Transportation and material moving occupations

466331

Motor vehicle operators

365125

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

294723

Driver/sales workers

2105

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

233517

Material moving workers

7105

Laborers and material movers, hand

--73

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

163

Military specific occupations (2)

--10

Footnotes:
(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
(2) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.
 

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 worker characteristics, Ohio, 2014–15
Worker characteristics20142015
NumberNumberPercent

Total

185202100

Employee status

 

Wage and salary workers (1)

13115275

Self-employed (2)

545025

Gender

 

Men

16918089

Women

162211

Age (3)

 

20 to 24 years

4136

25 to 34 years

332713

35 to 44 years

313718

45 to 54 years

465728

55 to 64 years

353919

65 years and over

352713

Race or ethnic origin (4)

 

White, non-Hispanic

16317084

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

16168

Hispanic or Latino

3115

Asian, non-Hispanic

342

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.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2017