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News Release Information

21-206-CHI
Thursday, March 18, 2021

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

Fatal Work Injuries in Minnesota — 2019

Fatal work injuries totaled 80 in 2019 for Minnesota, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Minnesota's number of work-related fatalities was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 113 in 1993 to a low of 60 in 2011.


Nationwide, a total of 5,333 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2019, a 2-percent increase from the 5,250 in 2018, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. The 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in 2019 represents the largest annual number since 2007.

Fatal event or exposure

In Minnesota, transportation incidents resulted in 36 fatal work injuries and falls, slips, and trips, accounted for 15 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 64 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were up from 26 over the year, and worker fatalities due to falls, slips, and trips were up from 12.

Contact with objects and equipment was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 14 fatalities, compared to 13 in the prior year. Exposure to harmful substances or environments resulted in eight work-related deaths compared to nine in 2018.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2019, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, and trips was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by violence and other injuries by persons or animals (16 percent).


Industry

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the highest number of fatalities in Minnesota with 23. (See table 2.) Contact with objects and equipment resulted in 8 of the 23 fatalities in the industry. The crop production sector accounted for 14 of the 23 workplace fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry.

The private transportation and warehousing industry had 13 workplace fatalities. The truck transportation sector accounted for 11, or 85 percent, of this industry's fatal injuries.

Occupation

The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 25. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 14 of the 25 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The management occupational group had the second-highest number of workplace fatalities, with 17. The construction and extraction occupational group had nine fatalities, and farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had eight. Construction trades workers accounted for 7 of the 9 construction and extraction occupational fatalities. Agricultural workers accounted for 6 of the 8 work-related deaths within the farming, fishing, and forestry group.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 93 percent of the work-related fatalities in Minnesota, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 46 percent of the fatalities for men in Minnesota.

  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 90 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 62 percent of work-related deaths.

  • Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 46 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2019, compared to 55 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

  • Of the 80 fatal work injuries in Minnesota, 60 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers and self-employed workers was transportation incidents.

Changes in Industry and Occupation Classification Structure

Information in this release incorporates revisions to both the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the Standard Occupational Classification codes (SOC). Comparison of data for 2019 to prior years should be done with caution due to these changes, and thus analysis in this release is limited to 2019 for industries and occupations. More information on NAICS can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm. More information on SOC can be found at www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Data in this news release are for reference year 2019. No changes in collection procedures or outputs were necessary due to COVID-19. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm.  


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 2019 national data, over 25,100 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 and the CFOI definitions at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.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 thanks the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry 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, Minnesota, 2018–19
Event or exposure (1)20182019
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7580100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

1279

Intentional injury by person

1068

Intentional injury by other person

423

Shooting by other person--intentional

--23

Self-inflicted injury--intentional

645

Cutting, stabbing--intentional self-harm

--11

Animal and insect related incidents

--11

Struck by animal

--11

Trampled by or stepped on by animal

111

Transportation incidents

263645

Aircraft incidents

--68

Other in-flight crash

--45

Other in-flight crash due to mechanical failure

--34

Rail vehicle incidents

--23

Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle

--23

Animal and other non-motorized vehicle transportation incidents

--11

Animal transportation incident

--11

Thrown, tipped, or fell from animal-drawn vehicle

--11

Pedestrian vehicular incident

--34

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

--34

Water vehicle incidents

--34

Capsized or sinking water vehicle

--11

Fall or jump from water vehicle

--23

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

141215

Roadway collision with other vehicle

11911

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

368

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

7911

Nonroadway noncollision incident

679

Fires and explosions

------

Falls, slips, trips

121519

Falls to lower level

71316

Fall through surface or existing opening

--11

Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet

--11

Other fall to lower level

51215

Other fall to lower level 16 to 20 feet

--11

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

9810

Contact with objects and equipment

131418

Struck by object or equipment

91013

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

456

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

--23

Engulfment in other collapsing material

--23

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. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Minnesota, 2019
Industry (1)NumberPercent

Total

80100

Private industry (2)

7594

Goods producing

----

Natural resources and mining

2430

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

2329

Crop production

1418

Oilseed and grain farming

1114

Corn farming

810

Animal production and aquaculture

911

Cattle ranching and farming

68

Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots

23

Beef cattle ranching and farming

23

Dairy cattle and milk production

45

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (3)

11

Mining (except oil and gas)

11

Metal ore mining

11

Iron ore mining

11

Construction

1114

Construction

1114

Heavy and civil engineering construction

11

Other heavy and civil engineering construction

11

Service providing (4)

----

Trade, transportation, and utilities

----

Wholesale trade

23

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

23

Grocery and related product merchant wholesalers

11

General line grocery merchant wholesalers

11

Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers

11

Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers

11

Retail trade

11

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

11

Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores

11

Automotive parts and accessories stores

11

Transportation and warehousing

1316

Truck transportation

1114

General freight trucking

68

General freight trucking, long-distance

45

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

45

Specialized freight trucking

56

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

34

Financial activities

11

Real estate and rental and leasing

11

Real estate

11

Offices of real estate agents and brokers

11

Offices of real estate agents and brokers

11

Professional and business services

----

Educational and health services

56

Health care and social assistance

56

Leisure and hospitality

----

Other services, except public administration

----

Government (5)

56

Federal government

34

State government

11

Local government

----

Footnotes:
(1) CFOI has used several versions of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) since 2003 to define industry. For complete information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm.
(2) Cases where ownership is unknown are included in private industry counts.
(3) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction.
(4) Cases where industry is unknown are included in the service sector counts.
(5) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. Cases classified as foreign government and other government are included in all government counts, but not displayed separately.

NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Minnesota, 2019
Occupation (1)NumberPercent

Total

80100

Management occupations

1721

Other management occupations

1721

Business and financial operations occupations

----

Computer and mathematical occupations

----

Architecture and engineering occupations

----

Life, physical, and social science occupations

----

Community and social service occupations

----

Legal occupations

----

Educational instruction and library occupations

----

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

----

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

----

Healthcare support occupations

----

Protective service occupations

----

Food preparation and serving related occupations

----

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

45

Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

11

First-line supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

11

First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

11

Grounds maintenance workers

34

Grounds maintenance workers

34

Personal care and service occupations

----

Sales and related occupations

----

Office and administrative support occupations

----

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

810

Agricultural workers

68

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

68

Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

45

Construction and extraction occupations

911

Construction trades workers

79

Construction equipment operators

11

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

11

Roofers

11

Roofers

11

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

45

Supervisors of installation, maintenance, and repair workers

11

First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

11

First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers

11

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

11

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

11

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

11

Production occupations

34

Transportation and material moving occupations

2531

Motor vehicle operators

1620

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

1620

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

1418

Material moving workers

68

Laborers and material movers

34

Military specific occupations (2)

34

Footnotes:
(1) CFOI has used several versions of the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) system since 2003 to define occupation. For complete information on the version of SOC used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Cases where occupation is unknown are included in the total.
(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. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Minnesota, 2018–19
Worker characteristics20182019
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7580100

Employee status

Wage and salary workers (1)

554860

Self-employed (2)

203240

Gender

Men

677493

Women

868

Age (3)

Under 16 years

--23

18 to 19 years

323

25 to 34 years

151620

35 to 44 years

91316

45 to 54 years

12810

55 to 64 years

112126

65 years and over

221721

Race or ethnic origin (4)

White, non-Hispanic

637290

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

3----

Hispanic or Latino

------

Footnotes:
(1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. Cases where employment status is unknown are included in the counts of wage and salary workers.
(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 data for Hispanics and Latinos. Cases where ethnicity is unknown are included in counts of non-Hispanic workers.

NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, March 18, 2021