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News Release Information

18-263-ATL
Friday, February 23, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Fatal Occupational Injuries in Kentucky – 2016

Fatal work injuries totaled 92 in 2016 for Kentucky, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Kentucky was down from 99 in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 158 in 1994 to a low of 69 in 2010. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries in 2015, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. This was the third consecutive increase in annual workplace fatalities and the first time more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded since 2008.

Type of incident

In Kentucky, transportation incidents resulted in 47 fatal work injuries and accounted for over half of all workplace fatalities (51 percent). (See table 1.) Contact with objects and equipment accounted for 19 fatalities, down from 25 in the previous year; violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 11 fatalities, down from 15 in 2015.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2016, accounting for approximately 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by falls, slips, or trips (16 percent).

Industry

The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in Kentucky with 17, up from 11 in the previous year. General freight trucking accounted for 9 of the 17 fatal injuries in this industry. (See table 2.)

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector had 16 workplace fatalities, down from 18 in the previous year. Seven of those fatally injured in this sector worked in cattle ranching and farming.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and management occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 29 and 13, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (18). Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 9 of the 13 fatalities among management workers.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 92 percent of the work-related fatalities in Kentucky, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 52 percent of the fatalities for men in Kentucky.
  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 89 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 53 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
  • Of the 92 fatally-injured workers in Kentucky, 75 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents; for the self-employed workers, transportation incidents and contact with objects and equipment resulted in the most fatal work injuries.

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 2016 national data, over 23,300 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For the Kentucky 2016 data, 426 unique source documents were reviewed. 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/cfoi/home.htm.

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 Kentucky Department of Health 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, Kentucky, 2015–16
Event or exposure (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

9992100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

151112

Intentional injury by person

1289

Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)

567

Injury by person--unintentional or intent unknown

111

Self-inflicted injury--unintentional or intent unknown

--11

Transportation incidents

374751

Aircraft incidents

--11

Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing

--11

Rail vehicle incidents

--11

Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle

111

Pedestrian vehicular incident

41314

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway

144

Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road

133

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

--55

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

252932

Roadway collision with other vehicle

191112

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

478

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

478

Roadway noncollision incident

--1011

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway

--910

Ran off roadway

--11

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

633

Nonroadway noncollision incident

533

Fires and explosions

------

Fires

--11

Forest or brush fire

--11

Falls, slips, trips

9910

Falls to lower level

789

Fall through surface or existing opening

--11

Other fall to lower level

455

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

1144

Exposure to electricity

322

Indirect exposure to electricity

--22

Contact with objects and equipment

251921

Struck by object or equipment

201617

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

744

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

121011

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

311

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

--22

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, Kentucky, 2015–16
Industry (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

9992100

Private industry

878390

Natural resources and mining

211820

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

181617

Crop production

533

Animal production and aquaculture

378

Cattle ranching and farming

--78

Forestry and logging

755

Logging

755

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2)

322

Mining (except oil and gas)

122

Coal mining

122

Construction

12910

Construction of buildings

--11

Residential building construction

--11

Heavy and civil engineering construction

222

Utility system construction

211

Highway, street, and bridge construction

111

Specialty trade contractors

1067

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

433

Other specialty trade contractors

--33

Manufacturing

1067

Wood product manufacturing

111

Other wood product manufacturing

111

Plastics and rubber products manufacturing

--22

Plastics product manufacturing

--22

Primary metal manufacturing

111

Foundries

--11

Trade, transportation, and utilities

232628

Wholesale trade

555

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

233

Retail trade

744

Food and beverage stores

211

Nonstore retailers

--11

Transportation and warehousing

111718

Water transportation

--11

Truck transportation

101112

General freight trucking

7910

Support activities for transportation

--22

Support activities for road transportation

--22

Information

--33

Broadcasting (except internet)

--11

Cable and other subscription programming

--11

Telecommunications

--11

Wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite)

--11

Financial activities

111

Real estate and rental and leasing

111

Real estate

--11

Professional and business services

1078

Professional and technical services

311

Professional, scientific, and technical services

311

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services

--11

Management of companies and enterprises

--11

Management of companies and enterprises

--11

Administrative and waste services

755

Administrative and support services

644

Services to buildings and dwellings

544

Waste management and remediation services

111

Waste treatment and disposal

111

Educational and health services

344

Educational services

--11

Technical and trade schools

--11

Health care and social assistance

333

Nursing and residential care facilities

--11

Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)

--11

Leisure and hospitality

3----

Accommodation and food services

3----

Food services and drinking places

311

Restaurants and other eating places

311

Other services, except public administration

378

Repair and maintenance

344

Automotive repair and maintenance

344

Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations

------

Business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations

--11

Government (3)

12910

Federal government

433

State government

433

Local government

433

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, Kentucky, 2015–16
Occupation (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

9992100

Management occupations

91314

Operations specialties managers

------

Financial managers

--11

Other management occupations

91112

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

9910

Medical and health services managers

--11

Property, real estate, and community association managers

--11

Business and financial operations occupations

------

Computer and mathematical occupations

------

Architecture and engineering occupations

111

Engineers

111

Electrical and electronics engineers

--11

Life, physical, and social science occupations

------

Community and social service occupations

------

Legal occupations

------

Education, training, and library occupations

------

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

------

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

------

Healthcare support occupations

--33

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides

--33

Nursing assistants

--11

Protective service occupations

711

Fire fighting and prevention workers

--11

Firefighters

--11

Food preparation and serving related occupations

111

Cooks and food preparation workers

--11

Cooks

--11

Cooks, fast food

--11

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

567

Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

--11

Grounds maintenance workers

433

Personal care and service occupations

2----

Sales and related occupations

733

Supervisors of sales workers

3----

First-line supervisors of sales workers

3----

Retail sales workers

--11

Cashiers

--11

Office and administrative support occupations

211

Supervisors of office and administrative support workers

111

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

889

Agricultural workers

--33

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

--33

Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

--33

Forest, conservation, and logging workers

755

Logging workers

755

Fallers

655

Construction and extraction occupations

151112

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

111

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

111

Construction trades workers

1278

Construction laborers

433

Reinforcing iron and rebar workers

--11

Roofers

211

Extraction workers

--22

Mining machine operators

--22

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

51011

Electrical and electronic equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

--22

Radio and telecommunications equipment installers and repairers

--22

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

------

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

--11

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

344

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers

--11

Production occupations

833

Metal workers and plastic workers

322

Woodworkers

--11

Transportation and material moving occupations

242932

Air transportation workers

--11

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

--11

Commercial pilots

--11

Motor vehicle operators

212325

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

182123

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

151820

Water transportation workers

--11

Ship engineers

--11

Material moving workers

344

Laborers and material movers, hand

333

Military specific occupations (2)

------

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: 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, Kentucky, 2015–16
Worker characteristics20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

9992100

Employee status

 

Wage and salary workers (1)

726975

Self-employed (2)

272325

Gender

 

Men

918592

Women

878

Age (3)

 

18 to 19 years

--11

20 to 24 years

1078

25 to 34 years

191415

35 to 44 years

221718

45 to 54 years

151820

55 to 64 years

132426

65 years and over

171112

Race or ethnic origin (4)

 

White, non-Hispanic

868289

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

633

Hispanic or Latino

578

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: Friday, February 23, 2018