Fatal work injuries totaled 30 in 2014 for Alaska, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that while the 2014 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Alaska declined by 2 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 91 in 1992 to a low of 17 in 2009. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2014, up from a revised count of 4,585 fatalities in 2013, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2014 CFOI data will be released in the late spring of 2016.

Of the 30 fatal work injuries reported in Alaska in 2014, 16 resulted from transportation incidents and 7 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals. Together these two major categories accounted for over three-fourths of all fatal work injuries reported in the state. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, water vehicle incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 7 deaths. This category accounted for nearly one-quarter of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 4 of the 7 deaths occurred as a result of suicides. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2014 data are released in the late spring of 2016 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. In Alaska, transportation incidents accounted for 53 percent of the state’s share of fatalities. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second most frequent event nationally, followed by violence and other injuries by persons or animals. In Alaska, violence and other injuries by persons or animals had the second most workplace fatalities, followed by contact with objects and equipment.

Additional highlights:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 8, compared to 12 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for eight fatal work injuries in this industry (See table 2.)
  
• Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with eight, followed by transportation and material moving occupations with six. (See table 3.)
  
• Men accounted for 28, or 93 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 54 percent of these fatalities.
  
• In Alaska, 73 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 68 percent of work-related deaths.
  
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 19, or 63 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
  
• Of the 30 fatal work injuries in Alaska, 93 percent worked for wages and salaries. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents.

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 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. 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.
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, Alaska, 2013–14

Event or exposure (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	32	30	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	6	7	23
Intentional injury by person	6	7	23
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	5	4	13
Transportation incidents	19	16	53
Aircraft incidents	7	4	13
Water vehicle incidents	10	7	23
Capsized or sinking water vehicle	--	2	7
Fall or jump from water vehicle	5	3	10
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	--	4	13
Roadway noncollision incident	--	3	10
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	--	3	10
Exposure to oxygen deficiency, n.e.c.	--	1	3
Drowning, submersion, n.e.c.	--	1	3
Contact with objects and equipment	--	3	10
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.
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 guidelines.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Alaska, 2013–14

Industry (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	32	30	100
Private industry	22	22	73
Natural resources and mining	12	10	33
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	12	8	27
Fishing, hunting and trapping	10	6	20
Mining (3)	--	2	7
Mining (except oil and gas)	--	1	3
Support activities for mining	--	1	3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	6	5	17
Transportation and warehousing	6	4	13
Support activities for transportation	--	1	3
Professional and business services	--	1	3
Professional and technical services	--	1	3
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	1	3
Educational and health services	--	1	3
Health care and social assistance	--	1	3
Nursing and residential care facilities	--	1	3
Leisure and hospitality	--	3	10
Government (4)	10	8	27
Federal government	7	5	17
Footnotes: (1) Industry data for 2013 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Industry data for 2014 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016. (3) 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. (4) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
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 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Alaska, 2013-14

Occupation (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	32	30	100
Management occupations	--	1	3
Other management occupations	--	1	3
Lodging managers	--	1	3
Lodging managers	--	1	3
Other personal care and service workers	--	1	3
Miscellaneous personal care and service workers	--	1	3
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	11	8	27
Fishing and hunting workers	10	6	20
Fishers and related fishing workers	10	6	20
Fishers and related fishing workers	10	6	20
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	3	10
Transportation and material moving occupations	8	6	20
Air transportation workers	6	3	10
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	6	3	10
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers	1	2	7
Commercial pilots	5	1	3
Miscellaneous motor vehicle operators	--	1	3
Military specific occupations (3)	7	5	17
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016. (3) 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 worker characteristics, Alaska, 2013–14

Worker characteristics	2013 (1)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	32	30	100
Employee status
Wage and salary (2)	28	28	93
Gender
Men	32	28	93
Age (4)
16 to 17 years	--	1	3
20 to 24 years	6	4	13
25 to 34 years	7	6	20
35 to 44 years	7	6	20
45 to 54 years	7	7	23
55 to 64 years	--	4	13
Race or ethnic origin (5)
White, non-Hispanic	22	22	73
Footnotes: (1) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016. (2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (4) Information may not be available for all age groups. (5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.
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.