BLS Report: Total of 5,190 fatal work injuries in 2016, highest since 2008

Total of 5,190 fatal work injuries in 2016, highest since 2008

Economic News Release USDL-17-1667

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2016

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Technical information: (202) 691-6170 • iifstaff@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2016

There were a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries reported in 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1.) This is the third consecutive increase in annual workplace fatalities and the first time more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded by the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) since 2008. The fatal injury rate increased to 3.6 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers from 3.4 in 2015, the highest rate since 2010. (See table 1.)

(Chart 1 appears here in the printed release.)

Type of incident

Work injuries involving transportation incidents remained the most common fatal event in 2016, accounting for 40 percent (2,083). Violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased 23 percent to become the second-most common fatal event in 2016. Two other events with large changes were exposure to harmful substances or environments, which rose 22 percent, and fires and explosions, which declined 27 percent. (See chart 2 and table 2.)

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Interactive charts now available

This is the first year that CFOI has produced interactive charts to accompany the news release. These charts are available at www.bls.gov/charts/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries/.
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(Chart 2 appears here in the printed release.)

- Fatal work injuries involving violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased by 163 cases to 866 in 2016. Workplace homicides increased by 83 cases to 500 in 2016, and workplace suicides increased by 62 to 291. This is the highest homicide figure since 2010 and the most suicides since CFOI began reporting data in 1992.
- Fatal work injuries from falls, slips, or trips continued a general upward trend that began in 2011, increasing 6 percent to 849 in 2016 and 25 percent overall since 2011. Falls increased more than 25 percent in 2016 for roofers, carpenters, tree trimmers and pruners, and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
- Overdoses from the non-medical use of drugs or alcohol while on the job increased from 165 in 2015 to 217 in 2016, a 32-percent increase. Overdose fatalities have increased by at least 25 percent annually since 2012.

Occupation

In 2016, fatal injuries among transportation and material moving occupations increased by 7 percent to 1,388, the highest count since 2007 and accounting for more than one-quarter of all work-related fatalities. Occupations with increases greater than 10 percent in the number of fatal work injuries in 2016 include food preparation and serving related occupations (64 percent); installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (20 percent); building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (14 percent); and sales and related occupations (11 percent). Declines greater than 10 percent in the number of fatal work injuries in 2016 include healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (19 percent), military occupations (15 percent), and production occupations (14 percent). (See table 3.)

(Chart 3 apears here in the printed release.)

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Workplace deaths in U.S. up again last year https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf …

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