 |
|
||||||
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Tammy Cavender (573)
751-7500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 31, 2007
Missouri’s Fatal Workplace Injuries Decrease Slightly in 2006
Jefferson City, MO - A total of 5,703 fatal work injuries were recorded in the U.S. in 2006, down slightly from the revised total of 5,734 fatalities in 2005. Fatal work injuries were down 10.3 percent in Missouri in 2006 with a total of 166 from the revised 185 fatal work injuries reported for 2005, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Research and Analysis Section in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries classifies industries using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and classifies occupations using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC).
The construction sector (NAICS 23) had the most occupational fatalities in 2006 with 39 or 23.5 percent of the total fatal work injuries, replacing the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (NAICS 11) sector which had the most occupational fatalities in 2005. Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 238) accounted for 25 of the 39 fatalities in the construction sector in Missouri in 2006.
Transportation incidents, which include highways, roads, air and water were the leading event or exposure of fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2005 and again in 2006. Transportation incidents were the event or exposure in 76 or 45.8 percent of the 166 fatalities in 2006. The transportation and warehousing sector (NAICS 48-49) accounted for 15 or 19.7 percent of the 76 transportation incidents in 2006 in Missouri, followed closely by the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector (NAICS 11) with 14 or 18.4 percent.
Construction and extraction occupations (SOC 47) was the occupational group with the highest number of fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2006 with 35 or 21.1 percent of the 166 fatalities. The occupational group with the second highest number of fatalities was transportation and material moving occupations (SOC 53) with 34 or 20.5 percent of the 166 fatalities in 2006.
Men were the victims in 154 of the 166 fatal work injuries that occurred in Missouri in 2006. Men were the victims in 172 of the 185 fatal work injuries in 2005. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 147 of the fatalities in 2006 and 173 of the fatalities in 2005. Workers between the ages of 45 to 54 years accounted for 49 of the fatal work injuries in 2005. In 2006, workers between the ages of 45 to 54 years also accounted for the most fatal work injuries with 34, followed closely by workers 65 years of age and over with 33 fatal injuries. One hundred eight fatalities occurred to wage and salary workers in 2006 and 120 in 2005.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in conjunction with state agencies developed the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries program in 1992 to produce accurate, comprehensive, descriptive, timely, and accessible counts of fatal workplace injuries that occur during a given year. A fatality is counted in the state where the incident occurred regardless of the state of employment to alleviate duplication of reporting in the states.
The fatality census uses diverse sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries in an effort to compile counts that are as complete as possible. Source documents such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, news accounts, and Federal and State agency administrative records are cross-referenced to gather key information about each workplace fatality such as the particular occupation in which the fatality occurred, worker demographic, equipment or machinery involved, and circumstances of the event. Two or more independent source documents are used to verify the work relationship of each fatal work injury.
For more information visit www.dolir.mo.gov/lmi.
###
Information and Planning · 421 East Dunklin
· P.O. Box 504 · Jefferson City, MO
65102-0504
573-751-7500 · 573-751-6552 (Fax)
Relay Missouri: 1-800-735-2966 (TDD) 1-800-735-2466 (Voice)