Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations News Release

Bob Holden
Governor

Catherine B. Leapheart
Director

Tammy Cavender
Public Information Coordinator

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:  Tammy Cavender (573) 751-7500
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  September 26, 2003

NUMBER OF FATAL WORKPLACE INJURIES DECLINES NATIONALLY

Jefferson City, MO – The total number of fatal work injuries declined nationally in 2002 from 2001. But Missouri totals increased 20.7% from 145 fatal work injuries in 2001 to 175 in 2002, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Research and Analysis Section.

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing was the industry division in Missouri in 2002 that had the most occupational fatalities with 41 or 23.4% of the total fatal work injuries.  There was a 57.7% increase in the number of work fatalities from 2001 to 2002 in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry division. Agriculture production-crops (SIC 01) accounted for 25 of the 41 fatalities. The construction industry division had the most occupational fatalities in 2001 in Missouri.

Transportation incidents were the leading event or exposure of fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2001 and again in 2002.  Transportation incidents were the event or exposure in 47.4% of the fatal work injuries in 2002. This was an increase of 18.5% from the 2001 percentage of occupational fatalities of 40.0%.

Operators, fabricators, and laborers was the occupational group with the highest number of fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2002 with 61 fatalities. This was an increase of 32.6% from 46 fatal work injuries in 2001 in this occupational group. Motor vehicle operators accounted for 37 of the fatalities in this occupational group in 2002.

Men were the victims in 157 of the 175 fatal work injuries that occurred in Missouri in 2002.  Men were the victims in 138 of the fatal work injuries in 2001.  This was a 13.8% increase in number. White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 154 of the fatalities in 2002 and 125 of the fatalities in 2001.  This was a 23.2% increase in number. Workers between the ages of 45-54 accounted for 44 of the fatal work injuries in 2002.  One hundred and twenty fatalities occurred to wage and salary workers in 2002. Wage and salary workers accounted for 101 of the fatalities in 2001.  This was a 18.8% increase in number.

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 the death 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 profile fatal work injuries in an effort to compile counts that are as complete as possible.  Source documents such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, 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.