Key findings of the 2006 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:
- The overall fatal work injury rate for the U.S. in 2006 was lower than the rate for any year since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.
- Coal mining industry fatalities more than doubled in 2006, due to the Sago Mine disaster and other multiple-fatality coal mining incidents.
- The number of workplace homicides in 2006 was a series low and reflected a decline of over 50 percent from the high reported in 1994.
- Fatalities among workers under 25 years of age fell 9 percent, and the rate of fatal injury among these workers was down significantly.
- The 937 fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2006 was a series high, but the overall fatality rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was lower than in 2005.
- Fatalities among self-employed workers declined 11 percent and reached a series low in 2006.
- Aircraft-related fatalities were up 44 percent, led by a number of multiple-fatality events including the August 2006 Comair crash.
Profile of 2006 fatal work injuries by type of incident
While fatal highway incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal work-related event, accounting for nearly one out of four fatal work injuries, the number of highway incidents fell 8 percent in 2006. The 1,329 fatal highway incidents in 2006 was the lowest annual total since 1993. Nonhighway incidents (such as those that might occur on a farm or industrial premises) remained at about the same level in 2006. Work-related pedestrian fatalities were lower.
Aircraft related fatalities increased sharply in 2006 after declining in 2005. The 215 fatalities involving aircraft in 2006 represented a 44 percent increase over the 149 in 2005. Overall, there were 44 multiple-fatality aircraft incidents claiming 137 workers in 2006, including one (the August 2006 Comair crash) that resulted in 23 fatalities. The annual number of aircraft fatalities tends to be volatile and has ranged from a high of 426 fatalities in 1994 to a low of 149 in 2005.
Fatal work injuries involving falls increased 5 percent in 2006 after a sharp decrease in 2005. The 809 fatal falls in 2006 was the third highest total since 1992, when the fatality census began. Fatal falls from roofs increased from 160 fatalities in 2005 to 184 in 2006, a rise of 15 percent.
Workplace homicides decreased 9 percent to 516 in 2006, the lowest annual total ever reported by the fatality census. Overall, workplace homicides have decreased more than 50 percent from the series high in 1994.
The number of workers who were fatally injured from being struck by objects was lower in 2006, after increasing for the last three years. The 583 fatalities resulting from being struck by objects in 2006 represented a 4 percent decline from the 2005 total.
Fatalities involving fires and explosions increased by 26 percent in 2006, rising from 159 in 2005 to 201 in 2006. Fatalities resulting from exposure to harmful substances or environments were also higher in 2006, led by a 12 percent increase in exposure to caustic, noxious, or allergenic substances (from 136 in 2005 to 153 in 2006).
Profile of fatal work injuries by demographic characteristics
Fatal work injuries involving female workers increased 5 percent in 2006 after declining the past two years. Despite the increase, the 428 fatal work injuries involving female workers was the third lowest annual total for female workers in the 15 years of the fatality census. The number and rate of fatal injury among male workers were both lower in 2006.
The 937 fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers in 2006 was up from the 923 fatal work injuries in 2005 and represented the largest annual total since the fatality census began in 1992. Due to increased employment, however, the fatality rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was lower (4.7 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2006 versus 4.9 per 100,000 in 2005). Among foreign-born Hispanic or Latino workers, fatalities decreased slightly after reaching a series high in 2005. Fatalities among White workers, Black or African-American workers, and Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander workers were all lower.
The number of fatal work injuries among workers younger than 25 years of age decreased 9 percent (516 in 2006 versus 568 in 2005). Fatality rates were also lower, especially for workers 16 to 17 years of age, whose fatality rates declined 40 percent. Fatal work injuries among workers 55 years of age or older were slightly higher in 2006, but the fatality rate for this group of workers was lower, reflecting the growing number of older workers in the workforce.
Fatalities among self-employed workers were down for the second straight year and represented the lowest annual total in the history of the fatality census. The rate of fatal injury among self-employed workers fell to 9.4 fatalities per 100,000 workers, down from 10.7 per 100,000 in 2005. Fatalities among wage and salary workers rose 2 percent in 2006, but the rate of fatal injury for wage and salary workers was unchanged from 2005.
Profiles of fatal injuries by industry
Of the 5,703 fatal work injuries in 2006, 5,202 occurred in private industry. Service-providing industries in the private sector accounted for 47 percent (2,693 fatalities), while private goods-producing industries accounted for 44 percent (2,509 fatalities). Government workers accounted for 9 percent (501) of fatalities in 2006. The fatality rate for goods-producing industries was unchanged in 2006, while the fatality rate for service-providing industries and for government were both lower in 2006.
Construction accounted for 1,226 fatal work injuries, the most of any industry sector. The total for construction represented an increase
of 3 percent over the 2005 total. Fatalities among specialty trade contractors rose 6 percent (from 677 fatalities in 2005 to 721 in 2006),
due primarily to higher numbers of fatal work injuries among building finishing contractors and roofing contractors. Fatalities in building
construction and in heavy and civil engineering construction decreased in 2006.
Transportation and warehousing fatalities decreased from 885 in 2005 to 832 in 2006, a 6 percent decline. The decrease was due in large part to a sharp decline in fatal injuries in general freight trucking. Rail and water transportation fatalities were also lower, but air
transportation fatalities rose sharply.
Mining fatalities increased 19 percent in 2006. Fatal work injuries in coal mining more than doubled in 2006 due in part to the
Sago mine disaster and other mining incidents. A total of 47 coal mining fatalities were recorded in 2006, up from 22 in 2005,due in part to 4 multiple-fatality incidents in coal mining in 2006, claiming a total of 21 workers. The fatality rate for coal mining jumped 84 percent in 2006 to 49.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers, up from 26.8 in 2005. Oil and gas extraction fatalities were also higher in 2006.
Fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector decreased 10 percent in 2006, and the rate of fatal injury dropped from 32.5 per 100,000 in 2005 to 29.6 per 100,000 in 2006.
Crop production, which reported the highest number of fatalities in agriculture, had 14 percent fewer fatal work injuries in 2006 than in 2005. The rate of fatal injury in crop production fell from 38.2 in 2005 to 33.0 in 2006.
Manufacturing fatalities were up 14 percent in 2006. The fatality rate in manufacturing rose from 2.4 fatalities per 100,000 manufacturing workers in 2005 to 2.7 per 100,000 in 2006, an increase of 13 percent.
Fatalities in wholesale trade also increased, while fatalities in retail trade decreased 12 percent. The decline in retail trade fatalities
was led by a drop of close to 25 percent in both the rate and number of fatalities in the food and beverage stores industry. Homicides in retail
trade decreased 25 percent in 2006 (from 184 in 2005 to 138 in 2006).
The number of fatal injuries in professional and business services decreased 7 percent in 2006, and the rate of fatal injury was also lower.
However, the number and rate of fatal injury in both educational and health services and in leisure and hospitality services were higher.
Overall, fatal work injuries decreased 4 percent among government workers. The rate of fatal injury was lower for local government workers in 2006, but higher for federal government workers. The rate for State government remained about the same as in 2005.
Profile of fatal work injuries by occupation
Two occupational groups (construction and extraction occupations and transportation and material moving occupations) together accounted for nearly half of all fatal work injuries in 2006 (48 percent).
Construction and extraction worker fatalities rose 6 percent in 2006 (from 1,184 in 2005 to 1,258 in 2006), though the rate of 13.2 per 100,000 in 2006 was not significantly higher than the rate in 2005. Construction laborers accounted for the highest number of fatal work injuries among construction and extraction occupations, accounting for 360 fatal work injuries, up 5 percent from 2005. Fatalities among electricians, roofers, painters, and drywall and ceiling tile installers also rose. Fatalities decreased among carpenters, construction trade helpers, and among plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters.
Transportation and material moving worker fatalities decreased 6 percent in 2006, primarily as a result of a 7 percent decline in motor vehicle operator fatalities (from 1,100 in 2005 to 1,021 in 2006). The overall fatality rate for transportation and mater ial moving occupations decreased 8 percent in 2006 to 16.5 per 100,000 workers. Fatalities among air transportation workers rose by 22 percent in 2006, but fatalities decreased among rail transportation, water transportation, and material moving workers.
Farming, fishing, and forestry worker fatalities decreased 11 percent in 2006, from 325 in 2005 to 289 in 2006, though the fatality rate was not significantly lower. Fatalities were lower among agricultural workers and among forest conservation and logging workers, but slightly higher among fishing and related fishing workers, such as captains and mates.
Fatalities in protective service occupations increased 6 percent in 2006, led by a rise in fire fighter fatalities (from 28 fatalities in 2005 to 42 in 2006). There were fewer work-related fatalities among law enforcement workers in 2006 as compared to 2005. Military fatalities (domestic only) were slightly higher in 2006.
Profile of fatal work injuries by state
Twenty-seven States reported higher numbers of fatalities in 2006, and 23 States and the District of Columbia had lower totals. Texas recorded the highest number of fatalities of any State (486), followed by California (448), and Florida (355). Twelve States reported increases of 20 percent or more (Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia). Seven states (Alabama, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) and the District of Columbia recorded declines of 20 percent or more.
