2006 National
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
[Posted 8/15/07]
According to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) 2006 preliminary report of
Fatal Occupational Injuries, “There were 5,703 fatal
work injuries in the United States in 2006, down
slightly from the revised total of 5,734 fatalities
in 2005. The rate of fatal work injuries in 2006 was
3.9 per 100,000 workers, down from a rate of 4.0 per
100,000 in 2005.”
-
Overall the U.S. fatality
rate was at an all time low since the first
fatality census in 1992.
-
Highway incidents were once
again the most frequent type of fatal
work-related incidents; however, the number of
incidents fell 8 percent in 2006.
-
2006 saw fatalities more
than double in the coal mining industry.
-
Workplace homicides
declined over 50 percent in 2006 compared to
1994, which had the highest rate.
-
Fatal injuries among young
workers ages 25 and younger were down 9 percent
with rates for workers between the ages of 16 to
17 falling 40 percent.
-
Fatal injuries among
Hispanic or Latino workers increased slightly
from 2005; however, increased employment lowered
the overall fatality rate among Hispanic or
Latino workers.
- Due to the number of
multiple-fatality related events in 2006,
aircraft-related fatalities rose by 44 percent.
The data in the following
charts show the most frequent fatal occupational
injury types and the incident rate by industry
sector.
Nearly
half (48 percent) of all fatal occupational
injuries in 2006 were made up of a combination of
two main groups: construction and extrication
occupations and transportation and material moving
occupations.
The
Census also reported that 27 of the 50 States
reported higher numbers of fatalities in 2006,
while 23 States and the District of Columbia had
lower totals.
To view the complete report, visit:
Bureau of Labor Statistics National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2006
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