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Fatal occupational injuries by incident in 2010

August 30, 2011

The number of fatal work injuries resulting from fires and explosions rose from 113 in 2009 to 187 in 2010, an increase of 65 percent. The increase was led by an increase in fatalities resulting from fires which rose from 53 in 2009 to 109 in 2010.

Fatal occupational injuries by type of incident, 2009–2010
[Chart data]

Workplace homicides fell by 7 percent in 2010. The workplace homicide total for 2010 (506 cases) represents a decline of more than 50 percent from the high of 1,080 homicides reported in 1994. Despite the overall decline, workplace homicides involving women were up 13 percent in 2010. Workplace suicides declined slightly from the series high of 263 cases in 2009 to 258 cases in 2010.

Fatal falls declined 2 percent in 2010 (from 645 in 2009 to 635 in 2010). Overall, fatal falls are down 25 percent from the series high of 847 fatal falls reported in 2007. Since 2007, fatal falls in the private construction industry have decreased by 42 percent.

Fatal injuries resulting from being struck by objects or equipment were also lower, down 4 percent in 2010 to 402. Fatal work injuries involving exposure to harmful substances or environments were up slightly, but electrocutions declined.

Transportation incidents decreased slightly in 2010 relative to 2009, but still accounted for nearly 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries in 2010. Nonhighway incidents, such as an off-road tractor overturn, were higher in 2010 (up 4 percent).

These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), which is part of the BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities program. The CFOI compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during a given calendar year. To learn more, see "National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2010 (Preliminary Results)" (HTML) (PDF) news release USDL-11-1247.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Fatal occupational injuries by incident in 2010 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20110830.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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