Fatal work injuries totaled 38 in 2014 for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md. Metropolitan Statistical Area, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that while the 2014 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in the Baltimore area was little changed from the previous year. Since area data first became available in 2003, fatal occupational injuries in the area have ranged from a low of 28 in 2011 to a high of 59 in 2006. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2014, up from the revised count of 4,585 fatal work injuries in 2013, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2014 CFOI data will be released in the late spring of 2016.

 

Of the 38 fatal work injuries reported in the Baltimore area in 2014, violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 15 worker deaths, an increase from the 9 worker deaths reported in 2013. Transportation incidents and falls, slips, or trips each accounted for eight worker deaths in 2014, little changed from 2013. Contacts with objects and equipment accounted for six worker fatalities in 2014, unchanged from the 2013 count. Exposure to harmful substances or environments accounted for one workplace fatality in 2014, compared to four in 2013. (See table 1.) (Note that roadway incident counts presented are expected to rise when updated 2014 data are released in the late spring of 2016 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

Within violence and other injuries by persons or animals, homicides was the most frequent type of workplace fatality in the Baltimore area with 11 deaths. Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent event within transportation incidents, accounting for 4 of the 8 worker deaths. Falls to a lower level accounted for 7 of the 8 fatalities in the falls, slips, or trips category. Within contact with objects and equipment, 5 of the 6 fatalities were a result of being struck by an object or equipment.

In the United States, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries; falls, slips, and trips was the second-most frequent fatal event in the nation with 17 percent. In Baltimore, these two events tied for the second-most frequent causes of workplace fatalities at 21 percent each. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities; in Baltimore, this event was the most frequent with 39 percent of worker fatalities.

 

Additional highlights:

• Within private industry, the construction sector had the largest number of number of work-related fatalities in the area with eight in 2014. In the previous year, this industry recorded five fatalities. (See table 2.) Falls to a lower level accounted for half of the 2014 worker deaths within private industry construction.
• In the Baltimore area, transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities in 2014 with eight, similar to the number in 2013. (See table 3.) Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations had the next-highest fatality count with seven; in 2013, this occupational group had two workplace fatalities.
• Men accounted for 84 percent of the work-related fatalities in the Baltimore area; men made up 92 percent nationwide. (See table 4.) In Baltimore, violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the most frequent fatal event for men, accounting for 31 percent. This event was also the most frequent for women, accounting for five of the six workplace fatalities.
• Fifty-five percent of those who died from a workplace injury in the Baltimore area were white non-Hispanics; nationwide their share was 68 percent. The most frequent event in Baltimore for this group was falls, slips, or trips. Non-Hispanic black or African-American workers accounted for 26 percent of the area’s fatal injuries, with violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounting for almost half of these fatalities. In the United States, this group accounted for 10 percent of total workplace fatalities.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 58 percent of the area’s work-related fatalities in 2014, matching the national share. In the Baltimore area, the single age group with the largest number of fatal injuries was 45-54 years old with 29 percent of the area’s total.
• Of the 38 fatally-injured workers in the Baltimore area, 87 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for the wage and salary group was violence and other injuries by persons or animals.
• The highest number of fatal workplace injuries in the Baltimore area occurred on Friday, with almost one-third of all worker fatalities in the area occurring on this day of the week. Nationally, 15 percent of workplace fatalities occurred on this day.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This ensures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information and definitions for CFOI, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch9.pdf.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for their efforts in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work injuries. BLS also appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that provided source documents used to identify fatal work injuries.

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md. Metropolitan Statistical Area is composed of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne’s Counties and Baltimore City in Maryland.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200. Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md., 2013-14

Event or exposure(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	36	38	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	9	15	39
Intentional injury by person	9	13	34
Homicides	6	11	29
Shooting by other person--intentional	3	8	21
Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing	1	3	8
Transportation incidents	10	8	21
Pedestrian vehicular incident	5	2	5
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	2	2	5
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone	2	2	5
Roadway incident involving motorized land vehicle	5	4	11
Roadway collision with other vehicle	3	1	3
Roadway collision moving and standing vehicle in roadway	-	1	3
Roadway noncollision incident	-	1	3
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	-	1	3
Fall, slip, trip	6	8	21
Fall to lower level	5	7	18
Fall from collapsing structure or equipment	1	1	3
Fall from collapsing structure or equipment more than 30 feet	1	1	3
Fall through surface or existing opening	-	2	5
Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet	-	1	3
Fall through surface or existing opening 26 to 30 feet	-	1	3
Other fall to lower level	3	4	11
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	-	1	3
Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet	-	2	5
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	4	1	3
Exposure to other harmful substances	-	1	3
Inhalation of harmful substance	-	1	3
Inhalation of harmful substance single episode	-	1	3
Contact with objects and equipment	6	6	16
Struck by object or equipment	3	5	13
Struck by powered vehicle nontransport	-	3	8
Struck by other falling powered vehicle	-	1	3
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (2) Data for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released spring 2016.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md., 2013-14

Industry(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	36	38	100
Private industry	26	36	95
Goods-producing	8	9	24
Construction	5	8	21
Specialty trade contractors	4	8	21
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	3	4	11
Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors	-	1	3
Nonresidential poured concrete foundation and structure contractors	-	1	3
Structural steel and precast concrete contractors	-	1	3
Nonresidential structural steel and precast concrete contractors	-	1	3
Roofing contractors	-	1	3
Residential roofing contractors	-	1	3
Siding contractors	1	1	3
Residential siding contractors	-	1	3
Building equipment contractors	1	-	-
Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors	-	1	3
Nonresidential electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors	-	1	3
Other specialty trade contractors	-	2	5
Site preparation contractors	-	1	3
Residential site preparation contractors	-	1	3
All other specialty trade contractors	-	1	3
All other nonresidential specialty trade contractors	-	1	3
Service-providing	18	27	71
Trade, transportation, and utilities	6	11	29
Retail trade	2	6	16
Motor vehicle and parts dealers	-	-	-
Automobile dealers	-	-	-
Used car dealers	-	1	3
Food and beverage stores	-	1	3
Grocery stores	-	1	3
Convenience stores	-	1	3
Clothing and clothing accessories stores	-	2	5
Clothing stores	-	2	5
Family clothing stores	-	2	5
Transportation and warehousing	2	5	13
Transit and ground passenger transportation	1	3	8
Taxi and limousine service	1	3	8
Taxi service	1	3	8
Professional and business services	5	8	21
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	5	6	16
Administrative and support services	4	6	16
Services to buildings and dwellings	2	6	16
Janitorial services	-	1	3
Landscaping services	2	4	11
Leisure and hospitality	3	4	11
Accommodation and food services	3	4	11
Food services and drinking places	3	4	11
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	-	1	3
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	-	1	3
Restaurants and other eating places	-	3	8
Restaurants and other eating places	-	3	8
Limited-service restaurants	-	1	3
Other services, except public administration	-	-	-
Personal and laundry services	-	1	3
Personal care services	-	1	3
Hair, nail, and skin care services	-	1	3
Nail salons	-	1	3
Government(3)	10	2	5
Federal government	5	1	3
Service-providing	5	1	3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1	-	-
Public administration	4	1	3
National security and international affairs	4	1	3
National security and international affairs	4	1	3
National security	4	1	3
Local government	4	1	3
Service-providing	4	1	3
Professional and business services	1	-	-
Public administration	3	1	3
Justice, public order, and safety activities	3	1	3
Justice, public order, and safety activities	3	1	3
Fire protection	1	1	3
Footnotes: (1) Industry data for 2013 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Industry data for 2014 are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) Data for 2013 are revised and final. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released spring 2016.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md., 2013-14

Occupation(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	36	38	100
Service occupations	10	14	37
Protective service occupations	6	3	8
First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers	1	1	3
First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers	-	1	3
First-line supervisors of fire fighting and prevention workers	-	1	3
Other protective service workers	2	2	5
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	1	1	3
Security guards	1	1	3
Miscellaneous protective service workers	1	1	3
Crossing guards	1	1	3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	2	7	18
Building cleaning and pest control workers	-	1	3
Building cleaning workers	-	1	3
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	-	1	3
Grounds maintenance workers	1	5	13
Grounds maintenance workers	1	5	13
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	1	4	11
Personal care and service occupations	-	1	3
Personal appearance workers	-	1	3
Miscellaneous personal appearance workers	-	1	3
Manicurists and pedicurists	-	1	3
Sales and office occupations	3	4	11
Sales and related occupations	2	4	11
Retail sales workers	1	3	8
Retail salespersons	-	1	3
Retail salespersons	-	1	3
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	10	9	24
Construction and extraction occupations	6	6	16
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	-	2	5
First-line supervisors/managers of construction trades and extraction workers	-	2	5
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	-	2	5
Construction trades workers	4	4	11
Construction laborers	-	2	5
Construction laborers	-	2	5
Construction equipment operators	-	1	3
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	-	1	3
Roofers	-	1	3
Roofers	-	1	3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4	3	8
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	-	1	3
Automotive technicians and repairers	-	1	3
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	-	1	3
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	7	9	24
Transportation and material moving occupations	7	8	21
Motor vehicle operators	4	8	21
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	3	5	13
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	-	3	8
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	1	3	8
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	1	3	8
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (2) Data for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Md., 2013-14

Worker characteristics	2013(1)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	36	38	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers(2)	29	33	87
Self-employed(3)	7	5	13
Gender
Women	1	6	16
Men	35	32	84
Age(4)
20 to 24 years	3	4	11
25 to 34 years	6	3	8
35 to 44 years	9	8	21
45 to 54 years	7	11	29
55 to 64 years	9	7	18
65 years and over	-	5	13
Race or ethnic origin(5)
White (non-Hispanic)	24	21	55
Black or African-American (non-Hispanic)	9	10	26
Hispanic or Latino	-	4	11
Asian (non-Hispanic)	-	3	8
Footnotes: (1) Data for 2013 are revised and final. (2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (3) Includes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses and farms, paid and unpaid family workers, and may include some owners of incorporated businesses or members of partnerships. (4) Information may not be available for all age groups. (5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.