Fatal work injuries totaled 25 in 2015 for the Pittsburgh, Pa. Metropolitan Statistical Area, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the number of work-related fatalities in the Pittsburgh area increased by seven from the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the Pittsburgh area have ranged from a high of 45 in 2008 to a low of 18 in 2014. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries in 2014, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

 

Type of incident

In the Pittsburgh area, transportation incidents resulted in eight fatal work injuries. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals and falls, slips or trips each accounted for six fatalities. These three major categories accounted for 80 percent of all workplace fatalities in the Pittsburgh area. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents and violence and other injuries by persons or animals each increased by two fatalities over the year, while the number of worker fatalities due to falls, slips, or trips remained the same.

Nationally, transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2015, accounting for approximately 42 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second-most frequent type of event, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities, followed by contact with objects and equipment (15 percent) and violence and other injuries by persons or animals (15 percent).

 

Industry

The private construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the Pittsburgh area with six, compared to four in the previous year. (See table 2.) Half of those fatally injured in this sector worked in heavy and civil engineering construction.

The private transportation and warehousing sector and government each had four workplace fatalities. Long-distance general freight trucking accounted for half of the fatal injuries in the private transportation and warehousing industry.

Occupation

Construction and extraction occupations and transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with seven and four, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the construction and extraction group were construction trades workers, with six worker deaths. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for all four fatalities among transportation and material moving workers.

Contracted Workers

A contracted worker is defined as a worker employed by one firm but working at the behest of another firm that exercises overall responsibility for the operations at the site of the fatal injury. In 2015, the Pittsburgh area had seven fatally-injured workers identified as fitting the contracted worker criteria; of those, three were the result of falls, slips, or trips.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 88 percent of the work-related fatalities in the Pittsburgh area, lower than the national share of 93 percent. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 36 percent of the fatalities for men in the Pittsburgh area.
• White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 76 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths. The most frequent event in the Pittsburgh area for white, non-Hispanics was transportation incidents with six fatalities. The share of fatalities among black or African-American non-Hispanics was 24 percent in the area and and 10 percent nationwide.     
• Workers 35-54 years old accounted for 56 percent of the area’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 41 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 25 fatally-injured workers in the Pittsburgh area, 92 percent worked for wages and salaries. The most frequent fatal event for this group of workers was transportation incidents with eight worker deaths.
• Twenty-four percent of workplace fatalities in the Pittsburgh area occurred on a Monday. Nationwide, 17 percent of workplace fatalities occurred on a Monday.

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 https://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 Virginia Department of Labor and Industry 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. Among these agencies are the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the National Transportation Safety Board; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Mine Safety and Health Administration; the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (Federal Employees' Compensation and Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation divisions); the Federal Railroad Administration; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; state vital statistics registrars, coroners, and medical examiners; state departments of health, labor, and industrial relations and workers' compensation agencies; state and local police departments; and state farm bureaus.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, dated February 28, 2013. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at https://www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Pittsburgh, Pa. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) consists of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania.

Information in this release is available to sensory-impaired individuals. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Pittsburgh, Pa, 2014-2015

Event or exposure(1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	18	25	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	4	6	24
Intentional injury by person	4	6	24
Homicides	2	4	16
Shooting by other person--intentional	2	4	16
Transportation incidents	6	8	32
Pedestrian vehicular incident	-	4	16
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	-	2	8
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone	-	1	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in work zone	-	1	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway	-	2	8
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in roadway	-	1	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in roadway	-	1	4
Roadway incident involving motorized land vehicle	4	2	8
Roadway collision with other vehicle	2	2	8
Roadway collision moving in opposite directions, oncoming	-	2	8
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicle	-	-	-
Nonroadway noncollision incident	-	-	-
Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway	-	1	4
Fall, slip, trip	6	6	24
Fall on same level	-	3	12
Fall to lower level	4	3	12
Contact with objects and equipment	-	2	8
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	-	1	4
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	-	1	4
Excavation or trenching cave-in	-	1	4
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.
NOTE: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria..

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Pittsburgh, Pa, 2014-2015

Industry(1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	18	25	100
Private industry	14	21	84
Goods producing	5	7	28
Natural resources and mining	-	1	4
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction(2)	-	1	4
Mining (except oil and gas)	-	1	4
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying	-	1	4
Stone mining and quarrying	-	1	4
Dimension stone mining and quarrying	-	1	4
Construction	4	6	24
Construction of buildings	3	-	-
Nonresidential building construction	-	1	4
Industrial building construction	-	1	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	-	3	12
Utility system construction	-	1	4
Oil and gas pipeline and related structures construction	-	1	4
Highway, street, and bridge construction	-	2	8
Highway, street, and bridge construction	-	2	8
Service providing	9	14	56
Trade, transportation, and utilities	4	6	24
Retail trade	-	-	-
Motor vehicle and parts dealers	-	1	4
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores	-	1	4
Automotive parts and accessories stores	-	1	4
Transportation and warehousing	4	4	16
Truck transportation	3	4	16
General freight trucking	2	2	8
General freight trucking, long-distance	2	2	8
General freight trucking, long-distance, less than truckload	1	2	8
Professional and business services	2	3	12
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	1	3	12
Waste management and remediation services	-	1	4
Remediation and other waste management services	-	1	4
All other waste management services	-	1	4
Educational and health services	-	3	12
Health care and social assistance	-	3	12
Leisure and hospitality	-	1	4
Accommodation and food services	-	1	4
Food services and drinking places	-	1	4
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	-	1	4
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	-	1	4
Other services, except public administration	-	1	4
Personal and laundry services	-	1	4
Personal care services	-	1	4
Hair, nail, and skin care services	-	1	4
Beauty salons	-	1	4
Government (3)	4	4	16
Local government	3	4	16
Goods producing	-	1	4
Construction	-	1	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	-	1	4
Highway, street, and bridge construction	-	1	4
Highway, street, and bridge construction	-	1	4
Service providing	3	3	12
Professional and business services	1	-	-
Public administration	2	2	8
Justice, public order, and safety activities	2	2	8
Justice, public order, and safety activities	2	2	8
Police protection	1	2	8
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012.  (2) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
NOTE: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Pittsburgh, Pa, 2014-2015

Occupation(1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	18	25	100
Service occupations	6	8	32
Protective service occupations	3	3	12
First-line supervisors/managers, protective service workers	-	1	4
First-line supervisors/managers, law enforcement workers	-	1	4
First-line supervisors of police and detectives	-	1	4
Law enforcement workers	2	1	4
Police officers	2	1	4
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	2	1	4
Other protective service workers	-	1	4
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	-	1	4
Security guards	-	1	4
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	2	3	12
Grounds maintenance workers	1	1	4
Grounds maintenance workers	1	1	4
Tree trimmers and pruners	1	1	4
Personal care and service occupations	-	1	4
Personal appearance workers	-	1	4
Barbers and cosmetologists	-	1	4
Barbers	-	1	4
Sales and office occupations	-	-	-
Sales and related occupations	-	-	-
Retail sales workers	-	1	4
Counter and rental clerks and parts salespersons	-	1	4
Parts salespersons	-	1	4
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	5	9	36
Construction and extraction occupations	5	7	28
Construction trades workers	4	6	24
Construction laborers	-	2	8
Construction laborers	-	2	8
Construction equipment operators	-	2	8
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	-	2	8
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	-	1	4
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	-	1	4
Other construction and related workers	-	1	4
Highway maintenance workers	-	1	4
Highway maintenance workers	-	1	4
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	-	-	-
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	-	1	4
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers	-	1	4
Maintenance workers, machinery	-	1	4
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	4	4	16
Transportation and material moving occupations	4	4	16
Motor vehicle operators	3	4	16
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	3	4	16
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	3	4	16
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
NOTE: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Pittsburgh, Pa, 2014-2015

Characteristic	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	18	25	100
Employee Status
Wage and salary workers(1)	14	23	92
Self-employed(2)	4	-	-
Gender
Women	2	3	12
Men	16	22	88
Age(3)
20 to 24 years	1	4	16
25 to 34 years	1	-	-
35 to 44 years	4	7	28
45 to 54 years	4	7	28
55 to 64 years	7	2	8
65 years and over	1	3	12
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White (non-Hispanic)	16	19	76
Black or African-American (non-Hispanic)	-	6	24
Footnotes: (1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (2) 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. (3) Information may not be available for all age groups. (4) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.
NOTE: Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.