Fatal work injuries totaled 84 in 2012 for Iowa, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that while the 2012 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Iowa declined by nine over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 110 in 1992 to a low of 54 in 1995. Over the last 10 years, the annual average number of fatalities was 84. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2012, down from a revised count of 4,693 fatal work injuries in 2011, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2012 CFOI data will be released in Spring 2014.

Of the 84 fatal work injuries reported in Iowa in 2012, 44 resulted from transportation incidents and 19 from contact with objects and equipment; together these two major categories accounted for three-quarters of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories each reported less than 10 deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 25 deaths; in fact, it accounted for nearly one-third of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles, accounted for 14 fatalities. In the contact with objects and equipment category, 14 deaths occurred from being struck by an object or equipment. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2012 data are released in Spring 2014 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2012, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. However, Iowa’s 52-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was much larger the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities, 11 percentage points higher than the share in Iowa. Contact with objects or equipment (16 percent) and falls, slips, and trips (15 percent) were the third and fourth most frequent events, respectively, in the nation.

Additional key characteristics:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 30, compared to 27 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 19 of the worker deaths, while 8 fatalities were due to contact with objects and equipment.
• The construction industry and the transportation and warehousing industry had the second highest fatality count with 13 each. Transportation incidents accounted for five worker deaths in both sectors.
• Management occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 26. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (23). Workers in transportation and material moving occupations had the next highest fatality count at 23.
• Men accounted for 78, or 93 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up over one-half of these fatalities.
• In Iowa, 93 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 68 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 42, or 50 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2012. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 59 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 84 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Iowa, 57 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remaining were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both groups was transportation incidents.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/home.htm.

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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Iowa Division of Labor Services.

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, Iowa, 2011-2012

Event or exposure(1)	2011	2012(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	93	84	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	11	5	6
Intentional injury by person	8	4	5
Intentional injury by other person	4	2	2
Shooting by other person--intentional	--	2	2
Transportation incidents	55	44	52
Aircraft incidents	1	2	2
Pedestrian vehicular incident	9	3	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	2	2	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area	1	2	2
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	29	25	30
Roadway collision with other vehicle	13	5	6
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	6	4	5
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	6	3	4
Roadway noncollision incident	10	16	19
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	10	15	18
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	14	14	17
Nonroadway noncollision incident	13	12	14
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	12	11	13
Falls, slips, trips	7	9	11
Falls on same level	1	2	2
Falls to lower level	5	7	8
Other fall to lower level	4	7	8
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	--	3	4
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	--	4	5
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	2	4	5
Exposure to electricity	1	2	2
Contact with objects and equipment	16	19	23
Struck by object or equipment	7	14	17
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	3	10	12
Caught between rolling powered vehicle and other object	1	3	4
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle	--	4	5
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	3	3	4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	5	4	5
Caught in running equipment or machinery	5	3	4
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. Total may include other events not shown. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Iowa, 2011-2012

Industry(1)	2011	2012(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	93	84	100
Private industry	83	83	99
Natural resources and mining	28	31	37
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	27	30	36
Crop production	19	21	25
Animal production	7	6	7
Cattle ranching and farming	7	4	5
Dairy cattle and milk production	1	2	2
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	1	2	2
Construction	15	13	15
Construction	15	13	15
Construction of buildings	4	4	5
Nonresidential building construction	4	2	2
Heavy and civil engineering construction	3	6	7
Highway, street, and bridge construction	1	4	5
Highway, street, and bridge construction	1	4	5
Specialty trade contractors	6	3	4
Manufacturing	6	5	6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	23	23	27
Wholesale trade	4	4	5
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	--	3	4
Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers	--	2	2
Retail trade	2	6	7
General merchandise stores	--	3	4
Other general merchandise stores	--	2	2
Warehouse clubs and supercenters	--	2	2
Transportation and warehousing	16	13	15
Rail transportation	3	2	2
Rail transportation	3	2	2
Rail transportation	3	2	2
Line-haul railroads	3	2	2
Truck transportation	9	11	13
General freight trucking	7	6	7
General freight trucking, local	--	2	2
General freight trucking, long-distance	6	3	4
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	4	2	2
Specialized freight trucking	2	5	6
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	--	5	6
Professional and business services	3	2	2
Administrative and waste services	--	2	2
Administrative and support services	--	2	2
Educational and health services	1	3	4
Health care and social assistance	1	2	2
Nursing and residential care facilities	--	2	2
Leisure and hospitality	2	2	2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	--	2	2
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries	--	2	2
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
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. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Iowa, 2011-2012

Occupation(1)	2011	2012(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	93	84	100
Management occupations	28	26	31
Other management occupations	25	25	30
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	23	23	27
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	23	23	27
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3	2	2
Sales and related occupations	3	5	6
Retail sales workers	--	3	4
Retail salespersons	--	3	4
Retail salespersons	--	3	4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	3	6	7
Agricultural workers	3	5	6
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	3	5	6
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	4	5
Construction and extraction occupations	18	9	11
Construction trades workers	12	8	10
Construction laborers	4	4	5
Construction laborers	4	4	5
Construction equipment operators	1	2	2
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	1	2	2
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	4	7	8
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	1	4	5
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics	--	2	2
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3	2	2
Production occupations	1	2	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	20	23	27
Air transportation workers	1	2	2
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	1	2	2
Commercial pilots	1	2	2
Motor vehicle operators	15	16	19
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	14	16	19
Driver/sales workers	--	3	4
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	14	13	15
Material moving workers	1	3	4
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
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. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Iowa, 2011-2012

Worker characteristics	2011	2012(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	93	84	100
Employee status
Wage and salary(1)	56	48	57
Self-employed(2)	37	36	43
Gender
Men	82	78	93
Women	11	6	7
Age(3)
Under 16 years	1	2	2
20 to 24 years	3	1	1
25 to 34 years	13	14	17
35 to 44 years	14	11	13
45 to 54 years	25	17	20
55 to 64 years	13	15	18
65 years and over	22	22	26
Race or ethnic origin(4)
White, non-Hispanic	89	78	93
Hispanic or Latino	3	2	2
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. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
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. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.