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News Release Information

13-2252-CHI
Monday, December 02, 2013

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Fatal Work Injuries in North Dakota — 2012

Fatal work injuries totaled 64 in 2012 for North Dakota, 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 North Dakota increased by 20 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from this year’s series high of 64 to a low of 20 in 1992. Over the last three years, the number of fatalities has trended upward, increasing by 39 since 2009. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2012, down from a revised count of 4,693 fatalities 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 64 fatal work injuries reported in North Dakota in 2012, 39 resulted from transportation incidents and accounted for almost two-thirds 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. (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, North Dakota’s 61-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, 12 percentage points higher than the share in North Dakota. 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 construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 25, up from 9 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 17 of the worker deaths.
  • The mining industry had the second highest fatality count with 15, up from 11 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for eight worker deaths in this sector.
  • Construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 34. (See table 3.) Construction laborers accounted for 10 of these fatalities. Workers in transportation and material moving occupations had the next highest fatality count at 14.
  • Men accounted for 61, or 95 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up nearly three out of every five of these fatalities.
  • In North Dakota, 77 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 40, or 63 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 64 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in North Dakota, 77 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.

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, North Dakota, 2011-2012
Event or exposure(1)20112012(p)
NumberNumberPercent

Total

4464100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

535

Intentional injury by person

335

Transportation incidents

233961

Aircraft incidents

123

Other in-flight crash

--23

Rail vehicle incidents

--46

Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle

--46

Collision between rail and roadway vehicles

--35

Pedestrian vehicular incident

446

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

235

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

152539

Roadway collision with other vehicle

101727

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

6914

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

--69

Roadway noncollision incident

4711

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway

4711

Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire

--35

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

--46

Fires and Explosions

258

Explosions

235

Falls, slips, trips

3711

Falls to lower level

2711

Other fall to lower level

258

Contact with objects and equipment

9813

Struck by object or equipment

--69

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

--35

Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle

--35

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

--23

Caught in running equipment or machinery

--23

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, North Dakota, 2011-2012
Industry(1)20112012(p)
NumberNumberPercent

Total

4464100

Private industry

416297

Natural resources and mining

182539

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

71016

Crop production

458

Animal production

358

Cattle ranching and farming

146

Mining(2)

111523

Oil and gas extraction

--23

Oil and gas extraction

--23

Oil and gas extraction

--23

Support activities for mining

91219

Support activities for mining

91219

Support activities for mining

91219

Drilling oil and gas wells

5711

Support activities for oil and gas operations

458

Construction

92539

Construction

92539

Heavy and civil engineering construction

4711

Utility system construction

--46

Highway, street, and bridge construction

--35

Highway, street, and bridge construction

--35

Specialty trade contractors

41625

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

--812

Masonry contractors

--69

Trade, transportation, and utilities

13812

Transportation and warehousing

869

Truck transportation

658

General freight trucking

146

Leisure and hospitality

--23

Footnotes:
(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown.
(2) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (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.
(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, North Dakota, 2011-2012
Occupation(1)20112012(p)
NumberNumberPercent

Total

4464100

Management occupations

71016

Other management occupations

7914

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

5812

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

5812

Protective service occupations

223

Construction and extraction occupations

123453

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

569

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

369

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

369

Construction trades workers

41625

Construction laborers

31016

Construction laborers

31016

Extraction workers

31219

Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining

--58

Roustabouts, oil and gas

--58

Roustabouts, oil and gas

--58

Transportation and material moving occupations

131422

Motor vehicle operators

8914

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

7914

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

7711

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, North Dakota, 2011-2012
Worker characteristics20112012(p)
NumberNumberPercent

Total

4464100
Employee status   

Wage and salary(1)

364977

Self-employed(2)

81523
Gender   

Men

426195

Women

235
Age(3)   

20 to 24 years

669

25 to 34 years

51117

35 to 44 years

81117

45 to 54 years

101828

55 to 64 years

91016

65 years and over

3711
Race or ethnic origin(4)   

White, non-Hispanic

394977

Hispanic or Latino

31219

American Indian or Alaskan Native, non-Hispanic

--35

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.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, December 02, 2013