Fatal work injuries totaled 19 in 2013 for South Dakota, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in South Dakota declined by 12 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 46 in 1999 to this year’s series low of 19. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2013, down from a revised count of 4,628 fatalities in 2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2013 CFOI data will be released in the late spring of 2015.

Of the 19 fatal work injuries reported in South Dakota in 2013, 12 resulted from transportation incidents, accounting for 63 percent of all fatal work injuries. (See table 1.) Other major event categories each reported two or fewer deaths. Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with seven deaths. This category accounted for more than one-third of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second-largest event in transportation incidents, pedestrian vehicular incidents, accounted for three fatalities. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in the late spring of 2015 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 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. South Dakota’s 63-percent share of fatalities due to this event was larger than 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; the share in South Dakota for this event was 5 percent. Contact with objects and equipment and falls, slips, and trips each accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities. In South Dakota, these events accounted for 5 and 11 percent of the state’s fatal injuries, respectively.

Additional key characteristics:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry and the construction industry each had five workplace fatalities. These totals compared to the previous year when 10 fatal injuries occurred in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting and 7 in construction. In 2013, transportation incidents accounted for three worker deaths in each of these industries. (See table 2.)
• The management; construction and extraction; and transportation and material moving occupational groups each had four fatal work injuries. (See table 3.)
• Men accounted for 18, or 95 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 61 percent of these fatalities.
• In South Dakota, 79 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 nine, or just under one-half of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 19 fatal work injuries in South Dakota, 79 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remaining were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers 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, South Dakota, 2012-2013

Event or exposure(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	31	19	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	3	1	5
Intentional injury by person	3	1	5
Self-inflicted injury--intentional	1	1	5
Shooting--intentional self-harm	1	1	5
Transportation incidents	17	12	63
Aircraft incidents	4	1	5
Other in-flight crash	4	1	5
Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground	4	1	5
Pedestrian vehicular incident	--	3	16
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	--	3	16
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	10	7	37
Roadway collision with other vehicle	4	3	16
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	--	2	11
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	--	2	11
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	--	1	5
Nonroadway noncollision incident	--	1	5
Falls, slips, trips	4	2	11
Falls to lower level	3	2	11
Fall through surface or existing opening	--	1	5
Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet	--	1	5
Other fall to lower level	3	1	5
Other fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet	--	1	5
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	2	1	5
Exposure to electricity	--	1	5
Indirect exposure to electricity	--	1	5
Contact with objects and equipment	5	1	5
Struck by object or equipment	3	1	5
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	--	1	5
Struck by other falling powered vehicle	--	1	5
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. (2) Data for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in the late spring 2015.
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.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, South Dakota, 2012-2013

Industry(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	31	19	100
Private industry	26	16	84
Natural resources and mining	10	5	26
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	10	5	26
Crop production	5	3	16
Oilseed and grain farming	1	1	5
Other crop farming	1	1	5
Animal production	3	1	5
Cattle ranching and farming	3	1	5
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	--	1	5
Support activities for crop production	--	1	5
Construction	7	5	26
Construction	7	5	26
Heavy and civil engineering construction	3	3	16
Highway, street, and bridge construction	2	3	16
Specialty trade contractors	3	2	11
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	--	1	5
Building equipment contractors	3	1	5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	3	4	21
Retail trade	2	3	16
General merchandise stores	1	1	5
Other general merchandise stores	1	1	5
Professional and business services	4	1	5
Administrative and waste services	--	1	5
Administrative and support services	4	1	5
Services to buildings and dwellings	3	1	5
Educational and health services	--	1	5
Educational services	--	1	5
Educational services	--	1	5
Colleges, universities, and professional schools	--	1	5
Government(3)	5	3	16
Federal government	5	2	11
State government	--	1	5
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (2) Data for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
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, South Dakota, 2012-2013

Occupation(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	31	19	100
Management occupations	5	4	21
Operations specialties managers	--	1	5
Other management occupations	5	3	16
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	5	2	11
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	5	2	11
Life, physical, and social science occupations	--	2	11
Life scientists	--	1	5
Life, physical, and social science technicians	--	1	5
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	--	1	2
Education, training, and library occupations	--	1	5
Postsecondary teachers	--	1	5
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3	1	5
Building cleaning and pest control workers	2	1	5
Building cleaning workers	1	1	5
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	1	1	5
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	5	2	11
Agricultural workers	3	2	11
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	3	2	11
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	2	1	5
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	1	1	5
Construction and extraction occupations	7	4	21
Construction trades workers	4	4	21
Construction laborers	--	3	16
Construction laborers	--	3	16
Electricians	--	1	5
Electricians	--	1	5
Transportation and material moving occupations	1	4	21
Air transportation workers	--	1	5
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	--	1	5
Commercial pilots	--	1	5
Motor vehicle operators	1	3	16
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	1	3	16
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (2) Data for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in the late spring 2015.
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, South Dakota, 2012-2013

Worker characteristics	2012(1)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	31	19	100
Employee status
Wage and salary(2)	22	15	79
Self-employed(3)	9	4	21
Gender
Men	28	18	95
Women	3	1	5
Age(4)
18 to 19 years	--	1	5
20 to 24 years	4	1	5
25 to 34 years	6	2	11
35 to 44 years	5	4	21
45 to 54 years	5	3	16
55 to 64 years	5	5	26
65 years and over	6	3	16
Race or ethnic origin(5)
White, non-Hispanic	28	15	79
Footnotes: (1) Data for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in the late spring 2015. (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.
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.