Fatal work injuries totaled 163 in 2014 for Illinois, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that while the 2014 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Illinois decreased by 13 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 262 in 1996 to a low of 146 in 2012. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2014, up from a revised count of 4,585 fatalities in 2013, according to 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 163 fatal work injuries reported in Illinois in 2014, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event with 58. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals and contact with objects and equipment each recorded 31 work-related deaths. Falls, slips, or trips were responsible for 30 fatal work injuries. Together these four major categories accounted for 92 percent of all fatal work injuries reported in the state. (See table 1.)

Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 33 deaths. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 27 of 31 deaths occurred as a result of intentional injury by person. For the contact with objects and equipment, 21 of the 31 deaths occurred as a result of being struck by an object or equipment. Within the falls, slips, or trips category, 24 of 30 fatal work injuries were due to falls to a lower level. (Note that roadway incident counts presented in this release 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.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2014, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. In Illinois, transportation incidents accounted for 36 percent of the state’s share of fatalities. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; the share in Illinois was 18 percent. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals and contact with objects or equipment accounted for 16 percent and 15 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities, respectively. In the state, violence and other injuries by persons or animals and contact with objects and equipment were each responsible for 19 percent of workplace fatalities.

Additional highlights:

• The transportation and warehousing industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 32, up from 19 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for 19 fatal work injuries. (See table 2.)
• Construction had the second highest fatality count with 28, unchanged from the previous year. Falls, slips, or trips accounted for 12 deaths in this industry. The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry had 26 work-related fatalities. Transportation incidents accounted for 11 workplace fatalities and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 9 deaths in this industry.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 52. Motor vehicle operators suffered 36 fatalities. (See table 3.)
• Men accounted for 144, or 88 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 35 percent of these fatalities.
• In Illinois, 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 96, or 59 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2014. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 163 fatal work injuries in Illinois, 74 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder was self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both wage and salary workers and the self-employed 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 ensures 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/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. 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, Illinois, 2013–14

Event or exposure (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	176	163	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	32	31	19
Intentional injury by person	28	27	17
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	16	19	12
Shooting by other person--intentional	12	13	8
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	12	8	5
Transportation incidents	67	58	36
Rail vehicle incidents	4	5	3
Pedestrian vehicular incident	12	8	5
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	37	33	20
Roadway collision with other vehicle	18	19	12
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	--	6	4
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	9	6	4
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	5	9	6
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	5	8	5
Roadway noncollision incident	14	5	3
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	9	9	6
Nonroadway noncollision incident	4	8	5
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	2	7	4
Fires and explosions	6	--	--
Falls, slips, trips	21	30	18
Falls on same level	4	5	3
Falls to lower level	17	24	15
Other fall to lower level	14	19	12
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	14	11	7
Exposure to other harmful substances	5	5	3
Contact with objects and equipment	35	31	19
Struck by object or equipment	23	21	13
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	7	10	6
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	13	8	5
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	10	7	4
Caught in running equipment or machinery	10	7	4
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (2) Totals 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. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication guidelines.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Illinois, 2013–14

Industry (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	176	163	100
Private industry	163	152	93
Natural resources and mining	27	27	17
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	21	26	16
Crop production	14	18	11
Construction	28	28	17
Construction	28	28	17
Construction of buildings	5	6	4
Specialty trade contractors	17	18	11
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	4	9	6
Roofing contractors	--	7	4
Building equipment contractors	6	5	3
Manufacturing	20	13	8
Manufacturing	20	13	8
Food manufacturing	1	5	3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	38	54	33
Wholesale trade	7	12	7
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	5	10	6
Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers	--	5	3
Retail trade	12	10	6
Transportation and warehousing	19	32	20
Truck transportation	13	18	11
General freight trucking	5	7	4
Specialized freight trucking	8	11	7
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	6	10	6
Support activities for transportation	--	9	6
Information	3	--	--
Financial activities	4	8	5
Professional and business services	20	9	6
Administrative and waste services	17	6	4
Administrative and support services	16	5	3
Educational and health services	5	3	2
Leisure and hospitality	13	7	4
Other services, except public administration	5	2	1
Government (3)	13	11	7
Local government	11	8	5
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) Totals 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. (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. CFOI fatality 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, Illinois, 2013–14

Occupation (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	176	163	100
Management occupations	25	28	17
Other management occupations	23	24	15
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	18	20	12
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	18	20	12
Computer and mathematical occupations	--	1	1
Architecture and engineering occupations	--	1	1
Life, physical, and social science occupations	1	--	--
Community and social services occupations	2	--	--
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	5	3	2
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	--	1	1
Healthcare support occupations	1	1	1
Protective service occupations	10	3	2
Food preparation and serving related occupations	6	--	--
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	7	2	1
Personal care and service occupations	3	--	--
Sales and related occupations	9	11	7
Office and administrative support occupations	3	4	2
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	5	3
Construction and extraction occupations	32	29	18
Construction trades workers	24	23	14
Construction laborers	10	5	3
Construction laborers	10	5	3
Roofers	--	8	5
Roofers	--	8	5
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	9	11	7
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	7	4
Production occupations	18	9	6
Other production occupations	9	5	3
Transportation and material moving occupations	41	52	32
Motor vehicle operators	25	36	22
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	23	31	19
Driver/sales workers	3	5	3
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	18	24	15
Material moving workers	13	10	6
Laborers and material movers, hand	8	7	4
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	6	6	4
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. (2) Totals 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. CFOI fatality 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, Illinois, 2013–14

Worker characteristics	2013 (1)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	176	163	100
Employee status
Wage and salary (2)	129	120	74
Self-employed (3)	47	43	26
Gender
Men	159	144	88
Women	17	19	12
Age (4)
20 to 24 years	7	9	6
25 to 34 years	30	18	11
35 to 44 years	40	32	20
45 to 54 years	38	46	28
55 to 64 years	38	34	21
65 years and over	19	21	13
Race or ethnic origin (5)
White, non-Hispanic	125	126	77
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	18	17	10
Hispanic or Latino	26	16	10
Footnotes: (1) Totals 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. (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. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.