Fatal work injuries totaled 54 in 2014 for Nebraska, 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 Nebraska increased by 15 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 83 in 1994 and 2002 to a low of 36 in 2005. (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 54 fatal work injuries reported in Nebraska in 2014, 25 resulted from transportation incidents, 10 from contact with objects and equipment, and 9 from falls, slips, or trips. Together these three major categories accounted for over 80 percent of all fatal work injuries reported in the state. (See table 1.) Other major event categories each reported fewer than nine deaths. Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 16 deaths. This category accounted for more than one-quarter of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. For the contact with objects and equipment category, 4 of the 10 deaths occurred as a result of being struck by an object or equipment, and 4 more occurred as a result of being struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material. In the falls, slips, or trips category, eight of nine deaths occurred as a result of falling 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 Nebraska, transportation incidents accounted for 46 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 Nebraska was also 17 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 accounted for 13 percent of workplace fatalities while contact with objects and equipment was responsible for 19 percent of workplace fatalities.

 

Additional highlights:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 16, little changed from 15 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for eight fatal work injuries in this industry. (See table 2.)
• Construction had the second highest fatality count with nine. Transportation incidents accounted for six deaths in this industry.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 14. Motor vehicle operators suffered nine fatalities and material moving workers, five deaths. (See table 3.)
• Men accounted for 50, or 93 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 44 percent of these fatalities.
• In Nebraska, 74 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 22, or more than 40 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 54 fatal work injuries in Nebraska, 69 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder was self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both wage and salary workers and for 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, Nebraska, 2013–14

Event or exposure (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	39	54	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	4	7	13
Intentional injury by person	3	5	9
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	3	3	6
Shooting by other person--intentional	3	2	4
Transportation incidents	21	25	46
Rail vehicle incidents	--	3	6
Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle	--	3	6
Collision between rail and roadway vehicles	--	3	6
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	12	16	30
Roadway collision with other vehicle	7	9	17
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	2	2	4
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	2	3	6
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	3	3	6
Roadway noncollision incident	3	6	11
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	3	5	9
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	3	4	7
Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle	--	3	6
Fires and explosions	--	2	4
Falls, slips, trips	4	9	17
Falls to lower level	--	8	15
Other fall to lower level	--	8	15
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	--	3	6
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	--	3	6
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	1	1	2
Contact with objects and equipment	9	10	19
Struck by object or equipment	7	4	7
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	2	4	7
Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment	--	2	4
Engulfment in other collapsing material	1	2	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, Nebraska, 2013–14

Industry (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	39	54	100
Private industry	34	50	93
Natural resources and mining	15	17	31
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	15	16	30
Crop production	10	11	20
Oilseed and grain farming	--	2	4
Animal production and aquaculture	4	5	9
Cattle ranching and farming	4	4	7
Construction	7	9	17
Construction	7	9	17
Construction of buildings	2	2	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	1	3	6
Specialty trade contractors	4	--	--
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	3	--	--
Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors	1	3	6
Manufacturing	--	7	13
Manufacturing	--	7	13
Food manufacturing	--	5	9
Animal food manufacturing	--	3	6
Animal food manufacturing	--	3	6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	8	13	24
Wholesale trade	3	7	13
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	1	2	4
Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers	1	2	4
Farm and garden machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers	1	2	4
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	2	5	9
Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers	1	3	6
Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers	1	3	6
Retail trade	--	2	4
Transportation and warehousing	5	3	6
Truck transportation	4	3	6
Specialized freight trucking	--	2	4
Information	--	2	4
Information	--	2	4
Financial activities	--	1	2
Professional and business services	1	1	2
Government (3)	5	4	7
Local government	3	4	7
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, Nebraska, 2013–14

Occupation (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	39	54	100
Management occupations	11	11	20
Other management occupations	8	11	20
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	8	11	20
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	8	11	20
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	--	1	2
Protective service occupations	1	3	6
Sales and related occupations	2	3	6
Supervisors of sales workers	2	3	6
First-line supervisors of sales workers	2	3	6
First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers	2	2	4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	5	5	9
Agricultural workers	4	5	9
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	4	5	9
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	2	4
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	--	3	6
Construction and extraction occupations	5	11	20
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	--	4	7
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	4	7
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	4	7
Construction trades workers	3	6	11
Construction laborers	--	5	9
Construction laborers	--	5	9
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3	3	6
Transportation and material moving occupations	6	14	26
Motor vehicle operators	5	9	17
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	4	9	17
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	3	6	11
Light truck or delivery services drivers	--	2	4
Material moving workers	1	5	9
Industrial truck and tractor operators	--	2	4
Industrial truck and tractor operators	--	2	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, Nebraska, 2013–14

Worker characteristics	2013 (1)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	39	54	100
Employee status
Wage and salary (2)	27	37	69
Self-employed (3)	12	17	31
Gender
Men	36	50	93
Women	3	4	7
Age (4)
20 to 24 years	1	5	9
25 to 34 years	4	6	11
35 to 44 years	4	6	11
45 to 54 years	10	10	19
55 to 64 years	6	11	20
65 years and over	14	16	30
Race or ethnic origin (5)
White, non-Hispanic	33	40	74
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	--	4	7
Hispanic or Latino	3	9	17
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.