Fatal work injuries totaled 38 in 2014 for North Dakota, 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 North Dakota decreased by 18 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 65 in 2012 to a low of 20 in 1992. (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 38 fatal work injuries reported in North Dakota in 2014, 17 resulted from transportation incidents and 10 from contact with objects and equipment. Together these two major categories accounted for almost three-quarters of 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 nine deaths. This category accounted for almost one-quarter of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. For the contact with objects and equipment category, 6 of the 10 deaths occurred as a result of being struck by an object or equipment. (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 North Dakota, transportation incidents accounted for 45 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 North Dakota was 16 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, contact with objects and equipment was responsible for 26 percent of workplace fatalities.

Additional highlights:

• The construction industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 10, little changed from 11 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for five fatal work injuries in this industry. (See table 2.)
• Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting and mining each had the second highest fatality count with eight. Contact with objects and equipment accounted for five of the deaths in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry. Transportation incidents accounted for three of the deaths in the mining industry.
• Construction occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 12. Extraction workers suffered five deaths and construction trades workers, four fatalities. (See table 3.)
• Men accounted for all 38 of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 45 percent of these fatalities.
• In North Dakota, 89 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 21, or 55 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 38 fatal work injuries in North Dakota, 63 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, North Dakota, 2013–14

Event or exposure (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	56	38	100
Transportation incidents	32	17	45
Rail vehicle incidents	--	4	11
Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle	--	4	11
Collision between rail and roadway vehicles	--	3	8
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	27	9	24
Roadway collision with other vehicle	16	7	18
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	6	1	3
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	6	4	11
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	3	2	5
Nonroadway noncollision incident	--	2	5
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	1	2	5
Falls, slips, trips	5	6	16
Falls to lower level	5	5	13
Other fall to lower level	5	5	13
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	--	3	8
Exposure to other harmful substances	--	3	8
Contact with objects and equipment	13	10	26
Struck by object or equipment	9	6	16
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	5	3	8
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	1	3	8
Engulfment in other collapsing material	--	3	8
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, North Dakota, 2013–14

Industry (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	56	38	100
Private industry	52	37	97
Natural resources and mining	22	16	42
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	10	8	21
Crop production	5	5	13
Oilseed and grain farming	--	3	8
Wheat farming	--	1	3
Corn farming	--	2	5
Animal production and aquaculture	4	3	8
Cattle ranching and farming	4	3	8
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots	--	1	3
Beef cattle ranching and farming	--	1	3
Mining (3)	12	8	21
Oil and gas extraction	--	1	3
Oil and gas extraction	--	1	3
Oil and gas extraction	--	1	3
Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction	--	1	3
Support activities for mining	11	7	18
Support activities for mining	11	7	18
Support activities for mining	11	7	18
Support activities for oil and gas operations	11	5	13
Construction	11	10	26
Construction	11	10	26
Construction of buildings	--	1	3
Residential building construction	--	1	3
Residential building construction	--	1	3
Residential remodelers	--	1	3
Specialty trade contractors	6	8	21
Electrical contractors	--	1	3
Other specialty trade contractors	--	4	11
All other specialty trade contractors	--	2	5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	13	7	18
Transportation and warehousing	8	5	13
Truck transportation	6	5	13
General freight trucking	--	3	8
Professional and business services	4	--	--
Professional and technical services	--	1	3
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	1	3
Architectural, engineering, and related services	--	1	3
Engineering services	--	1	3
Leisure and hospitality	--	1	3
Accommodation and food services	--	1	3
Food services and drinking places	--	1	3
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	--	1	3
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	--	1	3
Government (4)	4	1	3
Local government	1	1	3
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 at all establishments categorized as Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. (4) 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, North Dakota, 2013–14

Occupation (1)	2013 (2)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	56	38	100
Management occupations	8	7	18
Other management occupations	8	7	18
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	8	6	16
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	8	6	16
Food service managers	--	1	3
Food service managers	--	1	3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	1	1	3
Grounds maintenance workers	--	1	3
Grounds maintenance workers	--	1	3
Construction and extraction occupations	16	12	32
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	3	3	8
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	3	8
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	3	8
Construction trades workers	7	4	11
Construction laborers	--	3	8
Construction laborers	--	3	8
Electricians	4	1	3
Electricians	4	1	3
Extraction workers	6	5	13
Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining	--	4	11
Roustabouts, oil and gas	3	1	3
Roustabouts, oil and gas	3	1	3
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	5	4	11
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	3	8
Transportation and material moving occupations	15	6	16
Motor vehicle operators	12	6	16
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	12	6	16
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	11	6	16
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, North Dakota, 2013–14

Worker characteristics	2013 (1)	2014 (p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	56	38	100
Employee status
Wage and salary (2)	46	24	63
Self-employed (3)	10	14	37
Gender
Men	51	38	100
Women	5	--	--
Age (4)
Under 16 years	--	1	3
16 to 17 years	--	--	--
18 to 19 years	2	--	--
20 to 24 years	6	3	8
25 to 34 years	8	9	24
35 to 44 years	9	3	8
45 to 54 years	16	9	24
55 to 64 years	11	7	18
65 years and over	4	6	16
Race or ethnic origin (5)
White, non-Hispanic	49	34	89
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.