Fatal work injuries totaled 134 in 2015 for Michigan, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Michigan was down from 143 in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 182 in 1999 to a low of 94 in 2009. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries in 2014, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In Michigan, transportation incidents resulted in 45 fatal work injuries and violence or other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 35 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 60 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents were down over the year and worker fatalities due to violence or other injuries by persons or animals were little changed.

Contact with objects or equipment was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 22 fatalities, unchanged from the prior year. Falls, slips, or trips resulted in 19 work-related deaths, down from 24 in 2014.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2015, accounting for approximately 42 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second-most frequent type of event (17 percent), followed by contact with objects and equipment (15 percent) and violence and other injuries by persons or animals (15 percent).

Industry

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in Michigan with 23, little changed from the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal event with 12 worker deaths, followed by contact with objects and equipment with 4 fatalities. Fifty-two percent those fatally injured in this sector worked in crop production.

The private construction sector had 22 workplace fatalities, little changed from the previous year. Specialty trade contractors accounted for 12, or 55 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and management occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 29 and 28, respectively. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 13 of the 29 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The majority of the fatalities within the management group were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (18).

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 89 percent of the work-related fatalities in Michigan, lower than the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents and violence and other injuries by persons or animals made up 32 percent and 27 percent, respectively, of the fatalities for men in Michigan.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 72 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 52 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 134 fatal work injuries in Michigan, 63 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents; transportation incidents and violence and other injuries by persons or animals were the most frequent fatal events for self-employed workers.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI 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 the 2015 data, over 21,400 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for CFOI, 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. BLS thanks the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for their efforts in collecting accurate, comprehensive, and useful data on fatal work injuries. BLS also appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that provided source documents used to identify fatal work injuries. Among these agencies are the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; the National Transportation Safety Board; the U.S. Coast Guard; the Mine Safety and Health Administration; the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (Federal Employees' Compensation and Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation divisions); the Federal Railroad Administration; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; state vital statistics registrars, coroners, and medical examiners; state departments of health, labor, and industrial relations and workers' compensation agencies; state and local police departments; and state farm bureaus.

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, Michigan, 2014–15

Event or exposure (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	143	134	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	32	35	26
Intentional injury by person	27	34	25
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	18	22	16
Shooting by other person--intentional	14	19	14
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	9	12	9
Shooting--intentional self-harm	4	7	5
Transportation incidents	51	45	34
Aircraft incidents	5	3	2
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing	--	3	2
Pedestrian vehicular incident	10	5	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	25	27	20
Roadway collision with other vehicle	14	14	10
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	4	5	4
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	6	3	2
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway	1	4	3
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	8	7	5
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	6	6	4
Roadway noncollision incident	3	6	4
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	--	5	4
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	5	10	7
Nonroadway noncollision incident	4	8	6
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	--	4	3
Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway	--	3	2
Fires and explosions	3	3	2
Falls, slips, trips	24	19	14
Falls on same level	4	5	4
Falls to lower level	20	14	10
Other fall to lower level	17	10	7
Other fall to lower level 16 to 20 feet	4	3	2
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	11	10	7
Exposure to other harmful substances	5	6	4
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	3	3	2
Inhalation of harmful substance	--	3	2
Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode	--	3	2
Contact with objects and equipment	22	22	16
Struck by object or equipment	15	12	9
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	4	6	4
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	9	5	4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	4	5	4
Caught in running equipment or machinery	4	5	4
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	3	4	3
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Michigan, 2014–15

Industry (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	143	134	100
Private industry	134	127	95
Natural resources and mining	25	24	18
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	25	23	17
Crop production	12	12	9
Oilseed and grain farming	4	6	4
Corn farming	3	3	2
Animal production and aquaculture	6	9	7
Cattle ranching and farming	6	7	5
Dairy cattle and milk production	5	5	4
Construction	23	22	16
Construction	23	22	16
Construction of buildings	8	8	6
Residential building construction	5	6	4
Residential building construction	5	6	4
Residential remodelers	5	4	3
Specialty trade contractors	14	12	9
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	5	4	3
Building equipment contractors	6	5	4
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors	3	4	3
Manufacturing	11	19	14
Manufacturing	11	19	14
Food manufacturing	--	3	2
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	1	3	2
Transportation equipment manufacturing	4	4	3
Motor vehicle manufacturing	--	3	2
Automobile and light duty motor vehicle manufacturing	--	3	2
Automobile manufacturing	--	3	2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	39	28	21
Wholesale trade	6	8	6
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	4	3	2
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	2	5	4
Retail trade	13	8	6
Transportation and warehousing	19	12	9
Truck transportation	12	4	3
General freight trucking	8	4	3
General freight trucking, long-distance	7	3	2
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	6	3	2
Support activities for transportation	1	3	2
Financial activities	5	8	6
Real estate and rental and leasing	4	7	5
Real estate	3	5	4
Lessors of real estate	--	4	3
Lessors of residential buildings and dwellings	--	3	2
Professional and business services	8	12	9
Professional and technical services	--	4	3
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	4	3
Administrative and waste services	7	8	6
Administrative and support services	5	8	6
Services to buildings and dwellings	4	5	4
Landscaping services	3	3	2
Leisure and hospitality	9	8	6
Accommodation and food services	6	6	4
Food services and drinking places	4	6	4
Restaurants and other eating places	3	4	3
Restaurants and other eating places	3	4	3
Limited-service restaurants	--	4	3
Other services, except public administration	9	5	4
Other services, except public administration	9	5	4
Repair and maintenance	4	3	2
Government (2)	9	7	5
Federal government	--	1	1
State government	3	2	1
Local government	5	4	3
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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, Michigan, 2014–15

Occupation (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	143	134	100
Management occupations	22	28	21
Other management occupations	19	24	18
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	11	18	13
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	11	18	13
Property, real estate, and community association managers	3	4	3
Property, real estate, and community association managers	3	4	3
Protective service occupations	3	4	3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	6	4	3
Grounds maintenance workers	1	3	2
Grounds maintenance workers	1	3	2
Sales and related occupations	9	8	6
Supervisors of sales workers	4	5	4
First-line supervisors of sales workers	4	5	4
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	3	4	3
Office and administrative support occupations	5	3	2
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	11	8	6
Agricultural workers	6	5	4
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	6	5	4
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	1	3	2
Forest, conservation, and logging workers	5	3	2
Construction and extraction occupations	19	22	16
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	3	3	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	3	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	3	2
Construction trades workers	15	17	13
Construction laborers	8	8	6
Construction laborers	8	8	6
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	12	7	5
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	7	5	4
Maintenance and repair workers, general	--	4	3
Maintenance and repair workers, general	--	4	3
Production occupations	8	12	9
Supervisors of production workers	--	5	4
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	5	4
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	5	4
Other production occupations	--	3	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	31	29	22
Motor vehicle operators	17	23	17
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	15	20	15
Driver/sales workers	--	3	2
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	14	13	10
Light truck or delivery services drivers	1	4	3
Material moving workers	9	5	4
Laborers and material movers, hand	5	4	3
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	5	3	2
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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, Michigan, 2014–15

Worker characteristics	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	143	134	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	92	85	63
Self-employed (2)	51	49	37
Gender
Men	125	119	89
Women	18	15	11
Age (3)
Under 16 years	--	1	1
16 to 17 years	--	1	1
18 to 19 years	--	1	1
20 to 24 years	11	9	7
25 to 34 years	21	19	14
35 to 44 years	32	23	17
45 to 54 years	31	28	21
55 to 64 years	26	26	19
65 years and over	22	26	19
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	117	96	72
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	15	18	13
Hispanic or Latino	6	12	9
Asian, non-Hispanic	3	4	3
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.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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.