Fatal work injuries totaled 47 in 2015 for North Dakota, 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 North Dakota increased from 38 the previous 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 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 North Dakota, transportation incidents resulted in 28 fatal work injuries. This category accounted for 60 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents increased by 11 over the year.

Contact with objects or equipment was the second-most frequent fatal work event with seven fatalities, down slightly from the prior year. Violence or other injuries by persons or animals resulted in four work-related deaths.

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 North Dakota with 13, increasing by 5 from the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal event in the agriculture sector with 5 worker deaths, followed by contact with objects and equipment with 4 fatalities. Ninety-two percent of those fatally injured in this sector worked in either crop production or animal production and aquaculture.

The private mining sector had 12 workplace fatalities, up from 8 in the previous year. Support activities for oil and gas operations accounted for all of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 13 and 12, respectively, followed by management occupations with 10 fatalities. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 6 of the 13 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. Six of the fatalities within the construction and extraction group were extraction workers. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for all 10 fatalities among management workers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 98 percent of the work-related fatalities in North Dakota, above the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 59 percent of the fatalities for men in North Dakota.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 89 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 35-54 years old accounted for 40 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 41 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 47 fatal work injuries in North Dakota, 79 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents; contact with objects or equipment was the most frequent event 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 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, North Dakota, 2014–15

Event or exposure (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	38	47	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	--	4	9
Intentional injury by person	--	4	9
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	--	3	6
Shooting by other person--intentional	--	3	6
Transportation incidents	17	28	60
Rail vehicle incidents	4	1	2
Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle	4	1	2
Collision between rail and roadway vehicles	3	1	2
Pedestrian vehicular incident	--	2	4
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	--	1	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone	--	1	2
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	--	1	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area	--	1	2
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	9	21	45
Roadway collision with other vehicle	7	9	19
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	--	1	2
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	1	2	4
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	4	5	11
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway	--	1	2
Roadway noncollision incident	--	10	21
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	--	10	21
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	2	4	9
Nonroadway noncollision incident	2	2	4
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	2	2	4
Fires and explosions	--	3	6
Fires	--	3	6
Vehicle or machinery fire	--	1	2
Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids	--	1	2
Falls, slips, trips	6	--	--
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	3	--	--
Exposure to electricity	--	1	2
Indirect exposure to electricity	--	1	2
Indirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts	--	1	2
Contact with objects and equipment	10	7	15
Struck by object or equipment	6	3	6
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	3	2	4
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle	--	1	2
Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached	--	1	2
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	--	1	2
Compressed or pinched between two stationary objects	--	1	2
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	3	3	6
Excavation or trenching cave-in	--	1	2
Engulfment in other collapsing material	3	1	2
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, North Dakota, 2014–15

Industry (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	38	47	100
Private industry	37	44	94
Natural resources and mining	16	25	53
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	8	13	28
Crop production	5	6	13
Animal production and aquaculture	3	6	13
Cattle ranching and farming	3	3	6
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots	1	1	2
Beef cattle ranching and farming	1	1	2
Hog and pig farming	--	2	4
Hog and pig farming	--	2	4
Other animal production	--	1	2
Horses and other equine production	--	1	2
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	--	1	2
Support activities for forestry	--	1	2
Support activities for forestry	--	1	2
Mining (2)	8	12	26
Support activities for mining	7	12	26
Support activities for mining	7	12	26
Support activities for mining	7	12	26
Support activities for oil and gas operations	5	12	26
Construction	10	7	15
Construction	10	7	15
Construction of buildings	1	2	4
Nonresidential building construction	--	2	4
Commercial and institutional building construction	--	2	4
Specialty trade contractors	8	5	11
Building equipment contractors	--	--	--
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors	--	--	--
Residential plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors	--	1	2
Other specialty trade contractors	4	3	6
All other specialty trade contractors	2	--	--
All other nonresidential specialty trade contractors	--	1	2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	7	6	13
Wholesale trade	--	1	2
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	--	1	2
Lumber and other construction materials merchant wholesalers	--	1	2
Brick, stone, and related construction material merchant wholesalers	--	1	2
Retail trade	--	2	4
Food and beverage stores	--	1	2
Specialty food stores	--	1	2
Meat markets	--	1	2
General merchandise stores	--	1	2
Other general merchandise stores	--	1	2
Warehouse clubs and supercenters	--	1	2
Transportation and warehousing	5	3	6
Truck transportation	5	3	6
General freight trucking	3	1	2
General freight trucking, local	--	1	2
Specialized freight trucking	--	2	4
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local	--	2	4
Professional and business services	--	4	9
Professional and technical services	1	--	--
Professional, scientific, and technical services	1	--	--
Architectural, engineering, and related services	1	--	--
Engineering services	1	1	2
Administrative and waste services	--	--	--
Administrative and support services	--	--	--
Services to buildings and dwellings	--	1	2
Janitorial services	--	1	2
Government (3)	1	3	6
Local government	1	3	6
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) 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. (3) 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, North Dakota, 2014–15

Occupation (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	38	47	100
Management occupations	7	10	21
Other management occupations	7	10	21
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	6	10	21
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	6	10	21
Architecture and engineering occupations	--	--	--
Engineers	--	1	2
Civil engineers	--	1	2
Civil engineers	--	1	2
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	--	1	2
Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers	--	1	2
Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers	--	1	2
Coaches and scouts	--	1	2
Sales and related occupations	--	--	--
Supervisors of sales workers	--	1	2
First-line supervisors of sales workers	--	1	2
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	--	1	2
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	--	--
Agricultural workers	--	--	--
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	--	--	--
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	1	1	2
Construction and extraction occupations	12	12	26
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	3	1	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	1	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	1	2
Construction trades workers	4	5	11
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	--	1	2
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	--	1	2
Extraction workers	5	6	13
Roustabouts, oil and gas	1	3	6
Roustabouts, oil and gas	1	3	6
Production occupations	--	1	2
Plant and system operators	--	1	2
Miscellaneous plant and system operators	--	1	2
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers	--	1	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	6	13	28
Motor vehicle operators	6	8	17
Bus drivers	--	2	4
Bus drivers, school or special client	--	2	4
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	6	6	13
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	6	6	13
Material moving workers	--	5	11
Crane and tower operators	--	2	4
Crane and tower operators	--	2	4
Dredge, excavating, and loading machine operators	--	1	2
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators	--	1	2
Hoist and winch operators	--	2	4
Hoist and winch operators	--	2	4
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, North Dakota, 2014–15

Worker characteristics	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	38	47	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	24	37	79
Self-employed (2)	14	10	21
Gender
Men	38	46	98
Women	--	1	2
Age (3)
20 to 24 years	3	5	11
25 to 34 years	9	--	--
35 to 44 years	3	9	19
45 to 54 years	9	10	21
55 to 64 years	7	13	28
65 years and over	6	8	17
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	34	42	89
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	--	--	--
Hispanic or Latino	--	4	9
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.