Fatal work injuries totaled 104 in 2015 for Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin was up 5 from the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 138 in 1993 to a low of 77 in 2008. (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 Wisconsin, transportation incidents resulted in 46 fatal work injuries. This major category accounted for 44 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents increased by 7 over the year.

Contact with objects and equipment was the second-most frequent fatal work event with 18 fatalities, down 4 from the prior year. Falls, slips, or trips resulted in 17 work-related deaths, the same count as 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 Wisconsin with 26, little changed from the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal event in the agriculture sector with 12 worker deaths, followed by contact with objects or equipment with 6 fatalities. Forty-six percent of those fatally injured in this sector worked in cattle ranching and farming.

The private manufacturing sector had 14 workplace fatalities, slightly higher than the previous year. Food manufacturing accounted for 3, or 21 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry. The transportation and warehousing industry sector also had 14 workplace fatalities, 5 more than the previous year. Truck transportation accounted for 12, or 86 percent, of fatalities in this sector.

Occupation

Management occupations and transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 20 and 19, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the management group were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (15). Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 12 of the 19 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 96 percent of the work-related fatalities in Wisconsin, slightly higher than the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 44 percent of the fatalities for men in Wisconsin.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 87 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 49 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 104 fatal work injuries in Wisconsin, 63 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both groups of workers was transportation incidents.

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 Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene 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, Wisconsin, 2014–15

Event or exposure (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	99	104	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	15	11	11
Intentional injury by person	12	11	11
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	3	4	4
Shooting by other person--intentional	--	4	4
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	9	7	7
Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm	--	5	5
Transportation incidents	39	46	44
Aircraft incidents	--	5	5
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing	--	2	2
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--into structure, object, or ground	--	2	2
Animal and other non-motorized vehicle transportation incidents	--	--	--
Animal transportation incident	--	2	2
Animal transportation collision in roadway	--	2	2
Pedestrian vehicular incident	3	11	11
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	--	6	6
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	22	15	14
Roadway collision with other vehicle	12	11	11
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	7	4	4
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	2	3	3
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	8	10	10
Nonroadway noncollision incident	7	8	8
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	4	4	4
Falls, slips, trips	17	17	16
Falls to lower level	12	16	15
Other fall to lower level	12	14	13
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet	4	3	3
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	3	3	3
Other fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet	--	1	1
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	5	11	11
Exposure to other harmful substances	4	9	9
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	--	4	4
Inhalation of harmful substance	3	5	5
Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode	3	5	5
Contact with objects and equipment	22	18	17
Struck by object or equipment	16	11	11
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	3	4	4
Struck by other falling powered vehicle	--	1	1
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	11	7	7
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	6	5	5
Caught in running equipment or machinery	6	4	4
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, Wisconsin, 2014–15

Industry (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	99	104	100
Private industry	94	95	91
Natural resources and mining	27	26	25
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	27	26	25
Crop production	12	8	8
Oilseed and grain farming	--	1	1
Animal production and aquaculture	9	13	13
Cattle ranching and farming	9	12	12
Dairy cattle and milk production	8	7	7
Other animal production	--	1	1
Horses and other equine production	--	1	1
Forestry and logging	5	4	4
Logging	4	4	4
Logging	4	4	4
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	--	1	1
Support activities for crop production	--	1	1
Support activities for crop production	--	1	1
Soil preparation, planting, and cultivating	--	1	1
Construction	14	10	10
Construction	14	10	10
Heavy and civil engineering construction	--	3	3
Specialty trade contractors	11	6	6
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	--	--	--
Structural steel and precast concrete contractors	--	1	1
Nonresidential structural steel and precast concrete contractors	--	1	1
Building equipment contractors	5	1	1
Electrical contractors	--	1	1
Manufacturing	11	14	13
Manufacturing	11	14	13
Food manufacturing	3	3	3
Leather and allied product manufacturing	--	1	1
Leather and hide tanning and finishing	--	1	1
Leather and hide tanning and finishing	--	1	1
Paper manufacturing	--	--	--
Converted paper product manufacturing	--	1	1
Paperboard container manufacturing	--	1	1
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	--	--	--
Machine shops; turned product; and screw, nut, and bolt manufacturing	1	1	1
Machine shops	1	1	1
Miscellaneous manufacturing	--	1	1
Other miscellaneous manufacturing	--	1	1
Sporting and athletic goods manufacturing	--	1	1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	17	24	23
Utilities	--	1	1
Utilities	--	1	1
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	--	1	1
Electric power transmission, control, and distribution	--	1	1
Electric power distribution	--	1	1
Wholesale trade	--	5	5
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	1	3	3
Retail trade	6	4	4
Motor vehicle and parts dealers	--	1	1
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores	--	1	1
Tire dealers	--	1	1
Food and beverage stores	1	1	1
Grocery stores	--	1	1
Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores	--	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	9	14	13
Air transportation	--	1	1
Nonscheduled air transportation	--	1	1
Nonscheduled air transportation	--	1	1
Truck transportation	4	12	12
General freight trucking	--	4	4
General freight trucking, long-distance	--	3	3
General freight trucking, long-distance, less than truckload	--	1	1
Specialized freight trucking	--	7	7
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local	--	6	6
Professional and business services	13	7	7
Administrative and waste services	10	7	7
Administrative and support services	8	7	7
Services to buildings and dwellings	3	6	6
Janitorial services	--	3	3
Carpet and upholstery cleaning services	--	1	1
Leisure and hospitality	4	3	3
Accommodation and food services	2	2	2
Food services and drinking places	2	2	2
Special food services	--	1	1
Mobile food services	--	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	2	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	2	1	1
Other services, except public administration	3	8	8
Other services, except public administration	3	8	8
Repair and maintenance	--	5	5
Automotive repair and maintenance	--	4	4
Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance	--	3	3
General automotive repair	--	3	3
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	--	--	--
Religious organizations	--	1	1
Religious organizations	--	1	1
Government (2)	5	9	9
Federal government	1	--	--
State government	--	1	1
Local government	--	8	8
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, Wisconsin, 2014–15

Occupation (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	99	104	100
Management occupations	17	20	19
Operations specialties managers	--	1	1
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	--	1	1
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers	--	1	1
Other management occupations	17	18	17
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	13	15	14
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	13	15	14
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	--	1	1
Health technologists and technicians	--	1	1
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	--	1	1
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	--	1	1
Protective service occupations	--	4	4
Fire fighting and prevention workers	--	1	1
Firefighters	--	1	1
Firefighters	--	1	1
Law enforcement workers	--	2	2
Police officers	--	2	2
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	--	2	2
Food preparation and serving related occupations	1	1	1
Other food preparation and serving related workers	--	1	1
Miscellaneous food preparation and serving related workers	--	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	3	7	7
Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	1	3	3
First-line supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	1	3	3
Sales and related occupations	5	4	4
Other sales and related workers	--	1	1
Miscellaneous sales and related workers	--	1	1
Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers	--	1	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	14	10	10
Agricultural workers	9	5	5
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	9	5	5
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	4	4	4
Forest, conservation, and logging workers	5	3	3
Logging workers	5	3	3
Fallers	5	3	3
Construction and extraction occupations	15	13	13
Construction trades workers	13	7	7
Electricians	--	1	1
Electricians	--	1	1
Other construction and related workers	--	5	5
Highway maintenance workers	--	5	5
Highway maintenance workers	--	5	5
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	5	9	9
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	3	--	--
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	--	1	1
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	--	1	1
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	6	6
Line installers and repairers	--	3	3
Production occupations	4	11	11
Supervisors of production workers	--	4	4
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	4	4
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	4	4
Metal workers and plastic workers	--	3	3
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	--	3	3
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers	--	3	3
Transportation and material moving occupations	22	19	18
Air transportation workers	2	2	2
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	2	2	2
Commercial pilots	2	2	2
Motor vehicle operators	11	14	13
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	10	13	13
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	9	12	12
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, Wisconsin, 2014–15

Worker characteristics	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	99	104	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	59	65	63
Self-employed (2)	40	39	38
Gender
Men	87	100	96
Women	12	4	4
Age (3)
Under 16 years	--	1	1
20 to 24 years	6	6	6
25 to 34 years	12	18	17
35 to 44 years	11	11	11
45 to 54 years	22	22	21
55 to 64 years	19	26	25
65 years and over	26	19	18
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	89	90	87
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	4	5	5
Hispanic or Latino	5	7	7
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.