Fatal work injuries totaled 92 in 2016 for Minnesota, 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 Minnesota increased from 74 in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 113 in 1993 to a low of 60 in 2011. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries in 2015, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. This was the third consecutive increase in annual workplace fatalities and the first time more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded since 2008.

Type of incident

In Minnesota, transportation incidents resulted in 46 fatal work injuries. Exposure to harmful substances or environments and falls, slips, or trips accounted for 12 and 11 fatal work injuries, respectively. These three major categories accounted for 75 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents increased from 31 in the previous year. Fatalities from exposure to harmful substances or environments increased by nine from the previous year, and fatalities from falls, slips, or trips were down by two.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2016, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by falls, slips, or trips (16 percent).

Industry

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatal work injuries in Minnesota with 23, unchanged from the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event with 10 worker deaths. Fifty-two percent of those fatally injured in this sector worked in crop production.

The private construction sector had 15 workplace fatalities, up 6 from the previous year. The specialty trade contractor industry accounted for 9, or 60 percent, of the fatal injuries in this sector.

Occupation

Construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of work-related fatalities with 18. (See table 3.) Construction trades workers accounted for 8 of the 18 fatalities. Management occupations had 17 workplace fatalities. Fourteen of the worker deaths within this group were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers. Transportation and material moving occupations also had 17 workplace fatalities. Ten of the fatalities within this group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 91 percent of the work-related fatalities in Minnesota, compared to the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 51 percent of the fatalities for men in Minnesota.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 86 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 41 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally. Workers aged 55 years and over made up 52 percent of fatalities in Minnesota, higher than the 36-percent national share.
• Of the 92 fatally-injured workers in Minnesota, 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 2016 national data, over 23,300 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 website at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm.

Federal/State agency coverage. The CFOI includes data for all fatal work injuries, even those that may be outside the scope of other agencies or 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. More on the scope of CFOI can be found at www.bls.gov/iif/cfoiscope.htm.

Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry 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, Minnesota, 2015–16

Event or exposure (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	74	92	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	7	10	11
Intentional injury by person	7	9	10
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	4	3	3
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	3	6	7
Transportation incidents	31	46	50
Pedestrian vehicular incident	4	4	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	19	29	32
Roadway collision with other vehicle	11	17	18
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	2	8	9
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	6	4	4
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	3	10	11
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	3	9	10
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	5	7	8
Nonroadway noncollision incident	4	4	4
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	3	3	3
Falls, slips, trips	13	11	12
Falls on same level	3	3	3
Falls to lower level	10	8	9
Other fall to lower level	6	7	8
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet	--	3	3
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	3	12	13
Exposure to electricity	--	--	--
Exposure to other harmful substances	3	6	7
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	--	4	4
Contact with objects and equipment	17	10	11
Struck by object or equipment	11	6	7
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	5	5	5
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	1	3	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, Minnesota, 2015–16

Industry (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	74	92	100
Private industry	71	84	91
Natural resources and mining	24	25	27
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	23	23	25
Crop production	14	12	13
Oilseed and grain farming	4	6	7
Corn farming	4	4	4
Animal production and aquaculture	7	7	8
Cattle ranching and farming	6	6	7
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	--	3	3
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2)	--	2	2
Mining (except oil and gas)	--	--	--
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying	--	--	--
Other nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying	--	--	--
All other nonmetallic mineral mining	--	2	2
Support activities for mining	--	2	2
Support activities for mining	--	2	2
Support activities for mining	--	2	2
Drilling oil and gas wells	--	2	2
Construction	9	15	16
Construction	9	15	16
Construction of buildings	3	3	3
Heavy and civil engineering construction	--	3	3
Specialty trade contractors	5	9	10
Building equipment contractors	--	5	5
Electrical contractors	--	3	3
Manufacturing	7	4	4
Manufacturing	7	4	4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	13	17	18
Retail trade	5	5	5
Transportation and warehousing	6	11	12
Truck transportation	3	8	9
General freight trucking	3	6	7
General freight trucking, long-distance	--	6	7
Professional and business services	8	10	11
Professional and technical services	1	3	3
Professional, scientific, and technical services	1	3	3
Administrative and waste services	7	7	8
Administrative and support services	7	5	5
Services to buildings and dwellings	5	3	3
Educational and health services	3	3	3
Health care and social assistance	3	3	3
Leisure and hospitality	4	4	4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	3	2	2
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries	--	2	2
Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events	--	2	2
Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events with facilities	--	2	2
Other services, except public administration	--	3	3
Other services, except public administration	--	3	3
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	--	3	3
Government (3)	3	8	9
State government	--	4	4
Local government	3	4	4
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, Minnesota, 2015–16

Occupation (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	74	92	100
Management occupations	15	17	18
Other management occupations	14	15	16
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	14	14	15
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	14	14	15
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	5	4	4
Personal care and service occupations	--	2	2
Entertainment attendants and related workers	--	2	2
Miscellaneous entertainment attendants and related workers	--	2	2
Amusement and recreation attendants	--	2	2
Sales and related occupations	5	3	3
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	8	9	10
Agricultural workers	7	6	7
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	7	6	7
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	3	3	3
Construction and extraction occupations	9	18	20
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	4	6	7
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	4	6	7
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	4	6	7
Construction trades workers	5	8	9
Construction laborers	--	4	4
Construction laborers	--	4	4
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	3	5	5
Production occupations	7	5	5
Transportation and material moving occupations	8	17	18
Motor vehicle operators	6	11	12
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	6	10	11
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	6	10	11
Material moving workers	--	3	3
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	--	3	3
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	--	3	3
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
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 selected demographic characteristics, Minnesota, 2015–16

Worker characteristics	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	74	92	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	40	58	63
Self-employed (2)	34	34	37
Gender
Men	60	84	91
Women	14	8	9
Age (3)
20 to 24 years	7	4	4
25 to 34 years	9	12	13
35 to 44 years	7	15	16
45 to 54 years	13	11	12
55 to 64 years	19	27	29
65 years and over	17	21	23
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	70	79	86
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	--	3	3
Hispanic or Latino	--	6	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.