Fatal work injuries totaled 28 in 2016 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 decreased from 47 in 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 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 North Dakota, transportation incidents resulted in 14 fatal work injuries. This category accounted for 50 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents decreased by 14 over the year.

Contact with objects or equipment was the second-most frequent fatal work event with 10 fatalities, up from 7 in the prior year.

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 fatalities in North Dakota with 9, down from 13 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Contact with objects and equipment resulted in five worker deaths and transportation incidents accounted for four fatalities. Seventy-eight percent of those fatally injured in this sector worked in crop production.

The private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector had 4 workplace fatalities, down from 12 in the previous year. Support activities for mining accounted for all of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and management occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 10 and 9, respectively, followed by construction and extraction occupations with 5 fatalities. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 9 of the 10 fatalities among transportation and material moving occupations. Eight of the nine fatalities within the management group were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers. Construction trades workers accounted for three fatalities among construction and extraction workers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 96 percent of the work-related fatalities in North Dakota, compared to the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 52 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 25-54 years old accounted for 54 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 28 fatally-injured workers in North Dakota, 68 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 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 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, 2015–16

Event or exposure (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	47	28	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	4	1	4
Intentional injury by person	4	1	4
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	3	1	4
Shooting by other person--intentional	3	1	4
Transportation incidents	28	14	50
Aircraft incidents	--	1	4
Other in-flight crash	--	1	4
Other in-flight crash due to mechanical failure	--	1	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	21	9	32
Roadway collision with other vehicle	9	--	--
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	5	1	4
Roadway noncollision incident	10	6	21
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	10	6	21
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	4	4	14
Nonroadway noncollision incident	2	4	14
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	2	3	11
Fires and explosions	3	1	4
Explosions	--	1	4
Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire	--	1	4
Contact with objects and equipment	7	10	36
Struck by object or equipment	3	9	32
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	2	7	25
Caught between rolling powered vehicle and other object	--	1	4
Struck by other falling powered vehicle	--	2	7
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, 2015–16

Industry (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	47	28	100
Private industry	44	25	89
Natural resources and mining	25	13	46
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	13	9	32
Crop production	6	7	25
Oilseed and grain farming	--	1	4
Other grain farming	--	1	4
Other crop farming	--	1	4
All other crop farming	--	1	4
Animal production and aquaculture	6	2	7
Cattle ranching and farming	3	1	4
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots	1	1	4
Beef cattle ranching and farming	1	1	4
Other animal production	1	1	4
Horses and other equine production	1	1	4
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2)	12	4	14
Mining (except oil and gas)	--	--	--
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying	--	--	--
Other nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying	--	--	--
All other nonmetallic mineral mining	12	4	14
Support activities for mining	12	4	14
Support activities for mining	12	4	14
Support activities for mining	12	4	14
Support activities for oil and gas operations	12	4	14
Trade, transportation, and utilities	6	6	21
Professional and business services	4	2	7
Professional and technical services	--	1	4
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	1	4
Other professional, scientific, and technical services	--	1	4
Administrative and waste services	--	1	4
Waste management and remediation services	--	1	4
Waste collection	--	1	4
Waste collection	--	1	4
Solid waste collection	--	1	4
Government (3)	3	3	11
Local government	3	3	11
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, 2015–16

Occupation (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	47	28	100
Management occupations	10	9	32
Other management occupations	10	9	32
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	10	8	29
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	10	8	29
Miscellaneous managers	--	1	4
Protective service occupations	--	1	4
Law enforcement workers	--	1	4
Police officers	--	1	4
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	--	1	4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	1	4
Agricultural workers	--	1	4
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	--	1	4
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	1	4
Construction and extraction occupations	12	5	18
Construction trades workers	5	3	11
Construction equipment operators	--	1	4
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	--	1	4
Production occupations	1	1	4
Plant and system operators	1	1	4
Miscellaneous plant and system operators	1	1	4
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers	1	1	4
Transportation and material moving occupations	13	10	36
Motor vehicle operators	8	9	32
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	6	9	32
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	6	9	32
Material moving workers	5	1	4
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	--	1	4
Refuse and recyclable material collectors	--	1	4
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, North Dakota, 2015–16

Worker characteristics	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	47	28	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	37	19	68
Self-employed (2)	10	9	32
Gender
Men	46	27	96
Women	1	1	4
Age (3)
Under 16 years	--	1	4
25 to 34 years	--	3	11
35 to 44 years	9	3	11
45 to 54 years	10	9	32
55 to 64 years	13	9	32
65 years and over	8	3	11
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	42	25	89
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	--	--	--
Hispanic or Latino	4	--	--
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.