Fatal work injuries totaled 105 in 2016 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 little changed 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 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries in 2016, 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 Wisconsin, transportation incidents resulted in 38 fatal work injuries and accounted for 36 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents decreased by eight over the year.

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most frequent fatal work event with 23 fatalities, up 12 from the prior year. Falls, slips, or trips resulted in 16 work-related deaths, little changed from 2015.

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 Wisconsin with 20, down from 26 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event in the agriculture sector with eight worker deaths. Fifty percent of those fatally injured in this sector worked in cattle ranching and farming.

The private construction sector had 12 workplace fatalities, compared to 10 in the previous year. Specialty trade contractors accounted for 10, or 83 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry. The manufacturing industry sector also had 12 workplace fatalities, a decrease of 2 from the previous year. Fabricated metal product manufacturing accounted for 5, or 42 percent, of fatalities in this sector.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and management occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 19 and 17, respectively. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 9 of the 19 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The majority of the fatalities within the management group were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers (12).

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 85 percent of the work-related fatalities in Wisconsin, lower than the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 34 percent of the fatalities for men in Wisconsin.
• 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 50 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 105 fatally-injured workers in Wisconsin, 64 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 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, 2015–16

Event or exposure (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	105	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	11	23	22
Intentional injury by person	11	21	20
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	4	11	10
Shooting by other person--intentional	4	9	9
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	7	10	10
Shooting--intentional self-harm	--	7	7
Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm	5	3	3
Transportation incidents	46	38	36
Animal and other non-motorized vehicle transportation incidents	--	1	1
Animal transportation incident	2	1	1
Pedestrian vehicular incident	11	7	7
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	6	5	5
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area	--	4	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	15	22	21
Roadway collision with other vehicle	11	12	11
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	--	3	3
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	4	5	5
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	3	4	4
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	--	4	4
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	--	3	3
Roadway noncollision incident	--	6	6
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	--	4	4
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	10	7	7
Nonroadway noncollision incident	8	6	6
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	4	3	3
Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway	--	3	3
Falls, slips, trips	17	16	15
Falls on same level	--	4	4
Falls to lower level	16	12	11
Fall from collapsing structure or equipment	--	3	3
Other fall to lower level	14	8	8
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	11	11	10
Exposure to other harmful substances	9	8	8
Inhalation of harmful substance	5	6	6
Contact with objects and equipment	18	16	15
Struck by object or equipment	11	12	11
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	4	6	6
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle	--	2	2
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	7	4	4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	5	3	3
Caught in running equipment or machinery	4	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, Wisconsin, 2015–16

Industry (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	105	100
Private industry	95	98	93
Natural resources and mining	26	20	19
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	26	20	19
Crop production	8	9	9
Animal production and aquaculture	13	11	10
Cattle ranching and farming	12	10	10
Dairy cattle and milk production	7	10	10
Construction	10	12	11
Construction	10	12	11
Specialty trade contractors	6	10	10
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	--	5	5
Manufacturing	14	12	11
Manufacturing	14	12	11
Wood product manufacturing	--	1	1
Sawmills and wood preservation	--	1	1
Sawmills and wood preservation	--	1	1
Sawmills	--	1	1
Primary metal manufacturing	--	--	--
Foundries	--	--	--
Nonferrous metal foundries	--	1	1
Aluminum foundries (except die-casting)	--	1	1
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	--	5	5
Machinery manufacturing	--	--	--
Industrial machinery manufacturing	--	1	1
Industrial machinery manufacturing	--	1	1
Food product machinery manufacturing	--	1	1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	24	24	23
Wholesale trade	5	7	7
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	3	5	5
Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies merchant wholesalers	--	3	3
Retail trade	4	6	6
Food and beverage stores	1	3	3
Grocery stores	1	3	3
Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores	1	3	3
Clothing and clothing accessories stores	--	1	1
Jewelry, luggage, and leather goods stores	--	1	1
Jewelry stores	--	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	14	10	10
Truck transportation	12	7	7
General freight trucking	4	5	5
General freight trucking, long-distance	3	4	4
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	--	4	4
Transit and ground passenger transportation	--	3	3
Professional and business services	7	15	14
Professional and technical services	--	7	7
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	7	7
Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services	--	4	4
Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services	--	4	4
Offices of certified public accountants	--	4	4
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services	--	1	1
Management consulting services	--	1	1
Administrative management and general management consulting services	--	1	1
Administrative and waste services	7	8	8
Administrative and support services	7	6	6
Services to buildings and dwellings	6	5	5
Landscaping services	--	3	3
Waste management and remediation services	--	1	1
Waste collection	--	1	1
Waste collection	--	1	1
Solid waste collection	--	1	1
Educational and health services	1	4	4
Educational services	--	1	1
Educational services	--	1	1
Elementary and secondary schools	--	1	1
Health care and social assistance	1	3	3
Social assistance	--	1	1
Vocational rehabilitation services	--	1	1
Leisure and hospitality	3	7	7
Accommodation and food services	2	6	6
Accommodation	--	1	1
Traveler accommodation	--	1	1
Other traveler accommodation	--	1	1
Bed-and-breakfast inns	--	1	1
Food services and drinking places	2	5	5
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	1	4	4
Other services, except public administration	8	3	3
Other services, except public administration	8	3	3
Government (2)	9	7	7
Local government	8	7	7
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, 2015–16

Occupation (1)	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	105	100
Management occupations	20	17	16
Other management occupations	18	15	14
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	15	12	11
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	15	12	11
Business and financial operations occupations	--	5	5
Business operations specialists	--	1	1
Management analysts	--	1	1
Management analysts	--	1	1
Financial specialists	--	4	4
Accountants and auditors	--	4	4
Accountants and auditors	--	4	4
Education, training, and library occupations	--	1	1
Preschool, primary, secondary, and special education school teachers	--	1	1
Special education teachers	--	1	1
Special education teachers, secondary school	--	1	1
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	1	3	3
Health technologists and technicians	1	3	3
Protective service occupations	4	3	3
Food preparation and serving related occupations	1	--	--
Supervisors of food preparation and serving workers	--	1	1
Supervisors of food preparation and serving workers	--	1	1
First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers	--	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	7	8	8
Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	3	1	1
First-line supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	3	1	1
First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers	--	1	1
Building cleaning and pest control workers	--	3	3
Building cleaning workers	--	3	3
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	--	3	3
Grounds maintenance workers	--	4	4
Grounds maintenance workers	--	4	4
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	--	3	3
Sales and related occupations	4	7	7
Retail sales workers	--	--	--
Cashiers	--	1	1
Cashiers	--	1	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	10	8	8
Agricultural workers	5	8	8
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	5	8	8
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	2	2
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals	4	5	5
Construction and extraction occupations	13	13	12
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	--	4	4
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	4	4
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	4	4
Construction trades workers	7	8	8
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	9	9	9
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	--	5	5
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	6	3	3
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers	--	1	1
Industrial machinery mechanics	--	1	1
Production occupations	11	7	7
Metal workers and plastic workers	3	3	3
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	3	1	1
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers	3	1	1
Other production occupations	--	--	--
Miscellaneous production workers	--	1	1
Transportation and material moving occupations	19	19	18
Motor vehicle operators	14	12	11
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	13	11	10
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	12	9	9
Material moving workers	--	5	5
Laborers and material movers, hand	--	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, Wisconsin, 2015–16

Worker characteristics	2015	2016
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	104	105	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	65	67	64
Self-employed (2)	39	38	36
Gender
Men	100	89	85
Women	4	16	15
Age (3)
16 to 17 years	--	4	4
18 to 19 years	--	1	1
20 to 24 years	6	5	5
25 to 34 years	18	19	18
35 to 44 years	11	12	11
45 to 54 years	22	21	20
55 to 64 years	26	20	19
65 years and over	19	23	22
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	90	90	86
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	5	9	9
Hispanic or Latino	7	4	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.