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News Release Information

19-2179-CHI
Friday, February 07, 2020

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Fatal Work Injuries in Iowa — 2018

Fatal work injuries totaled 77 in 2018 for Iowa, 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 Iowa increased by five from the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 110 in 1992 to a low of 54 in 1995. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 5,250 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2018, up from the 5,147 fatal injuries in 2017, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In Iowa, transportation incidents resulted in 30 fatal work injuries, and contact with objects or equipment accounted for 17 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 61 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 40 over the year, and worker fatalities due to contact with objects or equipment were little changed.

Falls, slips, or trips was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 12 fatalities, up from 8 in the prior year. Exposure to harmful substances or environments resulted in 11 work-related deaths in 2018.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2018, 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 (16 percent), followed by falls, slips, and trips (15 percent) and contact with objects and equipment (15 percent).

Industry

The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the highest number of fatalities in Iowa with 20, compared to 21 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 8 of the 20 fatalities in the industry. The oilseed and grain farming sector accounted for 16 of the 20 workplace fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry.

The private construction industry had 19 workplace fatalities, up from 10 in the previous year. The specialty trade contractors sector accounted for 11, or 58 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

The construction and extraction and transportation and material moving occupational groups had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 18 each, followed by management occupations with 17. (See table 3.) Construction trades workers accounted for 15 of the 18 fatalities among construction and extraction workers, while heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 12 of the 18 fatalities among the transportation and material moving occupational group. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 13 of the 15 management occupational fatalities.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 96 percent of the work-related fatalities in Iowa, compared to the 92-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 39 percent of the fatalities for men in Iowa.

  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 74 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 65 percent of work-related deaths.

  • Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 44 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2018, compared to 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

  • Of the 77 fatal work injuries in Iowa, 66 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers and self-employed workers was transportation incidents.


Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, is a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI uses a variety of 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 2018 national data, over 24,800 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see 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, some of which may be outside the scope of other agencies or regulatory coverage. Comparisons between CFOI counts and those released by other agencies should account for the different coverage requirements and definitions used by each agency. For more information on the scope of CFOI, see www.bls.gov/iif/cfoiscope.htm and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/concepts.htm.

Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Iowa Workforce Development 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, Iowa, 2017–18
Event or exposure (1)20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7277100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

668

Intentional injury by person

545

Intentional injury by other person

423

Shooting by other person--intentional

411

Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving

--11

Transportation incidents

403039

Rail vehicle incidents

--45

Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle

--45

Collision between two rail vehicles

--11

Collision between rail and roadway vehicles

--34

Pedestrian vehicular incident

545

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

345

Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area

145

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

251621

Roadway collision with other vehicle

121418

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

345

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

145

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

545

Roadway noncollision incident

1123

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway

923

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

968

Nonroadway noncollision incident

856

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway

734

Ran off driving surface, nonroadway

--11

Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway

--11

Fires and explosions

111

Explosions

--11

Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire

--11

Falls, slips, trips

81216

Falls to lower level

81013

Other fall to lower level

8810

Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet

211

Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet

111

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

--1114

Exposure to electricity

--34

Exposure to temperature extremes

--11

Contact with hot objects or substances

--11

Exposure to other harmful substances

--79

Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose

--79

Contact with objects and equipment

161722

Struck by object or equipment

91114

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

545

Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle

--11

Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle

--68

Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part

156

Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material

445

Excavation or trenching cave-in

--11

Engulfment in other collapsing material

323

Overexertion and bodily reaction

------

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, Iowa, 2017–18
Industry (1)20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7277100

Private industry

677597

Goods producing

374761

Natural resources and mining

222127

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

212026

Crop production

191722

Oilseed and grain farming

141621

Corn farming

111519

Support activities for agriculture and forestry

------

Support activities for crop production

--11

Support activities for crop production

--11

Soil preparation, planting, and cultivating

--11

Mining (2)

--11

Mining (except oil and gas)

--11

Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying

--11

Sand, gravel, clay, and ceramic and refractory minerals mining and quarrying

--11

Construction sand and gravel mining

--11

Construction

101925

Construction

101925

Construction of buildings

168

Residential building construction

--23

Residential building construction

--23

New single-family housing construction (except for-sale builders)

--11

Nonresidential building construction

145

Commercial and institutional building construction

145

Heavy and civil engineering construction

623

Utility system construction

--11

Power and communication line and related structures construction

--11

Other heavy and civil engineering construction

211

Specialty trade contractors

31114

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

145

Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors

--23

Roofing contractors

--23

Residential roofing contractors

--11

Building equipment contractors

--56

Electrical contractors

--23

Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors

--34

Building finishing contractors

111

Other building finishing contractors

--11

Other specialty trade contractors

--11

Site preparation contractors

--11

Manufacturing

579

Manufacturing

579

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

111

Cement and concrete product manufacturing

111

Ready-mix concrete manufacturing

111

Machinery manufacturing

--34

Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing

--11

Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing

--11

Other general purpose machinery manufacturing

--23

Material handling equipment manufacturing

--11

Conveyor and conveying equipment manufacturing

--11

All other general purpose machinery manufacturing

--11

Fluid power pump and motor manufacturing

--11

Service providing

302836

Trade, transportation, and utilities

211621

Wholesale trade

911

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

111

Retail trade

--23

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

--23

Other motor vehicle dealers

--11

Motorcycle, boat, and other motor vehicle dealers

--11

Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores

--11

Tire dealers

--11

Transportation and warehousing

121317

Truck transportation

9912

General freight trucking

845

General freight trucking, long-distance

334

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

223

Specialized freight trucking

--34

Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance

--11

Warehousing and storage

--23

Warehousing and storage

--23

Farm product warehousing and storage

--23

Information

--11

Information

--11

Publishing industries (except internet)

--11

Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers

--11

Newspaper publishers

--11

Financial activities

--23

Real estate and rental and leasing

--23

Real estate

--11

Lessors of real estate

--11

Lessors of residential buildings and dwellings

--11

Rental and leasing services

--11

Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing

--11

Professional and business services

534

Administrative and waste services

534

Waste management and remediation services

311

Waste collection

311

Waste collection

311

Solid waste collection

311

Educational and health services

--23

Health care and social assistance

--23

Hospitals

--11

General medical and surgical hospitals

--11

General medical and surgical hospitals

--11

Social assistance

--11

Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services

--11

Leisure and hospitality

223

Accommodation and food services

--23

Food services and drinking places

--23

Restaurants and other eating places

--23

Restaurants and other eating places

--23

Full-service restaurants

--11

Other services, except public administration

223

Other services, except public administration

223

Repair and maintenance

--23

Automotive repair and maintenance

--11

Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance

--11

General automotive repair

--11

Commercial machinery repair and maintenance

--11

Commercial machinery repair and maintenance

--11

Government (3)

523

Federal government

2----

State government

111

Local government

--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, Iowa, 2017–18
Occupation (1)20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7277100

Management occupations

151722

Operations specialties managers

--11

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

--11

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers

--11

Other management occupations

151519

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

151317

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

151317

Social and community service managers

--11

Social and community service managers

--11

Business and financial operations occupations

1----

Computer and mathematical occupations

------

Architecture and engineering occupations

------

Life, physical, and social science occupations

------

Community and social services occupations

------

Legal occupations

------

Education, training, and library occupations

------

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

--11

Media and communication workers

--11

Miscellaneous media and communication workers

--11

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

------

Healthcare support occupations

------

Protective service occupations

------

Food preparation and serving related occupations

--11

Cooks and food preparation workers

--11

Cooks

--11

Cooks, restaurant

--11

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

434

Grounds maintenance workers

434

Grounds maintenance workers

434

Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation

--11

Personal care and service occupations

------

Sales and related occupations

--11

Supervisors of sales workers

--11

First-line supervisors of sales workers

--11

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

--11

Office and administrative support occupations

------

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

668

Agricultural workers

668

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

668

Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

445

Construction and extraction occupations

91823

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

--34

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

--34

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

--34

Construction trades workers

41519

Boilermakers

--11

Boilermakers

--11

Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers

--11

Cement masons and concrete finishers

--11

Construction laborers

268

Construction laborers

268

Construction equipment operators

111

Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators

--11

Electricians

--11

Electricians

--11

Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

--11

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

--11

Roofers

--34

Roofers

--34

Sheet metal workers

--11

Sheet metal workers

--11

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

--68

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

111

Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

--11

Tire repairers and changers

--11

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

--34

Maintenance and repair workers, general

--23

Maintenance and repair workers, general

--23

Production occupations

356

Other production occupations

--34

Painting workers

--11

Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

--11

Transportation and material moving occupations

271823

Motor vehicle operators

211519

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

191317

Driver/sales workers

--11

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

191216

Material moving workers

434

Conveyor operators and tenders

311

Conveyor operators and tenders

311

Crane and tower operators

--11

Crane and tower operators

--11

Industrial truck and tractor operators

--11

Industrial truck and tractor operators

--11

Military specific occupations (2)

------

Footnotes:
(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
(2) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.

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, Iowa, 2017–18
Worker characteristics20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

7277100

Employee status

Wage and salary workers (1)

545166

Self-employed (2)

182634

Gender

Men

677496

Women

534

Age (3)

Under 16 years

--11

25 to 34 years

6810

35 to 44 years

41013

45 to 54 years

161621

55 to 64 years

222735

65 years and over

201317

Race or ethnic origin (4)

White, non-Hispanic

535774

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

------

Hispanic or Latino

--56

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 data for Hispanics and Latinos.

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 07, 2020