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News Release Information

19-2177-CHI
Friday, February 07, 2020

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

Fatal Work Injuries in Nebraska — 2018

Fatal work injuries totaled 44 in 2018 for Nebraska, 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 Nebraska was up by nine from the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 83 in 1994 and 2002 to a low of 35 in 2017. (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 Nebraska, transportation incidents resulted in 18 fatal work injuries. Falls, slips, or trips and contact with objects or equipment accounted for nine fatalities each. These three major categories accounted for 82 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 20 over the year, while workplace fatalities from falls, slips, or trips were up from 4, and fatalities from contact with objects or equipment were up from 7.

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 Nebraska with 13, up from 12 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 6 of the 13 fatalities in the industry. The crop production sector accounted for 7 of the 13 workplace fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry.

The private construction industry had nine workplace fatalities. The specialty trade contractors and heavy and civil engineering construction sectors had four workplace fatalities each. These two sectors accounted for 89 percent of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 14. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 11 of the 14 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second-highest number of workplace fatalities with nine, followed by management occupations with seven. Construction trades workers suffered six of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction group. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for six of the seven management occupational fatalities.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 95 percent of the work-related fatalities in Nebraska, compared to the 92-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 43 percent of the fatalities for men in Nebraska.

  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 80 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 52 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2018, compared to 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

  • Of the 44 fatal work injuries in Nebraska, 80 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both wage and salary workers and the self-employed 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 Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court 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, Nebraska, 2017–18
Event or exposure (1)20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

3544100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

2----

Transportation incidents

201841

Rail vehicle incidents

125

Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle

125

Collision between rail and roadway vehicles

125

Pedestrian vehicular incident

337

Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road

--12

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road

--12

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

111330

Roadway collision with other vehicle

4716

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

125

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

249

Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle on side of roadway

--12

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

537

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

337

Roadway noncollision incident

137

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway

137

Fires and explosions

112

Explosions

--12

Dust explosion

--12

Falls, slips, trips

4920

Falls on same level

--37

Fall on same level due to tripping

--12

Falls to lower level

--614

Fall from collapsing structure or equipment

--12

Fall from collapsing structure or equipment more than 30 feet

--12

Other fall to lower level

--511

Other fall to lower level 26 to 30 feet

--12

Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet

--12

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

--614

Exposure to electricity

--37

Contact with objects and equipment

7920

Struck by object or equipment

6511

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

4----

Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle

--12

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

--25

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

--12

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

--37

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

--12

Engulfment in other collapsing material

--12

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

Total

3544100

Private industry

3144100

Goods producing

152557

Natural resources and mining

121330

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

121330

Crop production

9716

Oilseed and grain farming

2511

Corn farming

--37

Other grain farming

125

Oilseed and grain combination farming

125

Animal production and aquaculture

349

Cattle ranching and farming

249

Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots

2----

Cattle feedlots

--12

Dairy cattle and milk production

--12

Support activities for agriculture and forestry

--25

Support activities for crop production

--25

Support activities for crop production

--25

Postharvest crop activities (except cotton ginning)

--12

Farm labor contractors and crew leaders

--12

Construction

--920

Construction

--920

Construction of buildings

--12

Nonresidential building construction

--12

Commercial and institutional building construction

--12

Heavy and civil engineering construction

--49

Highway, street, and bridge construction

--25

Highway, street, and bridge construction

--25

Specialty trade contractors

--49

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

------

Framing contractors

--12

Residential framing contractors

--12

Building equipment contractors

112

Other building equipment contractors

--12

Other nonresidential building equipment contractors

--12

Manufacturing

137

Manufacturing

137

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

--12

Cement and concrete product manufacturing

--12

Ready-mix concrete manufacturing

--12

Fabricated metal product manufacturing

--12

Architectural and structural metals manufacturing

--12

Plate work and fabricated structural product manufacturing

--12

Fabricated structural metal manufacturing

--12

Service providing

161943

Trade, transportation, and utilities

81023

Wholesale trade

149

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

112

Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies merchant wholesalers

--12

Automobile and other motor vehicle merchant wholesalers

--12

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

--37

Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers

--12

Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers

--12

Petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers

--12

Petroleum and petroleum products merchant wholesalers (except bulk stations and terminals)

--12

Miscellaneous nondurable goods merchant wholesalers

--12

Farm supplies merchant wholesalers

--12

Retail trade

212

Gasoline stations

112

Gasoline stations

112

Transportation and warehousing

5511

Truck transportation

5511

General freight trucking

225

General freight trucking, long-distance

225

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

225

Specialized freight trucking

337

Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local

212

Information

1----

Financial activities

------

Professional and business services

--511

Administrative and waste services

--511

Administrative and support services

------

Services to buildings and dwellings

------

Landscaping services

--12

Waste management and remediation services

--37

Waste collection

--37

Waste collection

--37

Solid waste collection

--37

Educational and health services

------

Educational services

--12

Educational services

--12

Colleges, universities, and professional schools

--12

Colleges, universities, and professional schools

--12

Leisure and hospitality

312

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

212

Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries

112

Other amusement and recreation industries

112

Other services, except public administration

3----

Government (2)

4----

Federal government

------

State government

------

Local government

2----

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, Nebraska, 2017–18
Occupation (1)20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

3544100

Management occupations

8716

Other management occupations

7716

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

6614

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

6614

Education administrators

--12

Education administrators, postsecondary

--12

Business and financial operations occupations

------

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

1----

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

------

Healthcare support occupations

------

Protective service occupations

1----

Food preparation and serving related occupations

------

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

------

Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

--12

First-line supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

--12

First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

--12

Personal care and service occupations

--12

Entertainment attendants and related workers

--12

Miscellaneous entertainment attendants and related workers

--12

Amusement and recreation attendants

--12

Sales and related occupations

1----

Office and administrative support occupations

------

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

4614

Agricultural workers

4614

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

4614

Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

3511

Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

112

Construction and extraction occupations

4920

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

--37

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

--37

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

--37

Construction trades workers

3614

Construction laborers

--37

Construction laborers

--37

Construction equipment operators

--12

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

--12

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4----

Production occupations

------

Other production occupations

--12

Miscellaneous production workers

--12

Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

--12

Transportation and material moving occupations

71432

Motor vehicle operators

61125

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

61125

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

61125

Material moving workers

--37

Refuse and recyclable material collectors

--25

Refuse and recyclable material collectors

--25

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, Nebraska, 2017–18
Worker characteristics20172018
NumberNumberPercent

Total

3544100

Employee status

Wage and salary workers (1)

233580

Self-employed (2)

12920

Gender

Men

334295

Women

------

Age (3)

18 to 19 years

--12

20 to 24 years

--12

25 to 34 years

2716

35 to 44 years

6818

45 to 54 years

4818

55 to 64 years

101534

65 years and over

1149

Race or ethnic origin (4)

White, non-Hispanic

273580

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

------

Hispanic or Latino

4716

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