Fatal work injuries totaled 158 in 2019 for Illinois, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Illinois was down from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 262 in 1996 to a low of 146 in 2012.

Nationwide, a total of 5,333 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2019, a 2-percent increase from the 5,250 in 2018, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. The 5,333 fatal occupational injuries in 2019 represents the largest annual number since 2007.

Fatal event or exposure

In Illinois, transportation incidents resulted in 53 fatal work injuries, and violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 31 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 53 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 75 over the year, and worker fatalities due to violence or other injuries by persons or animals were up from 26.

Falls, slips, and trips was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 26 fatalities, compared to 25 in the prior year. Contact with objects or equipment resulted in 23 work-related deaths, down from 34 in 2018.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2019, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, and trips was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by violence and other injuries by persons or animals (16 percent).

Industry

The private construction industry had the highest number of fatalities in Illinois with 30. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 7 of the 30 fatalities in the industry. The private transportation and warehousing industry had 24 workplace fatalities. The general freight trucking sector accounted for 12, or 50 percent, of this industry's fatal injuries.

Occupation

The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 41. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 22 of the 41 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second-highest number of workplace fatalities with 30. Construction trade workers suffered 24 of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction occupational group. The management occupational group had 20 workplace fatalities, of which 11 were farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 90 percent of the work-related fatalities in Illinois, compared to the national share of 92 percent. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 32 percent of the fatalities for men in Illinois.

• White non-Hispanics accounted for 73 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 62 percent of work-related deaths.

• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 58 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2019, compared to 55 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

• Of the 158 fatal work injuries in Illinois, 82 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both 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 2019 national data, over 25,100 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 and the CFOI definitions at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.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 Illinois Department of Public Health 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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Illinois, 2018–19

Event or exposure (1)	2018	2019
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	184	158	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	26	31	20
Intentional injury by person	23	29	18
Intentional injury by other person	14	21	13
Shooting by other person--intentional	10	18	11
Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing	1	1	1
Self-inflicted injury--intentional	9	8	5
Shooting--intentional self-harm	5	3	2
Transportation incidents	75	53	34
Rail vehicle incidents	4	5	3
Collision between rail vehicle and another vehicle	--	4	3
Pedestrian vehicular incident	12	14	9
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	--	4	3
Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road	--	4	3
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	4	4	3
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area	--	3	2
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	47	29	18
Roadway collision with other vehicle	26	20	13
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	6	7	4
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	9	5	3
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	6	3	2
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle on side of roadway	--	3	2
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	9	3	2
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	9	3	2
Roadway noncollision incident	12	6	4
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	7	4	3
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	12	5	3
Fires and explosions	3	--	--
Falls, slips, trips	25	26	16
Falls to lower level	17	18	11
Fall through surface or existing opening	--	3	2
Fall through surface or existing opening 26 to 30 feet	--	1	1
Other fall to lower level	13	15	9
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	--	3	2
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	--	3	2
Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet	--	2	1
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	20	17	11
Exposure to electricity	7	8	5
Direct exposure to electricity	3	3	2
Direct exposure to electricity, 220 volts or less	--	1	1
Indirect exposure to electricity	3	5	3
Exposure to other harmful substances	11	7	4
Contact with objects and equipment	34	23	15
Struck by object or equipment	30	16	10
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	10	8	5
Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part	3	3	2
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	--	4	3
Caught in running equipment or machinery	--	3	2
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. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Illinois, 2019

Industry (1)	Number	Percent
Total	158	100
Private industry (2)	139	88
Goods producing	--	--
Natural resources and mining	--	--
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	15	9
Crop production	12	8
Oilseed and grain farming	10	6
Soybean farming	1	1
Corn farming	8	5
Other grain farming	1	1
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	1	1
Support activities for crop production	1	1
Support activities for crop production	1	1
Soil preparation, planting, and cultivating	1	1
Construction	30	19
Construction	30	19
Heavy and civil engineering construction	4	3
Service providing (3)	--	--
Trade, transportation, and utilities	36	23
Utilities	1	1
Utilities	1	1
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	1	1
Electric power transmission, control, and distribution	1	1
Electric power distribution	1	1
Wholesale trade	6	4
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	3	2
Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers	1	1
Recyclable material merchant wholesalers	1	1
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	3	2
Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers	1	1
Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers	1	1
Retail trade	5	3
Food and beverage stores	1	1
Grocery stores	1	1
Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores	1	1
Gasoline stations	1	1
Gasoline stations	1	1
Gasoline stations with convenience stores	1	1
Miscellaneous store retailers	1	1
Used merchandise stores	1	1
Used merchandise stores	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	24	15
Truck transportation	17	11
General freight trucking	12	8
General freight trucking, local	6	4
General freight trucking, long-distance	5	3
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	3	2
Specialized freight trucking	5	3
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	5	3
Transit and ground passenger transportation	2	1
Taxi and limousine service	2	1
Taxi service	2	1
Couriers and messengers	2	1
Couriers and express delivery services	2	1
Couriers and express delivery services	2	1
Financial activities	--	--
Professional and business services	9	6
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	7	4
Administrative and support services	7	4
Educational and health services	--	--
Leisure and hospitality	13	8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	2	1
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries	1	1
Independent artists, writers, and performers	1	1
Independent artists, writers, and performers	1	1
Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries	1	1
Other amusement and recreation industries	1	1
Golf courses and country clubs	1	1
Accommodation and food services	11	7
Food services and drinking places	11	7
Special food services	1	1
Mobile food services	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	1	1
Restaurants and other eating places	9	6
Restaurants and other eating places	9	6
Full-service restaurants	4	3
Limited-service restaurants	5	3
Other services, except public administration	11	7
Other services, except public administration	11	7
Repair and maintenance	6	4
Automotive repair and maintenance	6	4
Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance	4	3
Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair	1	1
Automotive body, paint, and interior repair and maintenance	1	1
Other automotive repair and maintenance	1	1
Car washes	1	1
Government (4)	19	12
Federal government	--	--
State government	5	3
Local government	12	8
Footnotes: (1) CFOI has used several versions of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) since 2003 to define industry. For complete information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. (2) Cases where ownership is unknown are included in private industry counts. (3) Cases where industry is unknown are included in the service sector counts. (4) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. Cases classified as foreign government and other government are included in all government counts, but not displayed separately.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Illinois, 2019

Occupation (1)	Number	Percent
Total	158	100
Management occupations	20	13
Operations specialties managers	2	1
Other management occupations	16	10
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	11	7
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	11	7
Business and financial operations occupations	--	--
Computer and mathematical occupations	--	--
Architecture and engineering occupations	--	--
Life, physical, and social science occupations	--	--
Community and social service occupations	1	1
Religious workers	1	1
Clergy	1	1
Clergy	1	1
Legal occupations	--	--
Educational instruction and library occupations	--	--
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	1	1
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	--	--
Healthcare support occupations	--	--
Protective service occupations	17	11
Supervisors of protective service workers	1	1
First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers	1	1
First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers	1	1
Firefighting and prevention workers	2	1
Law enforcement workers	8	5
Police officers	8	5
Other protective service workers	6	4
Security guards and gambling surveillance officers	5	3
Security guards	5	3
Food preparation and serving related occupations	4	3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	5	3
Grounds maintenance workers	3	2
Grounds maintenance workers	3	2
Personal care and service occupations	--	--
Sales and related occupations	7	4
Other sales and related workers	1	1
Miscellaneous sales and related workers	1	1
Office and administrative support occupations	6	4
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers	3	2
Meter readers, utilities	1	1
Meter readers, utilities	1	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	4	3
Agricultural workers	3	2
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	3	2
Agricultural equipment operators	1	1
Construction and extraction occupations	30	19
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	3	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	2
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	3	2
Construction trades workers	24	15
Construction laborers	10	6
Construction laborers	10	6
Electricians	3	2
Electricians	3	2
Roofers	4	3
Roofers	4	3
Other construction and related workers	3	2
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	11	7
Supervisors of installation, maintenance, and repair workers	1	1
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers	1	1
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers	1	1
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	5	3
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	3	2
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	3	2
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	5	3
Maintenance and repair workers, general	3	2
Maintenance and repair workers, general	3	2
Production occupations	7	4
Other production occupations	4	3
Miscellaneous production workers	1	1
Transportation and material moving occupations	41	26
Motor vehicle operators	31	20
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	28	18
Driver/sales workers	4	3
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	22	14
Military specific occupations (2)	--	--
Footnotes: (1) CFOI has used several versions of the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) system since 2003 to define occupation. For complete information on the version of SOC used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Cases where occupation is unknown are included in the total. (2) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Illinois, 2018–19

Worker characteristics	2018	2019
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	184	158	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	140	129	82
Self-employed (2)	44	29	18
Gender
Men	169	142	90
Women	15	16	10
Age (3)
18 to 19 years	2	2	1
20 to 24 years	6	8	5
25 to 34 years	26	28	18
35 to 44 years	30	32	20
45 to 54 years	46	31	20
55 to 64 years	46	34	22
65 years and over	28	23	15
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	126	116	73
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	28	18	11
Hispanic or Latino	27	17	11
Footnotes: (1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. Cases where employment status is unknown are included in the counts of wage and salary workers. (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. Cases where ethnicity is unknown are included in counts of non-Hispanic workers.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.