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News Release Information

21-205-CHI
Wednesday, March 17, 2021

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

Fatal Work Injuries in Michigan — 2019

Fatal work injuries totaled 164 in 2019 for Michigan, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Michigan was up from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 182 in 1999 to a low of 94 in 2009.


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 Michigan, transportation incidents resulted in 56 fatal work injuries, and violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 38 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 57 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were up from 50 over the year, and worker fatalities due to violence or other injuries by persons or animals were similar to the 37 reported in 2018.

Contact with objects or equipment was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 24 fatalities, down from 27 in the prior year. Falls, slips, and trips resulted in 21 work-related deaths compared to 20 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 agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the highest number of fatalities in Michigan with 33. (See table 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 7 of the 33 fatalities in the industry. The crop production sector accounted for 18 of the 33 workplace fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry.

The private construction industry had 31 workplace fatalities. The transportation and warehousing industry had 18 workplace fatalities, followed by the retail trade industry with 17.

Occupation

The construction and extraction occupational group had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 32. (See table 3.) Construction trades workers accounted for 23 of the 32 fatalities among construction and extraction workers. The transportation and material moving occupational group had the second-highest number of workplace fatalities with 31, followed by management occupations with 26. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers suffered 16 of the work-related deaths within the transportation and material moving group. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 22 of the 26 management occupational fatalities.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 92 percent of the work-related fatalities in Michigan, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals made up 21 percent of the fatalities for men in Michigan.

  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 81 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 53 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2019, compared to 55 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

  • Of the 164 fatal work injuries in Michigan, 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 and equipment was the most frequent fatal event for self-employed workers.

Changes in Industry and Occupation Classification Structure

Information in this release incorporates revisions to both the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the Standard Occupational Classification codes (SOC). Comparison of data for 2019 to prior years should be done with caution due to these changes, and thus analysis in this release is limited to 2019 for industries and occupations. More information on NAICS can be found at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm. More information on SOC can be found at www.bls.gov/soc/2018/home.htm.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Data in this news release are for reference year 2019. No changes in collection procedures or outputs were necessary due to COVID-19. Additional information is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm


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 Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs 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, Michigan, 2018–19
Event or exposure (1)20182019
NumberNumberPercent

Total

155164100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

373823

Intentional injury by person

363521

Intentional injury by other person

22127

Shooting by other person--intentional

1895

Self-inflicted injury--intentional

142314

Shooting--intentional self-harm

6127

Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm

795

Animal and insect related incidents

--32

Struck by animal

--32

Transportation incidents

505634

Aircraft incidents

395

Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing

274

Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--due to mechanical failure

121

Other in-flight crash

121

Other in-flight crash due to mechanical failure

--21

Pedestrian vehicular incident

1753

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone

511

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone

411

Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road

211

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road

111

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

332

Pedestrian struck by vehicle propelled by another vehicle in nonroadway area

--11

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area

121

Water vehicle incidents

--11

Fall or jump from water vehicle

--11

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

233220

Roadway collision with other vehicle

202213

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

564

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

321

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

953

Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway

374

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

395

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

395

Roadway noncollision incident

--11

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

--11

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

795

Nonroadway noncollision incident

474

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway

--53

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

--11

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

--11

Fires and explosions

453

Fires

--32

Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids

--11

Explosions

121

Explosion of nonpressurized vapors, gases, or liquids

111

Explosion of pressure vessel, piping, or tire

--11

Falls, slips, trips

202113

Falls on same level

742

Falls to lower level

131710

Fall from collapsing structure or equipment

--32

Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 16 to 20 feet

--11

Fall through surface or existing opening

--32

Fall through surface or existing opening 16 to 20 feet

--11

Other fall to lower level

10117

Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet

442

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

172012

Exposure to electricity

553

Indirect exposure to electricity

321

Indirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts

321

Exposure to other harmful substances

10138

Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose

885

Inhalation of harmful substance

--53

Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode

--53

Contact with objects and equipment

272415

Struck by object or equipment

222012

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

10127

Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle

--11

Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached

--53

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

953

Injured by handheld object or equipment

--11

Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker

--11

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

--21

Caught in running equipment or machinery

--21

Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning

--11

Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation

--11

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

321

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

--11

Engulfment in other collapsing material

111

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, Michigan, 2019
Industry (1)NumberPercent

Total

164100

Private industry (2)

15796

Goods producing

----

Natural resources and mining

3622

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

3320

Crop production

1811

Oilseed and grain farming

95

Soybean farming

11

Oilseed (except soybean) farming

11

Corn farming

74

Greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production

11

Other crop farming

32

Hay farming

21

All other crop farming

11

Animal production and aquaculture

106

Cattle ranching and farming

85

Dairy cattle and milk production

85

Sheep and goat farming

11

Other animal production

11

Horses and other equine production

11

Forestry and logging

53

Logging

53

Logging

53

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (3)

32

Mining (except oil and gas)

21

Metal ore mining

21

Copper, nickel, lead, and zinc mining

21

Support activities for mining

11

Support activities for mining

11

Support activities for mining

11

Support activities for oil and gas operations

11

Construction

3119

Construction

3119

Heavy and civil engineering construction

53

Highway, street, and bridge construction

32

Highway, street, and bridge construction

32

Service providing (4)

----

Trade, transportation, and utilities

4024

Wholesale trade

53

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

42

Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers

11

Industrial machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers

11

Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers

11

Recyclable material merchant wholesalers

11

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

11

Grocery and related product merchant wholesalers

11

Retail trade

1710

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

32

Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores

32

Furniture and home furnishings stores

21

Electronics and appliance stores

11

Electronics and appliance stores

11

Electronics and appliance stores

11

Food and beverage stores

32

Grocery stores

11

Convenience stores

11

Miscellaneous store retailers

11

Used merchandise stores

11

Used merchandise stores

11

Nonstore retailers

32

Vending machine operators

11

Vending machine operators

11

Transportation and warehousing

1811

Air transportation

21

Nonscheduled air transportation

21

Nonscheduled air transportation

21

Nonscheduled chartered passenger air transportation

21

Truck transportation

127

General freight trucking

95

General freight trucking, local

32

General freight trucking, long-distance

64

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

32

Specialized freight trucking

32

Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local

11

Couriers and messengers

11

Couriers and express delivery services

11

Couriers and express delivery services

11

Financial activities

----

Professional and business services

----

Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

117

Administrative and support services

74

Waste management and remediation services

42

Remediation and other waste management services

11

All other waste management services

11

Educational and health services

53

Health care and social assistance

53

Nursing and residential care facilities

21

Residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, and substance abuse facilities

11

Residential intellectual and developmental disability facilities

11

Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly

11

Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly

11

Assisted living facilities for the elderly

11

Leisure and hospitality

74

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

32

Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries

32

Performing arts companies

11

Spectator sports

21

Spectator sports

21

Racetracks

11

Accommodation and food services

42

Food services and drinking places

42

Special food services

11

Mobile food services

11

Restaurants and other eating places

32

Restaurants and other eating places

32

Other services, except public administration

85

Other services, except public administration

85

Government (5)

74

Federal government

----

State government

32

Local government

42

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) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in oil and gas extraction.
(4) Cases where industry is unknown are included in the service sector counts.
(5) 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, Michigan, 2019
Occupation (1)NumberPercent

Total

164100

Management occupations

2616

Other management occupations

2415

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

2213

Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers

2213

Medical and health services managers

11

Medical and health services managers

11

Property, real estate, and community association managers

11

Property, real estate, and community association managers

11

Business and financial operations occupations

32

Business operations specialists

32

Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators

11

Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

11

Computer and mathematical occupations

----

Architecture and engineering occupations

32

Life, physical, and social science occupations

----

Community and social service occupations

----

Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists

----

Counselors

----

Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors

11

Legal occupations

----

Educational instruction and library occupations

----

Preschool, elementary, middle, secondary, and special education teachers

11

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

21

Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers

21

Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers

21

Athletes and sports competitors

21

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

----

Healthcare support occupations

----

Protective service occupations

----

Food preparation and serving related occupations

32

Food and beverage serving workers

11

Waiters and waitresses

11

Waiters and waitresses

11

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

74

Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

11

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

11

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

11

Grounds maintenance workers

53

Grounds maintenance workers

53

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

42

Tree trimmers and pruners

11

Personal care and service occupations

----

Sales and related occupations

149

Supervisors of sales workers

53

First-line supervisors of sales workers

53

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

32

Retail sales workers

64

Cashiers

32

Retail salespersons

32

Retail salespersons

32

Other sales and related workers

32

Miscellaneous sales and related workers

11

Office and administrative support occupations

----

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

106

Agricultural workers

64

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

64

Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse

11

Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals

53

Forest, conservation, and logging workers

42

Logging workers

42

Fallers

42

Construction and extraction occupations

3220

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

85

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

85

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

85

Construction trades workers

2314

Carpenters

53

Carpenters

53

Construction laborers

42

Construction laborers

42

Construction equipment operators

42

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

42

Electricians

42

Electricians

42

Other construction and related workers

11

Highway maintenance workers

11

Highway maintenance workers

11

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

1610

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

85

Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

21

Aircraft mechanics and service technicians

21

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

64

Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

11

Industrial machinery mechanics

11

Maintenance and repair workers, general

32

Maintenance and repair workers, general

32

Production occupations

95

Other production occupations

53

Miscellaneous production workers

32

Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders

11

Transportation and material moving occupations

3119

Air transportation workers

21

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

21

Commercial pilots

21

Motor vehicle operators

2213

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

2113

Driver/sales workers

32

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

1610

Passenger vehicle drivers

11

Taxi drivers

11

Material moving workers

74

Laborers and material movers

53

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, Michigan, 2018–19
Worker characteristics20182019
NumberNumberPercent

Total

155164100

Employee status

Wage and salary workers (1)

11011168

Self-employed (2)

455332

Gender

Men

14115192

Women

14138

Age (3)

Under 16 years

--11

16 to 17 years

--11

18 to 19 years

--32

20 to 24 years

1195

25 to 34 years

222716

35 to 44 years

322012

45 to 54 years

264024

55 to 64 years

413018

65 years and over

233320

Race or ethnic origin (4)

White, non-Hispanic

12813381

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

171811

Hispanic or Latino

874

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021