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Friday, February 24, 2023
Fatal work injuries totaled 140 in 2021 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 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2021, a 9-percent increase from 4,764 in 2020, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).
In Michigan, transportation incidents resulted in 47 fatal work injuries and accounted for 34 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state. (See chart 2 and table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were up from 41 over the year.
Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the second-most fatal work-related event with 26 fatalities. Falls, slips, or trips and contact with objects or equipment each had 23 fatalities. Falls, slips, or trips increased from 22 worker deaths in the prior year and contact with objects or equipment decreased from 27 worker deaths in 2020.
Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event in 2021, accounting for 38 percent of fatal work injuries. Falls, slips, and trips was the second-most common fatal event (16 percent), followed by both exposure to harmful substances or environments and violence and other injuries by persons or animals (15 percent each) and contact with objects and equipment (14 percent).
The private construction industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in Michigan with 29, up from 23 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 8 of the 29 fatalities in the industry. The specialty trade contractors subsector accounted for 18 of the 29 fatal workplace injuries in the construction industry.
The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had 22 fatal workplace injuries, the same as in the previous year. The crop production subsector accounted for 12, or 55 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.
OccupationThe transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 35. (See table 3.) Motor vehicle operators accounted for 27 of the 35 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second-highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 27. Construction trades workers suffered 21 of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction group.
Additional highlightsMen accounted for 91 percent of the work-related fatalities in Michigan, the same as the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 32 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 60 percent of work-related deaths.
Workers 55 years and older accounted for 41 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2021, compared to 35 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
Of the 140 fatal work injuries in Michigan, 71 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.
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 fatalities resulting from workplace 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 2021 national data, over 23,900 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 at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm and the CFOI definitions at www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/occupational-safety-and-health-definitions.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/overview/cfoi-scope.htm and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/concepts.htm.
Latency Cases. Latent fatal occupational injury cases occur when the date of injury differs from the date of death. In some cases, the death occurs in a different year than the occupational injury and are known as cross-year latent cases. In 2021, there were 197 cases nationally where this occurred, and 174 of these latent cases occurred more than 30 days prior to the start of 2021. For more information on latent cases, see www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-10/latency-in-fatal-occupational-injuries.htm.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. CFOI reports fatal workplace injuries only. These may include fatal workplace injuries complicated by an illness such as COVID-19. Fatal workplace illnesses not precipitated by an injury are not in scope for CFOI. CFOI does not report any illness related information, including 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.
Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity 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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
Event or exposure (1) | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total | 131 | 140 | 100 |
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals | 26 | 17 | 12 |
Intentional injury by person | 25 | 14 | 10 |
Animal and insect related incidents | -- | 3 | 2 |
Transportation incidents | 41 | 47 | 34 |
Aircraft incidents | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--into structure, object, or ground | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Aircraft crash due to low-altitude entanglement | -- | 1 | 1 |
Other in-flight crash | -- | 2 | 1 |
Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground | -- | 2 | 1 |
Pedestrian vehicular incident | 9 | 12 | 9 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway | -- | 2 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in roadway | -- | 2 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road | -- | 2 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle propelled by another vehicle on side of road | -- | 1 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road | -- | 1 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | -- | 5 | 4 |
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area | -- | 1 | 1 |
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area | -- | 4 | 3 |
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle | 25 | 24 | 17 |
Roadway collision with other vehicle | 12 | 13 | 9 |
Roadway collision--moving in same direction | 7 | 3 | 2 |
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly | -- | 5 | 4 |
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway | -- | 3 | 2 |
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway | -- | 6 | 4 |
Roadway noncollision incident | 10 | 5 | 4 |
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway | -- | 5 | 4 |
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles | 5 | 7 | 5 |
Fires and explosions | -- | 4 | 3 |
Falls, slips, trips | 22 | 23 | 16 |
Falls to lower level | 16 | 17 | 12 |
Fall from collapsing structure or equipment | -- | 4 | 3 |
Fall from collapsing structure or equipment more than 30 feet | -- | 2 | 1 |
Other fall to lower level | 12 | 12 | 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 16 to 20 feet | -- | 2 | 1 |
Exposure to harmful substances or environments | -- | 26 | 19 |
Exposure to electricity | -- | 6 | 4 |
Exposure to other harmful substances | -- | 18 | 13 |
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose | -- | 15 | 11 |
Contact with objects and equipment | 27 | 23 | 16 |
Struck by object or equipment | 20 | 16 | 11 |
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Struck by other falling powered vehicle | -- | 3 | 2 |
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle | 9 | 5 | 4 |
Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld | -- | 1 | 1 |
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects | 5 | 6 | 4 |
Caught in running equipment or machinery | 5 | 5 | 4 |
Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation | -- | 1 | 1 |
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment | -- | 1 | 1 |
Footnotes: | |||
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/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.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. |
Industry (1) | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total | 131 | 140 | 100 |
Private industry (2) | 115 | 133 | 95 |
Goods producing | -- | -- | -- |
Natural resources and mining | 23 | 24 | 17 |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 22 | 22 | 16 |
Crop production | 16 | 12 | 9 |
Oilseed and grain farming | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Soybean farming | -- | 1 | 1 |
Corn farming | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Other crop farming | -- | 3 | 2 |
Hay farming | -- | 3 | 2 |
Animal production and aquaculture | -- | 6 | 4 |
Cattle ranching and farming | -- | 6 | 4 |
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots | -- | 2 | 1 |
Beef cattle ranching and farming | -- | 2 | 1 |
Dairy cattle and milk production | -- | 4 | 3 |
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (3) | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Support activities for mining | -- | 2 | 1 |
Support activities for mining | -- | 2 | 1 |
Support activities for mining | -- | 2 | 1 |
Support activities for oil and gas operations | -- | 2 | 1 |
Construction | 23 | 29 | 21 |
Construction | 23 | 29 | 21 |
Construction of buildings | 8 | 4 | 3 |
Residential building construction | 7 | 3 | 2 |
Residential building construction | 7 | 3 | 2 |
Residential remodelers | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Nonresidential building construction | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Heavy and civil engineering construction | 7 | 7 | 5 |
Highway, street, and bridge construction | -- | 4 | 3 |
Highway, street, and bridge construction | -- | 4 | 3 |
Specialty trade contractors | 8 | 18 | 13 |
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors | 4 | 11 | 8 |
Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors | -- | 1 | 1 |
Structural steel and precast concrete contractors | -- | 2 | 1 |
Roofing contractors | 4 | 6 | 4 |
Residential roofing contractors | -- | 3 | 2 |
Siding contractors | -- | 2 | 1 |
Manufacturing | 13 | 14 | 10 |
Manufacturing | 13 | 14 | 10 |
Wood product manufacturing | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Sawmills and wood preservation | -- | 1 | 1 |
Sawmills and wood preservation | -- | 1 | 1 |
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Plastics product manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Other plastics product manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Primary metal manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Machinery manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Metalworking machinery manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Metalworking machinery manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Special die and tool, die set, jig, and fixture manufacturing | -- | 1 | 1 |
Transportation equipment manufacturing | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Service providing (4) | -- | -- | -- |
Trade, transportation, and utilities | 24 | -- | -- |
Utilities | -- | 2 | 1 |
Utilities | -- | 2 | 1 |
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution | -- | 2 | 1 |
Electric power transmission, control, and distribution | -- | 2 | 1 |
Retail trade | 8 | 5 | 4 |
Motor vehicle and parts dealers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores | -- | 1 | 1 |
Automotive parts and accessories stores | -- | 1 | 1 |
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Building material and supplies dealers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 22 | 16 |
Air transportation | -- | 4 | 3 |
Truck transportation | 7 | 14 | 10 |
General freight trucking | -- | 10 | 7 |
General freight trucking, local | -- | 5 | 4 |
General freight trucking, long-distance | -- | 4 | 3 |
Specialized freight trucking | -- | 4 | 3 |
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local | -- | 4 | 3 |
Transit and ground passenger transportation | -- | 2 | 1 |
Taxi and limousine service | -- | 2 | 1 |
Professional and business services | 9 | 17 | 12 |
Professional, scientific, and technical services | -- | 3 | 2 |
Professional, scientific, and technical services | -- | 3 | 2 |
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 9 | 14 | 10 |
Administrative and support services | -- | 12 | 9 |
Investigation and security services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Investigation, guard, and armored car services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Security guards and patrol services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Services to buildings and dwellings | -- | 11 | 8 |
Exterminating and pest control services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Landscaping services | -- | 10 | 7 |
Waste management and remediation services | -- | 2 | 1 |
Educational and health services | 5 | 3 | 2 |
Health care and social assistance | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Nursing and residential care facilities | -- | 2 | 1 |
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | -- | 2 | 1 |
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | -- | 2 | 1 |
Social assistance | -- | 1 | 1 |
Child day care services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Child day care services | -- | 1 | 1 |
Leisure and hospitality | -- | -- | -- |
Accommodation and food services | -- | 6 | 4 |
Other services, except public administration | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Other services, except public administration | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Repair and maintenance | -- | 5 | 4 |
Automotive repair and maintenance | -- | 4 | 3 |
Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance | -- | 4 | 3 |
General automotive repair | -- | 4 | 3 |
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance | -- | 1 | 1 |
Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance | -- | 1 | 1 |
Government (5) | 16 | -- | -- |
Federal government | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Local government | 11 | 4 | 3 |
Footnotes: | |||
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/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.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. |
Occupation (1) | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total | 131 | 140 | 100 |
Management occupations | 15 | 17 | 12 |
Other management occupations | 14 | 17 | 12 |
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Construction managers | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Construction managers | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Food service managers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Food service managers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Miscellaneous managers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Business and financial operations occupations | -- | 1 | 1 |
Business operations specialists | -- | 1 | 1 |
Market research analysts and marketing specialists | -- | 1 | 1 |
Market research analysts and marketing specialists | -- | 1 | 1 |
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Healthcare support occupations | -- | -- | -- |
Other healthcare support occupations | -- | 1 | 1 |
Massage therapists | -- | 1 | 1 |
Massage therapists | -- | 1 | 1 |
Protective service occupations | 9 | 6 | 4 |
Other protective service workers | 2 | 5 | 4 |
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 5 | 13 | 9 |
Grounds maintenance workers | 2 | 7 | 5 |
Grounds maintenance workers | 2 | 7 | 5 |
Office and administrative support occupations | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Information and record clerks | -- | 3 | 2 |
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks | -- | 3 | 2 |
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks | -- | 3 | 2 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 8 | 8 | 6 |
Construction and extraction occupations | 26 | 27 | 19 |
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers | 3 | 4 | 3 |
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 3 | 4 | 3 |
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Construction trades workers | 20 | 21 | 15 |
Construction laborers | 8 | 5 | 4 |
Construction laborers | 8 | 5 | 4 |
Construction equipment operators | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Electricians | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Electricians | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Painters and paperhangers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Painters, construction and maintenance | -- | 1 | 1 |
Roofers | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Roofers | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Sheet metal workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Sheet metal workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Structural iron and steel workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Structural iron and steel workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Other construction and related workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Highway maintenance workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Highway maintenance workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Extraction workers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Helpers--extraction workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Helpers--extraction workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers | 7 | 4 | 3 |
Automotive technicians and repairers | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Automotive service technicians and mechanics | -- | 4 | 3 |
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | -- | 7 | 5 |
Line installers and repairers | -- | 3 | 2 |
Electrical power-line installers and repairers | -- | 3 | 2 |
Production occupations | 8 | 9 | 6 |
Supervisors of production workers | -- | 3 | 2 |
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | -- | 3 | 2 |
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers | -- | 3 | 2 |
Other production occupations | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Transportation and material moving occupations | 24 | 35 | 25 |
Air transportation workers | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Commercial pilots | -- | 3 | 2 |
Motor vehicle operators | 13 | 27 | 19 |
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | 13 | 25 | 18 |
Driver/sales workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | -- | 19 | 14 |
Light truck drivers | -- | 5 | 4 |
Passenger vehicle drivers | -- | 2 | 1 |
Taxi drivers | -- | 2 | 1 |
Material moving workers | 10 | 4 | 3 |
Crane and tower operators | -- | 1 | 1 |
Crane and tower operators | -- | 1 | 1 |
Laborers and material movers | -- | 3 | 2 |
Footnotes: | |||
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/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.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. |
Worker characteristics | 2020 | 2021 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total | 131 | 140 | 100 |
Employee status | |||
Wage and salary workers (1) | 97 | 99 | 71 |
Self-employed (2) | 34 | 41 | 29 |
Gender | |||
Men | 125 | 127 | 91 |
Women | 6 | 13 | 9 |
Age (3) | |||
18 to 19 years | 1 | 4 | 3 |
20 to 24 years | 7 | 6 | 4 |
25 to 34 years | 17 | 17 | 12 |
35 to 44 years | 24 | 29 | 21 |
45 to 54 years | 24 | 24 | 17 |
55 to 64 years | 29 | 33 | 24 |
65 years and over | 28 | 24 | 17 |
Race or ethnic origin (4) | |||
White, non-Hispanic | 101 | 113 | 81 |
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic | 14 | 20 | 14 |
Hispanic or Latino | 11 | 5 | 4 |
Footnotes: | |||
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/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.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: Friday, February 24, 2023