News Release Information
23-178-CHI
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Fatal Work Injuries in Iowa — 2021
Fatal work injuries totaled 49 in 2021 for Iowa, compared with 58 in 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that Iowa's work-related fatalities were at their peak in 1992 with 110, the first year comparable state data became available, and at their low point in 2021.
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).
Fatal event or exposure
In Iowa, transportation incidents resulted in 25 fatal work injuries and accounted for 51 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state. (See chart 2 and table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 31 over the year.
Falls, slips, and trips and exposure to harmful substances or environments each accounted for seven fatalities. Both events had the same number of worker deaths in the prior year.
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).
Chart 2. Percent distribution of total fatal occupational injuries by event, United States and Iowa, 2021
| Event |
United States |
Iowa |
|
Transportation incidents
|
38.2 |
51.0 |
|
Falls, slips, trips
|
16.4 |
14.3 |
|
Exposure to harmful substances or environments
|
15.4 |
14.3 |
|
All other
|
30.1 |
20.4 |
Industry
The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in Iowa with 13, down from 17 in the previous year. (See table 2.) The general freight trucking industry group accounted for 8 of the 13 fatal workplace injuries in the transportation and warehousing industry.
The private agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had 11 fatal workplace injuries, unchanged from the previous year. The crop production subsector and the animal production and aquaculture subsector accounted for four work-related deaths each. Combined, these two subsectors made up 73 percent of the fatal injuries in this industry.
Occupation
The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 18. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer drivers accounted for 17 of the 18 fatalities among transportation and material moving occupations. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second-highest number of fatal workplace injuries with seven, followed by management occupations with six. Construction laborers suffered five of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction occupational group. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for all six of the work-related deaths within the management group.
Additional highlights
Men accounted for 92 percent of the work-related fatalities in Iowa, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 56 percent of the fatalities for men in Iowa.
White non-Hispanics accounted for 78 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 60 percent of work-related deaths.
Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 63 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2021, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
Of the 49 fatal work injuries in Iowa, 78 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both wage and salary 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 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 Iowa Division of Labor 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.
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Iowa, 2020–21
| Event or exposure |
2020 |
2021 |
| Number |
Number |
Percent |
|
Total
|
58 |
49 |
100 |
|
Transportation incidents
|
31 |
25 |
51 |
|
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle
|
15 |
20 |
41 |
|
Roadway collision with other vehicle
|
5 |
5 |
10 |
|
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle on side of roadway
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle
|
1 |
5 |
10 |
|
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway
|
1 |
5 |
10 |
|
Roadway noncollision incident
|
9 |
10 |
20 |
|
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway
|
8 |
9 |
18 |
|
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles
|
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
Nonroadway noncollision incident
|
6 |
3 |
6 |
|
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway
|
4 |
3 |
6 |
|
Falls, slips, trips
|
7 |
7 |
14 |
|
Falls on same level
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Falls to lower level
|
-- |
5 |
10 |
|
Exposure to harmful substances or environments
|
7 |
7 |
14 |
|
Exposure to other harmful substances
|
3 |
4 |
8 |
|
Inhalation of harmful substance
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
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.
|
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Iowa, 2020–21
| Industry |
2020 |
2021 |
| Number |
Number |
Percent |
|
Total
|
58 |
49 |
100 |
|
Private industry
|
55 |
45 |
92 |
|
Goods producing
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Natural resources and mining
|
12 |
11 |
22 |
|
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
|
11 |
11 |
22 |
|
Crop production
|
9 |
4 |
8 |
|
Oilseed and grain farming
|
5 |
4 |
8 |
|
Corn farming
|
5 |
4 |
8 |
|
Animal production and aquaculture
|
2 |
4 |
8 |
|
Cattle ranching and farming
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Beef cattle ranching and farming, including feedlots
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Hog and pig farming
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Hog and pig farming
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Sheep and goat farming
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Forestry and logging
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Support activities for agriculture and forestry
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Support activities for crop production
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Support activities for crop production
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Construction
|
8 |
7 |
14 |
|
Construction
|
8 |
7 |
14 |
|
Construction of buildings
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Nonresidential building construction
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Commercial and institutional building construction
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Heavy and civil engineering construction
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Utility system construction
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Water and sewer line and related structures construction
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Specialty trade contractors
|
3 |
5 |
10 |
|
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Framing contractors
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Building equipment contractors
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Building finishing contractors
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Painting and wall covering contractors
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Manufacturing
|
4 |
5 |
10 |
|
Manufacturing
|
4 |
5 |
10 |
|
Food manufacturing
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
Animal slaughtering and processing
|
-- |
3 |
6 |
|
Animal slaughtering and processing
|
-- |
3 |
6 |
|
Animal (except poultry) slaughtering
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Bakeries and tortilla manufacturing
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Machinery manufacturing
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Agricultural implement manufacturing
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Farm machinery and equipment manufacturing
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Service providing
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Trade, transportation, and utilities
|
20 |
16 |
33 |
|
Wholesale trade
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Retail trade
|
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Lawn and garden equipment and supplies stores
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Gasoline stations
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Gasoline stations
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Gasoline stations with convenience stores
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Transportation and warehousing
|
17 |
13 |
27 |
|
Rail transportation
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Rail transportation
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Rail transportation
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Truck transportation
|
15 |
11 |
22 |
|
General freight trucking
|
9 |
8 |
16 |
|
General freight trucking, local
|
1 |
2 |
4 |
|
General freight trucking, long-distance
|
7 |
4 |
8 |
|
Warehousing and storage
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Warehousing and storage
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Refrigerated warehousing and storage
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Leisure and hospitality
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Other amusement and recreation industries
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Golf courses and country clubs
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Accommodation and food services
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Other services, except public administration
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Other services, except public administration
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Repair and maintenance
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Automotive repair and maintenance
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Other automotive repair and maintenance
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Government
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
State government
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
|
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.
|
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Iowa, 2020–21
| Occupation |
2020 |
2021 |
| Number |
Number |
Percent |
|
Total
|
58 |
49 |
100 |
|
Management occupations
|
12 |
6 |
12 |
|
Other management occupations
|
11 |
6 |
12 |
|
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
|
-- |
6 |
12 |
|
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers
|
-- |
6 |
12 |
|
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
|
3 |
4 |
8 |
|
Building cleaning and pest control workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Building cleaning workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Grounds maintenance workers
|
-- |
3 |
6 |
|
Grounds maintenance workers
|
-- |
3 |
6 |
|
Sales and related occupations
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Retail sales workers
|
-- |
2 |
4 |
|
Cashiers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Cashiers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Retail salespersons
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Retail salespersons
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Office and administrative support occupations
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Information and record clerks
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
|
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Agricultural workers
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Miscellaneous agricultural workers
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Construction and extraction occupations
|
12 |
7 |
14 |
|
Construction trades workers
|
11 |
7 |
14 |
|
Construction laborers
|
9 |
5 |
10 |
|
Construction laborers
|
9 |
5 |
10 |
|
Painters and paperhangers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Painters, construction and maintenance
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
|
4 |
4 |
8 |
|
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Tire repairers and changers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
|
4 |
3 |
6 |
|
Production occupations
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
|
Food processing workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Transportation and material moving occupations
|
19 |
18 |
37 |
|
Motor vehicle operators
|
17 |
17 |
35 |
|
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
|
17 |
17 |
35 |
|
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
|
16 |
17 |
35 |
|
Rail transportation workers
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Railroad conductors and yardmasters
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
Railroad conductors and yardmasters
|
-- |
1 |
2 |
|
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.
|
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Iowa, 2020–21
| Worker characteristics |
2020 |
2021 |
| Number |
Number |
Percent |
|
Total
|
58 |
49 |
100 |
|
Employee status
|
|
|
Wage and salary workers
|
42 |
38 |
78 |
|
Self-employed
|
16 |
11 |
22 |
|
Gender
|
|
|
Men
|
-- |
45 |
92 |
|
Women
|
-- |
4 |
8 |
|
Age
|
|
|
25 to 34 years
|
9 |
4 |
8 |
|
35 to 44 years
|
13 |
10 |
20 |
|
45 to 54 years
|
8 |
17 |
35 |
|
55 to 64 years
|
12 |
10 |
20 |
|
65 years and over
|
12 |
5 |
10 |
|
Race or ethnic origin
|
|
|
White, non-Hispanic
|
42 |
38 |
78 |
|
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Hispanic or Latino
|
13 |
6 |
12 |
|
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.
|
United States Department of Labor
