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News Release Information

13-1850-ATL
Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Fatal Work Injuries In Florida-2012

Fatal work injuries totaled 209 in 2012 for Florida, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2012 count was preliminary, this year’s fatality count was the lowest annual total for the state since the Bureau began tracking workplace fatalities in 1992. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 422 in 2004 to this year’s low of 209. Over the last eight years, the number of fatalities has generally trended downward, declining by 213 since 2004. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,383 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2012, down from a final count of 4,693 fatalities recorded in 2011, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2012 CFOI data will be released in Spring 2014.

Of the 209 fatal work injuries reported in Florida in 2012, 65 resulted from transportation incidents, 44 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals, and 42 from falls, slips, and trips; together these three major categories accounted for 72 percent of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories each reported less than 30 deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents were the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 35 deaths; in fact, it accounted for 17 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, pedestrian vehicular incidents, accounted for 13 fatalities. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 23 deaths occurred from intentional shooting by other person. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2012 data are released in Spring 2014 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2012, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. Florida’s 31-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was 10 percentage points lower than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries was the second most frequent type of event nationally (17 percent) and in Florida (21 percent). Contact with objects or equipment (16 percent) and falls, slips, and trips (15 percent) were the third and fourth most frequent events, respectively, in the nation.

Additional key characteristics:
  • The construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 55, up from 41 the previous year. (See table 2.) Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 21 of the worker deaths, while transportation incidents and contacts with objects and equipment accounted for 14 fatalities each.
  • The trade, transportation, and utilities industry had the second highest fatality count with 52, down 13 from the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for 24 worker deaths in this sector.
  • Construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries (48) followed by transportation and material moving occupations (46). (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were construction trade workers (36) within the construction group and heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (23) within the transportation and material moving occupational group.
  • Men accounted for 190, or 91 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up one third of these fatalities.
  • In Florida, 56 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 68 percent of work-related deaths.
  • Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 125, or 60 percent, of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2012. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 59 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
  • Of the 209 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in Florida, 81 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. Among wage and salary workers, 58 fatalities were due to transportation incidents, while violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the most common fatality among self-employed workers (15).

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.


Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/soii/home.htm.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

Acknowledgments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Florida, 2012
Event or exposure (1)20112012p
NumberNumberPercent

Total

226209100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

444421

Intentional injury by person

414321

Intentional injury by other person

343014

Shooting by other person--intentional

292311

Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing

331

Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving

--21

Multiple violent acts by other person

--21

Self-inflicted injury--intentional

7136

Shooting--intentional self-harm

--73

Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm

331

Transportation incidents

896531

Rail vehicle incidents

--21

Pedestrian vehicular incident

21136

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone

542

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone

431

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway

331

Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in roadway

331

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

621

Water vehicle incidents

863

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

413517

Roadway collision with other vehicle

22178

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

473

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

331

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

1031

Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway

542

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

9126

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

9126

Roadway noncollision incident

1063

Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway

742

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

484

Nonroadway noncollision incident

384

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway

--31

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

--42

Fires and Explosions

463

Fires

231

Explosions

231

Falls, slips, trips

364220

Falls on same level

463

Falls to lower level

283617

Fall through surface or existing opening

--73

Fall through surface or existing opening more than 30 feet

--52

Other fall to lower level

242914

Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet

531

Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet

442

Other fall to lower level 16 to 20 feet

--42

Other fall to lower level 21 to 25 feet

--42

Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet

852

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

272311

Exposure to electricity

17168

Direct exposure to electricity

494

Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts

373

Indirect exposure to electricity

1373

Indirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts

1163

Exposure to other harmful substances

331

Inhalation of harmful substance

--31

Inhalation of harmful substance--single episode

--31

Exposure to oxygen deficiency, n.e.c.

331

Contact with objects and equipment

262813

Struck by object or equipment

17199

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

952

Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached

--31

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

684

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

452

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

--31

Caught in running equipment or machinery

--31

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

752

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

552

Footnotes:
(1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. Total may include other events not shown.

p Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
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.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
 

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Florida, 2011-2012
Industry (1)20112012p
NumberNumberPercent

Total

226209100

Private industry

20418789

Natural resources and mining

1331

Construction

415526

Construction of buildings

694

Residential building construction

342

Residential remodelers

--31

Nonresidential building construction

352

Commercial and institutional building construction

352

Heavy and civil engineering construction

1384

Highway, street, and bridge construction

642

Other heavy and civil engineering construction

--21

Specialty trade contractors

213818

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

7199

Masonry contractors

--31

Roofing contractors

3126

Residential roofing contractors

--31

Building equipment contractors

342

Electrical contractors

--31

Building finishing contractors

494

Painting and wall covering contractors

--63

Nonresidential painting and wall covering contractors

--52

Other specialty trade contractors

763

Site preparation contractors

731

All other specialty trade contractors

--31

Manufacturing

484

Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing

--21

Cement and concrete product manufacturing

--21

Ready-mix concrete manufacturing

--21

Trade, transportation, and utilities

655225

Wholesale trade

8126

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

663

Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers

142

Recyclable material merchant wholesalers

131

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

--63

Grocery and related product wholesalers

142

Retail trade

20178

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

331

Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores

--21

Food and beverage stores

1263

Grocery stores

863

Supermarkets and other grocery (except convenience) stores

642

Convenience stores

--21

Gasoline stations

121

Gasoline stations with convenience stores

121

Transportation and warehousing

362110

Truck transportation

1384

General freight trucking

963

General freight trucking, long-distance

752

General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload

631

Transit and ground passenger transportation

921

Taxi and limousine service

821

Taxi service

721

Support activities for transportation

894

Support activities for road transportation

452

Motor vehicle towing

--52

Information

--21

Publishing industries (except internet)

--21

Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers

--21

Newspaper publishers

--21

Finance and insurance

--21

Insurance carriers and related activities

--21

Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities

--21

Professional and business services

393919

Administrative and waste services

--3818

Administrative and support services

323416

Employment services

1031

Investigation and security services

642

Investigation, guard, and armored car services

442

Security guards and patrol services

331

Services to buildings and dwellings

122411

Landscaping services

122110

Other support services

--31

Waste management and remediation services

--42

Waste collection

--31

Educational and health services

1063

Educational services

531

Health care and social assistance

531

Leisure and hospitality

16105

Accommodation and food services

794

Traveler accommodation

--21

Hotels (except casino hotels) and motels

--21

Food services and drinking places

763

Full-service restaurants

331

Other services, except public administration

1084

Repair and maintenance

752

Automotive repair and maintenance

531

Personal and laundry services

121

Personal care services

121

Hair, nail, and skin care services

121

Beauty salons

--21

Government (2)

222211

Federal government

152

State government

--31

Local government

18147

Footnotes:
(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown.
(2) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
 

p Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
 

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Florida, 2011-2012
Occupation (1)20112012p
NumberNumberPercent

Total

226209100

Management occupations

9115

Other management occupations

7105

Miscellaneous managers

363

Life, physical, and social science occupations

121

Education, training, and library occupations

--42

Protective service occupations

21136

Law enforcement workers

1042

Police officers

831

Police and sheriff's patrol officers

831

Other protective service workers

773

Security guards and gaming surveillance officers

673

Security guards

673

Food preparation and serving related occupations

431

Supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

--21

First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

--21

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

192813

Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers

--52

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

--52

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

--52

Building cleaning and pest control workers

431

Building cleaning workers

431

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners

431

Grounds maintenance workers

142010

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

7136

Tree trimmers and pruners

763

Personal care and service occupations

331

Sales and related occupations

16147

Supervisors of sales workers

863

First-line supervisors of sales workers

863

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

663

Retail sales workers

652

Cashiers

531

Other sales and related workers

--21

Miscellaneous sales and related workers

121

Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers

--21

Office and administrative support occupations

652

Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers

342

Postal service workers

--21

Postal service mail carriers

--21

Construction and extraction occupations

384823

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

484

First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

384

Construction trades workers

263617

Carpenters

--21

Construction laborers

1184

Electricians

--42

Painters and paperhangers

--52

Painters, construction and maintenance

--52

Roofers

--115

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

21157

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

731

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

12105

Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

421

Industrial machinery mechanics

--21

Line installers and repairers

--31

Electrical power-line installers and repairers

--31

Miscellaneous installation, maintenance, and repair workers

331

Production occupations

773

Metal workers and plastic workers

531

Welding, soldering, and brazing workers

431

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

431

Other production occupations

--42

Transportation and material moving occupations

614622

Motor vehicle operators

342914

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

242512

Driver/sales workers

--21

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

182311

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

921

Material moving workers

14157

Laborers and material movers, hand

794

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

594

Refuse and recyclable material collectors

--21

Military occupations (2)

--31

Footnotes:
(1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown.
(2) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.
 

p Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
 

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Florida, 2011-2012
Worker characteristics20112012p
NumberNumberPercent

Total

226209100
Employee status   

Wage and salary (1)

17616981

Self-employed (2)

504019
Gender   

Men

21119091

Women

15199
Age (3)   

20 to 24 years

12168

25 to 34 years

333416

35 to 44 years

443316

45 to 54 years

715828

55 to 64 years

404823

65 years and over

23189
Race or ethnic origin (4)   

White, non-Hispanic

13311756

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

323718

Hispanic or Latino

535124

Asian, non-Hispanic

642

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 Hispanic and Latino workers.
 

p Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2012 data are scheduled to be released in Spring 2014.
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.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in cooperation with State, New York City, District of Columbia, and Federal agencies, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
 

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, November 13, 2013