Fatal work injuries totaled 104 in 2013 for North Carolina, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in North Carolina decreased by 42 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 234 in 2000 to this year’s low of 104. Over the last 5 years, the number of fatalities has remained below 150. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries was recorded in 2013, down from a final count of 4,628 fatal work injuries in 2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2013 CFOI data will be released in spring 2015.

Of the 104 fatal work injuries reported in North Carolina in 2013, 41 resulted from transportation incidents, 23 from contact with objects and equipment, and 20 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals; together these three major categories accounted for more than 80 percent of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories reported 12 or fewer deaths each. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents were the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 26 deaths, accounting for 25 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. In the contact with objects and equipment category, 17 deaths occurred from being struck by an object or equipment. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, 17 deaths occurred from intentional injury by other person. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in spring 2015 because key source documentation detailing specific transportation-related incidents has not yet been received.)

In the United States, transportation incidents was also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. North Carolina’s 39-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was similar to the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second most frequent type of event nationally with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; lower than the 19 percent share for this event in North Carolina. Contact with objects or equipment and falls, slips, or trips each accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities.

Additional key characteristics:

• The trade, transportation and utilities industry sector had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 24, down from 44 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for the most workers deaths in this industry with 15.
• The construction industry had the second highest number of workplace fatalities with 20. Transportation incidents accounted for 8 worker deaths in this sector.
• Workers in construction and extraction occupations and transportation and material moving occupations had the most fatal work injuries with 19 each. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the construction and extraction occupational group were construction laborers (6), while heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had the highest fatal count (11) within the transportation and material moving group.
• Men accounted for 96, or 92 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 41 percent of these fatalities.
• In North Carolina, 71 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 54, or 52 percent, of the State’s work-related fatalities in 2013. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 104 workers that suffered fatal work injuries in North Carolina, 77 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. Transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers (32) and self-employed (9).

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 North Carolina Department of Labor.

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, North Carolina, 2012-2013

Event or exposure(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	146	104	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	33	20	19
Intentional injury by person	33	17	16
Intentional injury by other person	28	9	9
Shooting by other person--intentional	23	6	6
Self-inflicted injury--intentional	5	8	8
Shooting--intentional self-harm	4	5	5
Injury by person--unintentional or intent unknown	--	3	3
Transportation incidents	59	41	39
Pedestrian vehicular incident	14	4	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	35	26	25
Roadway collision with other vehicle	19	11	11
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	4	6	6
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	12	13	13
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	12	13	13
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	4	7	7
Nonroadway noncollision incident	4	6	6
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	3	6	6
Falls, slips, trips	18	11	11
Falls to lower level	16	10	10
Other fall to lower level	12	7	7
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	--	3	3
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	13	7	7
Exposure to electricity	6	4	4
Indirect exposure to electricity	4	3	3
Contact with objects and equipment	22	23	22
Struck by object or equipment	14	17	16
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	4	4	4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	4	4	4
Caught in running equipment or machinery	4	4	4
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. (2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015.
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.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, North Carolina, 2012-2013

Industry(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	146	104	100
Private industry	124	91	88
Natural resources and mining	16	16	15
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	15	16	15
Crop production	11	5	5
Other crop farming	3	4	4
All other crop farming	--	2	2
Animal production	3	4	4
Forestry and logging	--	5	5
Logging	--	5	5
Construction	18	20	19
Construction of buildings	--	4	4
Residential remodelers	--	1	1
Heavy and civil engineering construction	4	3	3
Specialty trade contractors	15	13	13
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	7	6	6
Building finishing contractors	--	4	4
Manufacturing	12	5	5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	44	24	23
Wholesale trade	8	5	5
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	6	5	5
Electrical and electronic goods merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers	--	3	3
Retail trade	16	8	8
Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers	--	1	1
Building material and supplies dealers	--	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	20	11	11
Truck transportation	14	8	8
General freight trucking	11	6	6
General freight trucking, long-distance	10	3	3
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	8	3	3
Financial activities	--	3	3
Real estate and rental and leasing	--	3	3
Real estate	--	3	3
Professional and business services	18	9	9
Architectural, engineering, and related services	--	2	2
Administrative and waste services	--	6	6
Administrative and support services	14	5	5
Services to buildings and dwellings	10	5	5
Landscaping services	9	5	5
Leisure and hospitality	9	7	7
Accommodation and food services	6	5	5
Food services and drinking places	6	5	5
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	--	3	3
Other services, except public administration	5	6	6
Other services, except public administration	5	6	6
Repair and maintenance	3	4	4
Government(3)	22	13	13
Federal government	6	5	5
Local government	9	7	7
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015. (3) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
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.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, North Carolina, 2012-2013

Occupation(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	146	104	100
Management occupations	10	11	11
Other management occupations	8	9	9
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	3	5	5
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	--	1	1
Media and communication equipment workers	--	1	1
Protective service occupations	10	6	6
Food preparation and serving related occupations	3	4	4
Cooks and food preparation workers	--	3	3
Cooks	--	3	3
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	12	9	9
Grounds maintenance workers	9	6	6
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	4	4	4
Sales and related occupations	11	5	5
Supervisors of sales workers	5	3	3
First-line supervisors of sales workers	5	3	3
Shipping, receiving, and traffic clerks	--	1	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	12	11	11
Agricultural workers	9	3	3
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	9	3	3
Forest, conservation, and logging workers	--	4	4
Logging workers	--	4	4
Fallers	--	4	4
Construction and extraction occupations	20	19	18
Construction trades workers	15	17	16
Carpenters	--	3	3
Construction laborers	4	6	6
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	9	7	7
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	5	3	3
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	3	3
Production occupations	8	4	4
Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers	--	1	1
Transportation and material moving occupations	39	19	18
Motor vehicle operators	28	15	14
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	27	14	13
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	21	11	11
Military occupations(3)	5	4	4
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. (2) Totals for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015. (3) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.
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.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, North Carolina, 2012-2013

Worker characteristics	2012(1)	2013(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	146	104	100
Employee status
Wage and salary(2)	116	80	77
Self-employed(3)	30	24	23
Gender
Men	133	96	92
Women	13	8	8
Age(4)
20 to 24 years	5	7	7
25 to 34 years	22	11	11
35 to 44 years	31	20	19
45 to 54 years	36	23	22
55 to 64 years	43	24	23
65 years and over	7	17	16
Race or ethnic origin(5)
White, non-Hispanic	101	74	71
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	26	11	11
Hispanic or Latino	13	16	15
Footnotes: (1) Totals for 2012 are revised and final. (p) Data are preliminary. Revised and final 2013 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2015. (2) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. (3) 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. (4) Information may not be available for all age groups. (5) Persons identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The race categories shown exclude Hispanic and Latino workers.
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.