Fatal work injuries totaled 71 in 2014 for Mississippi, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2014 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Mississippi rose by three over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 128 in 1995 and 1999, to a low of 63 in 2011 and 2012. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,679 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2014, up from a revised count of 4,585 fatalities in 2013, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2014 CFOI data will be released in the late spring of 2016.

Of the 71 fatal work injuries reported in Mississippi in 2014, 30 resulted from transportation incidents and 11 from falls, slips, and trips. Together these two major categories accounted for over half of all fatal work injuries reported in the state. (See table 1.) Other major event categories each reported nine or fewer deaths. Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 19 deaths. This category accounted for over a quarter of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. In the falls, slips, and trips category, 9 of the 11 deaths occurred as a result of falls to lower level. (Note that roadway counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2014 data are released in the late spring of 2016 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 2014, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. In Mississippi, transportation incidents accounted for 42 percent of the state’s share of fatalities. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, and trips, was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities; the share in Mississippi was 15 percent. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities, while in the state, this event was responsible for 11 percent of workplace fatalities. Contact with objects and equipment was responsible for 15 percent of work-related fatalities nationwide; this event accounted for 13 percent of the state’s fatalities.

Additional highlights:

• The trade, transportation, and utilities industry had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 19, compared to 27 the previous year. Transportation incidents accounted for nine fatal work injuries in this industry. (See table 2.)
• Construction had the second highest fatality count with 12, followed by government with 10 worker deaths. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for the largest number of deaths in the construction industry, with a majority of government fatalities resulting from transportation incidents.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 20. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers suffered eight of those deaths. (See table 3.)
• Men accounted for 65, or 92 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 45 percent of these fatalities.
• In Mississippi, 70 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 46, or 65 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2014. Nationally, workers in this group accounted for 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 71 fatal work injuries in Mississippi, 79 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents. For the self-employed, falls, slips, and trips were the most frequent fatal events.

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/pdf/homch9.pdf.

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.

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, Mississippi, 2013-14

Event or exposure(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	68	71	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	8	8	11
Intentional injury by person	8	8	11
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	6	5	7
Shooting by other person--intentional	5	4	6
Sucides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	--	3	4
Shooting--intentional self-harm	--	3	4
Transportation incidents	36	30	42
Pedestrian vehicular incident	4	7	10
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	29	19	27
Roadway collision with other vehicle	14	10	14
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	3	4	6
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	8	6	8
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	8	6	8
Roadway noncollision incident	6	3	4
Fires and explosions	3	4	6
Explosions	--	4	6
Falls, slips, trips	9	11	15
Falls to lower level	6	9	13
Other fall to lower level	3	6	8
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	3	9	13
Exposure to electricity	--	5	7
Contact with objects and equipment	9	9	13
Struck by object or equipment	4	5	7
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.
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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication guidelines.

 

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Mississippi, 2013-14

Industry(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	68	71	100
Private industry	55	61	86
Natural resources and mining	5	5	7
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and huntng	4	5	7
Construction	6	12	17
Construction of buildings	--	3	4
Heavy and civil engineering construction	--	3	4
Specialty trade contractors	--	6	8
Manufacturing	--	6	8
Wood product manufacturing	--	3	4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	27	19	27
Wholesale trade	3	5	7
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	--	1	1
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	--	4	6
Retail trade	4	3	4
Transportation and warehousing	20	9	13
Truck transportation	17	6	8
Professional and Business Services	4	8	11
Administrative and waste services	3	6	8
Educational and health services	3	4	6
Healthcare and social assistance	--	4	6
Leisure and hospitality	--	3	4
Government(3)	13	10	14
State government	--	6	8
Local government	11	3	4
Footnotes: (1) Industry data for 2013 are based on the North American Classification System, 2007. Industry data for 2014 are based on the North American Classification System, 2012. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016. (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. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

 

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Mississippi, 2013-14

Occupation(1)	2013(2)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	68	71	100
Management occupations	3	4	6
Protective service occupations	8	4	6
Police officers	4	1	1
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	4	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	4	3	4
Grounds maintenance workers	--	1	1
Sales and related occupations	3	3	4
Office and administrative support occupations	--	4	6
Construction and extraction occupations	8	15	21
Construction trades workers	6	6	8
Other construction and related workers	--	6	8
Highway maintenance workers	--	5	7
Extraction workers	--	1	1
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	6	6	8
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	--	4	6
Line installers and repairers	--	3	4
Production occupations	--	3	4
Transportation and material moving occupations	28	20	28
Motor vehicle operators	24	13	18
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	23	12	17
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	19	8	11
Material moving workers	--	6	8
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. (2) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016.
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. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

 

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Mississippi, 2013-14

Worker characteristics	2013(1)	2014(p)
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	68	71	100
Employee status
Wage and salary(2)	55	56	79
Self-employed(3)	13	15	21
Gender
Men	64	65	92
Women	4	6	8
Age(4)
20 to 24 years	--	7	10
25 to 34 years	--	13	18
35 to 44 years	13	11	15
45 to 54 years	20	22	31
55 to 64 years	24	11	15
65 years and over	6	6	8
Race or ethnic origin(5)
White, non-Hispanic	44	50	70
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	20	19	27
Footnotes: (1) Totals for 2013 are revised and final. (p) Data for 2014 are preliminary. Revised and final 2014 data are scheduled to be released in spring 2016. (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. CFOI fatality counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.