Fatal work injuries totaled 150 in 2015 for North Carolina, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the number of work-related fatalities in North Carolina was up from 137 in the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 234 in 2000 to a low of 109 in 2013. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries in 2014, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In North Carolina, transportation incidents resulted in 51 fatal work injuries and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 33 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 56 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents were little changed over the year while worker fatalities due to contact with objects and equipment were up 15 from the prior year.

Falls, slips, or trips was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 26 fatalities, slightly higher than the previous year. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 24 work-related deaths, up from 16 in 2014.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2015, accounting for approximately 42 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second-most frequent type of event (17 percent), followed by contact with objects and equipment (15 percent) and other injuries by persons or animals (15 percent).

Industry

The private construction industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in North Carolina with 30, down from 35 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the most frequent fatal event in the construction sector with 11 worker deaths, followed by transportation incidents with 9 fatalities. Over half of those fatally injured in this sector worked in specialty trade contracting.

The private professional and business services sector had 22 workplace fatalities, more than double the count in 2014. Landscaping services accounted for 12, or 55 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 35 and 28, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (21). Construction trades workers accounted for 18 of the 28 fatalities among construction and extraction workers.

Additional highlights

• Men accounted for 95 percent of the work-related fatalities in North Carolina, compared to the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 35 percent of the fatalities for men in North Carolina.
• White non-hispanics accounted for 67 percent of those who died from a workplace injury, matching the national share.
• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 61 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 150 fatal work injuries in North Carolina, 75 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 self-employed workers—transportation incidents and contact with objects and equipment.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI program uses diverse 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 2015 data, over 21,400 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for CFOI, 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. BLS thanks the North Carolina Department of Health 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 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, 2014–15

Event or exposure (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	137	150	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	16	24	16
Intentional injury by person	15	20	13
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	9	14	9
Shooting by other person--intentional	6	11	7
Strangulation by other person	--	1	1
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	6	6	4
Shooting--intentional self-harm	--	4	3
Jumping from building or other structure--intentional self-harm	--	1	1
Animal and insect related incidents	--	3	2
Bites and stings	--	3	2
Stings and venomous bites	--	3	2
Transportation incidents	55	51	34
Pedestrian vehicular incident	12	5	3
Water vehicle incidents	--	5	3
Capsized or sinking water vehicle	--	3	2
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	31	35	23
Roadway collision with other vehicle	8	19	13
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	--	5	3
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	3	6	4
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	--	6	4
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle on side of roadway	--	1	1
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	21	9	6
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	21	8	5
Roadway noncollision incident	--	7	5
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	--	6	4
Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, roadway	--	1	1
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	9	4	3
Nonroadway collision with other vehicle	--	1	1
Collision between a moving and standing vehicle, nonroadway	--	1	1
Nonroadway noncollision incident	6	3	2
Fires and explosions	6	3	2
Falls, slips, trips	25	26	17
Falls on same level	3	5	3
Falls to lower level	22	21	14
Other fall to lower level	12	16	11
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	4	3	2
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	17	13	9
Exposure to electricity	4	4	3
Direct exposure to electricity	--	1	1
Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts	--	1	1
Exposure to temperature extremes	--	3	2
Exposure to environmental heat	--	3	2
Exposure to other harmful substances	10	3	2
Contact with objects and equipment	18	33	22
Struck by object or equipment	10	26	17
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	4	11	7
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle	--	6	4
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	5	13	9
Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part	--	6	4
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	4	5	3
Caught in running equipment or machinery	3	4	3
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	4	1	1
Engulfment in other collapsing material	--	1	1
Overexertion and bodily reaction	--	--	--
Footnotes: (1) Based on the BLS Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (OIICS) 2.01 implemented for 2011 data forward.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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, North Carolina, 2014–15

Industry (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	137	150	100
Private industry	116	132	88
Natural resources and mining	16	20	13
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	14	20	13
Crop production	4	11	7
Forestry and logging	3	3	2
Logging	3	3	2
Fishing, hunting and trapping	--	5	3
Fishing	--	5	3
Construction	35	30	20
Construction of buildings	4	10	7
Residential building construction	--	7	5
New single-family housing construction (except for-sale builders)	--	4	3
Nonresidential building construction	2	3	2
Commercial and institutional building construction	2	3	2
Heavy and civil engineering construction	4	3	2
Utility system construction	--	1	1
Power and communication line and related structures construction	--	1	1
Specialty trade contractors	26	17	11
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	13	8	5
Poured concrete foundation and structure contractors	3	1	1
Siding contractors	1	1	1
Building equipment contractors	5	4	3
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors	3	2	1
Building finishing contractors	--	3	2
Drywall and insulation contractors	--	3	2
Other specialty trade contractors	6	2	1
Site preparation contractors	5	2	1
Manufacturing	11	15	10
Wood product manufacturing	1	3	2
Chemical manufacturing	--	1	1
Paint, coating, and adhesive manufacturing	--	1	1
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing	--	3	2
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	--	4	3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	31	28	19
Wholesale trade	4	3	2
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	1	1	1
Grocery and related product wholesalers	--	1	1
Retail trade	8	9	6
Food and beverage stores	--	1	1
Grocery stores	--	1	1
Health and personal care stores	--	1	1
Gasoline stations	--	2	1
General merchandise stores	--	2	1
Department stores	--	1	1
Nonstore retailers	--	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	19	16	11
Truck transportation	11	12	8
General freight trucking	10	8	5
General freight trucking, local	--	3	2
General freight trucking, long-distance	8	5	3
Specialized freight trucking	--	4	3
Information	1	--	--
Financial activities	3	2	1
Finance and insurance	1	1	1
Credit intermediation and related activities	1	1	1
Real estate and rental and leasing	2	1	1
Real estate	--	1	1
Professional and business services	9	22	15
Administrative and waste services	9	20	13
Administrative and support services	8	17	11
Business support services	--	1	1
Services to buildings and dwellings	3	14	9
Exterminating and pest control services	--	1	1
Landscaping services	--	12	8
Waste management and remediation services	1	3	2
Waste collection	--	2	1
Educational and health services	4	1	1
Educational services	--	1	1
Leisure and hospitality	5	4	3
Accommodation and food services	3	4	3
Accommodation	--	1	1
Food services and drinking places	1	3	2
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	--	1	1
Restaurants and other eating places	--	2	1
Other services, except public administration	1	8	5
Repair and maintenance	1	5	3
Automotive repair and maintenance	1	4	3
Personal and laundry services	--	2	1
Personal care services	--	2	1
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	--	1	1
Government (2)	21	18	12
Federal government	10	7	5
State government	--	4	3
Local government	9	7	5
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012. (2) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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, North Carolina, 2014–15

Occupation (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	137	150	100
Management occupations	8	10	7
Top executives	--	1	1
Chief executives	--	1	1
Other management occupations	7	9	6
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	5	6	4
Lodging managers	--	1	1
Property, real estate, and community association managers	--	1	1
Miscellaneous managers	--	1	1
Business and financial operations occupations	--	--	--
Computer and mathematical occupations	--	--	--
Architecture and engineering occupations	--	1	1
Architects, surveyors, and cartographers	--	1	1
Surveyors, cartographers, and photogrammetrists	--	1	1
Life, physical, and social science occupations	--	--	--
Community and social services occupations	--	1	1
Religious workers	--	1	1
Clergy	--	1	1
Legal occupations	--	--	--
Education, training, and library occupations	--	--	--
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	1	2	1
Art and design workers	1	1	1
Designers	--	1	1
Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers	--	1	1
Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers	--	1	1
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	1	1	1
Health technologists and technicians	1	1	1
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	--	1	1
Healthcare support occupations	--	--	--
Protective service occupations	8	5	3
Fire fighting and prevention workers	4	1	1
Firefighters	3	1	1
Law enforcement workers	4	2	1
Police officers	4	2	1
Food preparation and serving related occupations	--	--	--
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	7	13	9
Grounds maintenance workers	5	10	7
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	--	3	2
Tree trimmers and pruners	3	7	5
Personal care and service occupations	1	2	1
Personal appearance workers	--	2	1
Barbers, hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists	--	2	1
Barbers	--	1	1
Hairdressers, hairstylists, and cosmetologists	--	1	1
Sales and related occupations	8	7	5
Supervisors of sales workers	4	3	2
First-line supervisors of sales workers	4	3	2
Retail sales workers	3	3	2
Cashiers	3	2	1
Retail salespersons	--	1	1
Office and administrative support occupations	--	3	2
Financial clerks	--	1	1
Bill and account collectors	--	1	1
Material recording, scheduling, dispatching, and distributing workers	--	2	1
Postal service workers	--	1	1
Stock clerks and order fillers	--	1	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	9	13	9
Agricultural workers	6	6	4
Agricultural inspectors	--	1	1
Graders and sorters, agricultural products	--	1	1
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	6	4	3
Fishing and hunting workers	--	5	3
Fishers and related fishing workers	--	5	3
Construction and extraction occupations	31	28	19
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	--	7	5
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	7	5
Construction trades workers	26	18	12
Construction laborers	7	5	3
Construction equipment operators	--	2	1
Electricians	--	1	1
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	12	13	9
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	--	5	3
Automotive technicians and repairers	--	3	2
Small engine mechanics	--	1	1
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	7	4	3
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers	--	1	1
Line installers and repairers	--	3	2
Production occupations	6	11	7
Supervisors of production workers	--	1	1
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	1	1
Metal workers and plastic workers	--	4	3
Other production occupations	1	3	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	33	35	23
Motor vehicle operators	24	29	19
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	19	28	19
Driver/sales workers	--	3	2
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	18	21	14
Light truck or delivery services drivers	1	4	3
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	--	1	1
Other transportation workers	--	1	1
Transportation inspectors	--	1	1
Material moving workers	7	5	3
Military specific occupations (2)	9	5	3
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. (2) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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, North Carolina, 2014–15

Worker characteristics	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	137	150	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	112	112	75
Self-employed (2)	25	38	25
Gender
Men	130	142	95
Women	7	8	5
Age (3)
18 to 19 years	--	3	2
20 to 24 years	14	4	3
25 to 34 years	17	22	15
35 to 44 years	25	35	23
45 to 54 years	39	35	23
55 to 64 years	28	33	22
65 years and over	14	17	11
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	85	101	67
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	28	17	11
Hispanic or Latino	19	17	11
American Indian or Alaskan Native, non-Hispanic	--	6	4
Asian, non-Hispanic	3	7	5
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.
NOTE: Data for all years are final. 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.