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News Release Information

18-169-ATL
Friday, February 23, 2018

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

Fatal Occupational Injuries in North Carolina – 2016

Fatal work injuries totaled 174 in 2016 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 has increased in each of the last three years. 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 5,190 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries in 2015, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. This was the third consecutive increase in annual workplace fatalities and the first time more than 5,000 fatalities have been recorded since 2008.

Type of incident

In North Carolina, transportation incidents resulted in 68 fatal work injuries and violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 35 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 59 percent of all workplace fatalities in North Carolina. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents increased from 51 over the year and worker fatalities due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals were up from 24. Falls, slips, or trips was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 26 fatalities, unchanged from 2015.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2016, accounting for approximately 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent), followed by falls, slips, or trips (16 percent).

Industry

The private construction sector had the largest number of fatalities in North Carolina with 30, unchanged from the previous year. (See table 2.) Specialty trade contracting accounted for 22, or about 73 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had 25 workplace fatalities, up from 16 in the previous year. Thirteen, or 52 percent, of those fatally injured in this sector worked in general freight trucking.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 44 and 30, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (25). Construction laborers accounted for 8 of the 30 fatalities among construction and extraction workers.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 90 percent of the work-related fatalities in North Carolina, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 39 percent of the fatalities for men in North Carolina.
  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 63 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths.
  • Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 57 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2016, similar to the 57 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
  • Of the 174 fatally-injured workers in North Carolina, 87 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both groups of workers was transportation incidents.

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 2016 national data, over 23,300 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For the North Carolina 2016 data, 923 unique source documents were reviewed. 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/cfoi/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. 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, 2015–16
Event or exposure (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

150174100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

243520

Intentional injury by person

203319

Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)

142514

Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)

685

Transportation incidents

516839

Aircraft incidents

--32

Other in-flight crash

121

Parachuting incident

--11

Pedestrian vehicular incident

5148

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway

--63

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

--63

Water vehicle incidents

532

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

353721

Roadway collision with other vehicle

19137

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

9159

Roadway noncollision incident

795

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

4106

Fires and explosions

332

Fires

--11

Falls, slips, trips

262615

Falls to lower level

212313

Fall through surface or existing opening

--53

Other fall to lower level

161710

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

132011

Exposure to electricity

432

Indirect exposure to electricity

--32

Exposure to temperature extremes

353

Exposure to environmental heat

342

Exposure to other harmful substances

385

Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose

--74

Exposure to oxygen deficiency, n.e.c.

--42

Drowning, submersion, n.e.c.

--42

Contact with objects and equipment

332112

Struck by object or equipment

261810

Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport

1185

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

1395

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 criteria.
 


Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, North Carolina, 2015–16
Industry (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

150174100

Private industry

13215589

Natural resources and mining

201710

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

20169

Crop production

1163

Animal production and aquaculture

--32

Forestry and logging

332

Logging

332

Fishing, hunting and trapping

532

Fishing

532

Support activities for agriculture and forestry

--11

Support activities for crop production

--11

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (2)

--11

Mining (except oil and gas)

--11

Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying

--11

Construction

303017

Construction of buildings

1042

Residential building construction

732

Heavy and civil engineering construction

332

Highway, street, and bridge construction

121

Specialty trade contractors

172213

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

895

Building equipment contractors

4----

Building finishing contractors

353

Other specialty trade contractors

263

Manufacturing

15116

Textile product mills

--21

Textile furnishings mills

--11

Other textile product mills

--11

Chemical manufacturing

111

Resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial synthetic fibers and filaments manufacturing

--11

Transportation equipment manufacturing

------

Motor vehicle manufacturing

--11

Trade, transportation, and utilities

284224

Wholesale trade

363

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

--42

Furniture and home furnishing merchant wholesalers

--11

Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers

111

Retail trade

9116

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

--11

Automobile dealers

--11

Food and beverage stores

121

Grocery stores

121

Health and personal care stores

111

Gasoline stations

242

Transportation and warehousing

162514

Air transportation

--11

Truck transportation

121710

General freight trucking

8137

Specialized freight trucking

442

Transit and ground passenger transportation

153

Taxi and limousine service

--42

Charter bus industry

--11

Information

--11

Publishing industries (except internet)

--11

Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers

--11

Financial activities

232

Real estate and rental and leasing

1----

Real estate

1----

Lessors of real estate

111

Professional and business services

222213

Administrative and waste services

202213

Administrative and support services

171911

Employment services

--53

Investigation and security services

--11

Services to buildings and dwellings

14116

Waste management and remediation services

332

Educational and health services

142

Health care and social assistance

142

Ambulatory health care services

1----

Home health care services

--11

Social assistance

--11

Individual and family services

--11

Leisure and hospitality

495

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

--42

Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries

--21

Other amusement and recreation industries

--21

Accommodation and food services

453

Food services and drinking places

353

Other services, except public administration

8169

Repair and maintenance

5137

Automotive repair and maintenance

495

Commercial machinery repair and maintenance

--32

Personal and household goods repair and maintenance

--11

Personal and laundry services

221

Personal care services

211

Other personal services

--11

Government (3)

181911

Federal government

785

Local government

7106

Footnotes:
(1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2012.
(2) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, 2012, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction.
(3) 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, 2015–16
Occupation (1)20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

150174100

Management occupations

1053

Other management occupations

942

Business and financial operations occupations

------

Computer and mathematical occupations

------

Architecture and engineering occupations

1----

Life, physical, and social science occupations

------

Community and social service occupations

------

Legal occupations

------

Education, training, and library occupations

--11

Preschool, primary, secondary, and special education school teachers

--11

Elementary and middle school teachers

--11

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

211

Entertainers and performers, sports and related workers

111

Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers

111

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

1----

Healthcare support occupations

--11

Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides

--11

Home health aides

--11

Protective service occupations

5106

Fire fighting and prevention workers

121

Firefighters

121

Law enforcement workers

242

Police officers

232

Other protective service workers

--42

Food preparation and serving related occupations

--63

Supervisors of food preparation and serving workers

--42

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

13116

Grounds maintenance workers

10116

Landscaping and groundskeeping workers

353

Tree trimmers and pruners

753

Personal care and service occupations

232

Personal appearance workers

211

Barbers, hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists

211

Sales and related occupations

7127

Supervisors of sales workers

363

Retail sales workers

342

Cashiers

242

Sales representatives, services

--11

Office and administrative support occupations

3----

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

13116

Agricultural workers

663

Fishing and hunting workers

532

Construction and extraction occupations

283017

Supervisors of construction and extraction workers

721

Construction trades workers

182716

Carpenters

--42

Construction laborers

585

Construction equipment operators

211

Roofers

--63

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

132514

Supervisors of installation, maintenance, and repair workers

--32

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

5127

Automotive technicians and repairers

363

Automotive service technicians and mechanics

--53

Small engine mechanics

1----

Motorcycle mechanics

--11

Miscellaneous vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

--11

Tire repairers and changers

--11

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

495

Production occupations

1142

Transportation and material moving occupations

354425

Air transportation workers

--21

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers

--21

Commercial pilots

--21

Motor vehicle operators

293721

Bus drivers

--11

Bus drivers, transit and intercity

--11

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers

283118

Driver/sales workers

321

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

212514

Light truck or delivery services drivers

442

Taxi drivers and chauffeurs

142

Material moving workers

553

Industrial truck and tractor operators

--32

Military specific occupations (2)

------

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: 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 selected demographic characteristics, North Carolina, 2015–16
Worker characteristics20152016
NumberNumberPercent

Total

150174100

Employee status

 

Wage and salary workers (1)

11215187

Self-employed (2)

382313

Gender

 

Men

14215690

Women

81810

Age (3)

 

16 to 17 years

--11

20 to 24 years

41911

25 to 34 years

222313

35 to 44 years

353621

45 to 54 years

354124

55 to 64 years

333520

65 years and over

171810

Race or ethnic origin (4)

 

White, non-Hispanic

10111063

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

173822

Hispanic or Latino

171911

Asian, non-Hispanic

753

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.
 

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 23, 2018