News Release Information
26-458-ATL
Friday, March 27, 2026
Fatal Work Injuries in Kentucky – 2024
Fatal work injuries totaled 70 in 2024 for Kentucky, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Kentucky was down 23.1 percent from 91 in 2023. (See chart 1.) The fatal work injury rate was 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2024, a decrease from a rate of 4.6 in 2023. Nationwide, a total of 5,070 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2024, a 4.0-percent decrease from 5,283 in 2023. These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).
Chart 1. Number of fatal occupational injuries by employee status, Kentucky, 2015–24| Year | Total | Wage and salary | Self-employed |
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2015 | 99 | 72 | 27 |
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2016 | 92 | 69 | 23 |
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2017 | 70 | 50 | 20 |
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2018 | 83 | 64 | 19 |
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2019 | 78 | 55 | 23 |
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2020 | 92 | 69 | 23 |
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2021 | 97 | 83 | 14 |
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2022 | 71 | 64 | 7 |
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2023 | 91 | 85 | 6 |
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2024 | 70 | 60 | 10 |
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
Transportation incidents (33) were the most frequent type of fatal event in Kentucky, accounting for 47 percent of all fatal work injuries in the state. Nationally the share was 38 percent. Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 40 over the year. (See chart 2 and table 1.)
Exposure to harmful substances and environments (10) and contact incidents (10) each accounted for 14 percent of Kentucky worker fatalities; nationally the shares were 14 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
Chart 2. Percent distribution of total fatal occupational injuries by event, United States and Kentucky, 2024| Event | United States | Kentucky |
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Transportation incidents | 38 | 47 |
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Exposure to harmful substances, environments | 14 | 14 |
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Contact incidents | 15 | 14 |
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Falls, slips, trips | 17 | 13 |
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All other | 17 | 11 |
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Note: Percents may not add to total due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
The transportation and warehousing sector had the highest number of fatalities with 17, up from 12 the previous year. (See table 2.)
Transportation incidents resulted in 15 of the 17 transportation and warehousing sector fatalities.
The truck transportation subsector accounted for 13 of the sector’s fatal workplace injuries.
OccupationConstruction and extraction workers experienced the largest decrease (-11) in fatal work injuries over the year among the major occupational groups. (See table 3.)
The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 20. Motor vehicle operators accounted for 16 of the major group’s 20 fatal workplace injuries.
Worker characteristicsWage and salary workers accounted for 86 percent of fatal workplace injuries in Kentucky; the self-employed comprised the remaining 14 percent. (See chart 1 and table 4.) Nationally, wage and salary workers comprised 82 percent of fatalities.
Males accounted for 96 percent of the work-related fatalities in Kentucky and 92 percent nationally.
Fatal injuries among White, non-Hispanic workers decreased from 69 to 55 over the year.
Workers 25-54 years old had a decrease in worker fatalities from 48 in 2023 to 36 in 2024.
Technical Note
Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, is a count of all fatalities resulting from workplace injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see the national CFOI release Technical notes, the BLS Handbook of Methods, and the CFOI definitions.
Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Kentucky Labor Cabinet 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 nationally. See the national CFOI release Technical Notes for details on cooperating entities.
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Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Kentucky, 2023–24| Event or Exposure | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Number | Number | Percent (%) |
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All events and exposures | 91 | 70 | 100 |
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Violent acts | 13 | -- | -- |
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Transportation incidents | 40 | 33 | 47 |
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Pedestrian incidents involving motorized land vehicles | -- | 5 | 7 |
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Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle | 20 | 19 | 27 |
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Roadway collision with other vehicle(s) | 9 | 8 | 11 |
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Roadway collision with other vehicle(s)-moving in same direction | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Roadway collision with other vehicle(s)-moving and standing vehicle | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Roadway collision with object other than vehicle | 7 | 7 | 10 |
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Collision with moving object or animal in roadway | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Roadway noncollision incident | 4 | 4 | 6 |
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Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles | 4 | 3 | 4 |
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Nonroadway noncollision incident | 4 | 3 | 4 |
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Nonroadway noncollision- fall or jump from moving vehicle | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Explosions and fires | 5 | -- | -- |
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Falls, slips, trips | 7 | 9 | 13 |
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Fall to lower level | -- | 9 | 13 |
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Other fall to lower level | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Exposure to harmful substances, environments | 10 | 10 | 14 |
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Contact incidents | 16 | 10 | 14 |
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Struck, caught, or compressed by running powered equipment | -- | 4 | 6 |
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Overexertion, repetitive motion, and bodily condition | -- | -- | -- |
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Note: The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each data element. Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Kentucky, 2023–24| Industry | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Number | Number | Percent (%) |
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Total | 91 | 70 | 100 |
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Private industry | 75 | 57 | 81 |
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Natural resources and mining | -- | 11 | 16 |
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Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 11 | 10 | 14 |
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Crop production | 6 | 3 | 4 |
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Forestry and logging | 3 | 4 | 6 |
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Logging | -- | 4 | 6 |
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Logging | -- | 4 | 6 |
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Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Mining (except oil and gas) | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Stone mining and quarrying | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Construction | 18 | 10 | 14 |
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Construction | 18 | 10 | 14 |
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Specialty trade contractors | -- | 5 | 7 |
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Manufacturing | 5 | 8 | 11 |
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Manufacturing | 5 | 8 | 11 |
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Trade, transportation, and utilities | -- | -- | -- |
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Wholesale trade | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Transportation and warehousing | 12 | 17 | 24 |
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Water transportation | -- | 2 | 3 |
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Truck transportation | 8 | 13 | 19 |
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General freight trucking | -- | 8 | 11 |
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General freight trucking, long-distance | -- | 5 | 7 |
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Specialized freight trucking | -- | 5 | 7 |
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Information | -- | -- | -- |
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Financial activities | 6 | -- | -- |
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Professional and business services | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 7 | 1 | 1 |
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Administrative and support services | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Employment services | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Educational and health services | -- | -- | -- |
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Leisure and hospitality | 3 | -- | -- |
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Other services (except public administration) | -- | -- | -- |
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Government | 16 | 13 | 19 |
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Federal government | 9 | -- | -- |
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State government | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Local government | 6 | 10 | 14 |
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Note: The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each data element. Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Kentucky, 2023–24| Occupation | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Number | Number | Percent (%) |
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All occupations | 91 | 70 | 100 |
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Management occupations | 5 | 5 | 7 |
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Other management occupations | -- | 5 | 7 |
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Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | -- | 3 | 4 |
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Business and financial operations occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Computer and mathematical occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Architecture and engineering occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Life, physical, and social science occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Community and social service occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Legal occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Educational instruction and library occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Healthcare support occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Protective service occupations | 6 | 7 | 10 |
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Other protective service workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Miscellaneous protective service workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Crossing guards and flaggers | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Food preparation and serving related occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | 4 | -- | -- |
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Personal care and service occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Sales and related occupations | -- | -- | -- |
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Office and administrative support occupations | 5 | -- | -- |
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Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 9 | 6 | 9 |
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Construction and extraction occupations | 20 | 9 | 13 |
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Construction trades workers | 11 | 6 | 9 |
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Construction laborers | 5 | 3 | 4 |
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Construction laborers | 5 | 3 | 4 |
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Electricians | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Electricians | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 6 | 8 | 11 |
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Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 4 | 5 | 7 |
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Maintenance and repair workers, general | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Maintenance and repair workers, general | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Production occupations | 6 | 6 | 9 |
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Transportation and material moving occupations | 17 | 20 | 29 |
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Motor vehicle operators | 11 | 16 | 23 |
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Driver/sales workers and truck drivers | -- | 15 | 21 |
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Water transportation workers | -- | 1 | 1 |
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Note: The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each data element. Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Kentucky, 2023–24| Demographic | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Number | Number | Percent (%) |
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Total | 91 | 70 | 100 |
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Employee status | |
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Wage and salary workers | 85 | 60 | 86 |
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Self-employed | 6 | 10 | 14 |
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Sex | |
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Male | 82 | 67 | 96 |
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Female | 9 | 3 | 4 |
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Age | |
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Under 16 years | -- | -- | -- |
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16 to 17 years | -- | -- | -- |
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18 to 19 years | 3 | -- | -- |
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20 to 24 years | 12 | 5 | 7 |
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25 to 34 years | 19 | 10 | 14 |
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35 to 44 years | 17 | 15 | 21 |
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45 to 54 years | 12 | 11 | 16 |
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55 to 64 years | 17 | 15 | 21 |
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65 years and over | 10 | 14 | 20 |
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Race or ethnic origin | |
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White, non-Hispanic | 69 | 55 | 79 |
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Black or African-American, non-Hispanic | 7 | 8 | 11 |
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Hispanic or Latino | 8 | 7 | 10 |
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American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
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Asian, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
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Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
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Person of multiple races, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
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Other or not reported, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
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Note: The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) has published data on fatal occupational injuries for the United States since 1992. During this time, the classification systems and definitions of many data elements have changed. See the CFOI Definitions page (www.bls.gov/iif/definitions/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries-definitions.htm) for a more detailed description of each data element. Data for all years are revised and final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Dashes indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria. CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Last Modified Date: Friday, March 27, 2026
United States Department of Labor
