Fatal Work Injuries in California – 2013

Fatal work injuries totaled 385 in 2013 for California the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that while the 2013 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in California increased by 10 over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 657 in 1993 to low of 326 in 2010. (See chart 1.)

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

Chart 1. Total fatal occupational injuries, California, 2004-2013

Of the 385 fatal work injuries reported in California in 2013, 133 resulted from transportation incidents, accounting for 35 percent of all fatal work injuries. (See table 1.) No other major event category accounted for more than 20 percent of all fatal work injuries. Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 58 deaths. This category accounted for 15 percent of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second-largest event in transportation incidents, pedestrian vehicular incidents, accounted for 38 fatalities. (Note that transportation counts presented in this release are expected to rise when updated 2013 data are released in the late spring of 2015 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 2013, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. California’s 35-percent share of fatalities due to this event was smaller than 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; the share in California for this event was 20 percent. Contact with objects and equipment and falls, slips, and trips each accounted for 16 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities. In California, these events accounted for 17 and 16 percent of the state’s fatal injuries, respectively.

Chart 2. Fatal occupational injuries by selected event, California and the United States, 2013

Additional key characteristics:

The transportation and warehousing industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 65, up from 61 the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents accounted for 37 of the worker deaths, while 12 fatalities were due to contact with objects or equipment.
The construction industry had the second highest fatality count with 57, little changed over the year. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for 21 worker deaths in this sector.
Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 108. (See table 3.) Sixty-one of these fatalities were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at 61, with construction trades workers with accounting for 45 of the fatalities.
Men accounted for 356, or 92 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up over one third of these fatalities.
In California, 49 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were Hispanic or Latino. Nationwide, this group accounted for 18 percent of work-related deaths.
Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 251, or 65 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 385 persons that suffered fatal work injuries in California, 86 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remaining were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents.

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 California Department of Industrial Relations.

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, California, 2012-2013
Event or exposure(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
Event or exposure(1)	Number	Number	Percent
Total	375	385	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	80	76	20
Intentional injury by person	71	69	18
Intentional injury by other person	43	41	11
Shooting by other person--intentional	32	30	8
Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing	4	5	1
Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving	4	3	1
Self-inflicted injury--intentional	28	28	7
Shooting--intentional self-harm	7	13	3
Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm	14	8	2
Jumping from building or other structure--intentional self-harm	--	3	1
Injury by person--unintentional or intent unknown	4	4	1
Self-inflicted injury--unintentional or intent unknown	4	3	1
Drug overdose--intent unknown	--	3	1
Animal and insect related incidents	5	3	1
Transportation incidents	142	133	35
Aircraft incidents	14	13	3
Other in-flight crash	10	10	3
Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground	3	9	2
Pedestrian vehicular incident	32	38	10
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in work zone	5	3	1
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in work zone	3	3	1
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in roadway	6	9	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in roadway	5	6	2
Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road	8	9	2
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle on side of road	5	7	2
Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area	13	16	4
Pedestrian struck by forward-moving vehicle in nonroadway area	7	7	2
Pedestrian struck by vehicle backing up in nonroadway area	6	6	2
Water vehicle incidents	3	4	1
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	72	58	15
Roadway collision with other vehicle	36	28	7
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	10	10	3
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	12	3	1
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	7	7	2
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway	3	3	1
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	21	22	6
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	18	20	5
Roadway noncollision incident	15	8	2
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	12	7	2
Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles	14	17	4
Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle	5	7	2
Nonroadway noncollision incident	7	9	2
Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway	4	5	1
Fall or jump from and struck by same vehicle in normal operation, nonroadway	--	3	1
Fires and Explosions	7	10	3
Explosions	7	8	2
Falls, slips, trips	60	63	16
Falls on same level	15	7	2
Fall on same level due to tripping	--	3	1
Falls to lower level	45	49	13
Fall through surface or existing opening	6	7	2
Other fall to lower level	33	39	10
Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet	3	9	2
Other fall to lower level 6 to 10 feet	6	4	1
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	5	10	3
Other fall to lower level 16 to 20 feet	--	5	1
Other fall to lower level more than 30 feet	4	3	1
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	23	38	10
Exposure to electricity	5	15	4
Direct exposure to electricity	--	7	2
Direct exposure to electricity, 220 volts or less	--	4	1
Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts	--	3	1
Indirect exposure to electricity	--	6	2
Indirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts	--	6	2
Exposure to temperature extremes	4	4	1
Exposure to environmental heat	4	3	1
Exposure to other harmful substances	10	15	4
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	5	14	4
Exposure to oxygen deficiency, n.e.c.	4	4	1
Contact with objects and equipment	61	64	17
Struck by object or equipment	43	45	12
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	19	17	4
Caught between rolling powered vehicle and other object	--	6	2
Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle	10	5	1
Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle	--	3	1
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	20	25	6
Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery--other than vehicle part	6	7	2
Struck by discharged or flying object	--	3	1
Struck by dislodged flying object, particle	--	3	1
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	8	14	4
Caught in running equipment or machinery	4	11	3
Caught in running equipment or machinery during maintenance, cleaning	--	8	2
Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation	4	3	1
Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material	9	5	1
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) Data 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, California, 2012-2013
Industry(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
Industry(1)	Number	Number	Percent
Total	375	385	100
Private industry	332	338	88
Natural resources and mining	33	33	9
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	29	30	8
Crop production	10	13	3
Vegetable and melon farming	--	5	1
Fruit and tree nut farming	4	5	1
Noncitrus fruit and tree nut farming	4	4	1
Tree nut farming	--	3	1
Animal production	5	3	1
Cattle ranching and farming	4	3	1
Forestry and logging	3	5	1
Logging	3	5	1
Logging	3	5	1
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	7	7	2
Support activities for crop production	6	5	1
Support activities for crop production	6	5	1
Farm labor contractors and crew leaders	4	4	1
Mining(3)	4	3	1
Construction	58	57	15
Construction	58	57	15
Construction of buildings	12	8	2
Residential building construction	9	4	1
Residential building construction	9	4	1
Nonresidential building construction	3	4	1
Industrial building construction	3	3	1
Heavy and civil engineering construction	12	10	3
Utility system construction	--	7	2
Water and sewer line and related structures construction	--	4	1
Specialty trade contractors	33	37	10
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	12	12	3
Roofing contractors	3	7	2
Building equipment contractors	7	7	2
Electrical contractors	5	4	1
Building finishing contractors	7	7	2
Drywall and insulation contractors	--	3	1
Painting and wall covering contractors	5	3	1
Other specialty trade contractors	7	9	2
Site preparation contractors	5	6	2
All other specialty trade contractors	--	3	1
Manufacturing	28	36	9
Manufacturing	28	36	9
Food manufacturing	5	6	2
Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing	--	6	2
Beverage manufacturing	--	6	2
Wood product manufacturing	--	3	1
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing	5	3	1
Cement and concrete product manufacturing	4	3	1
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	6	6	2
Coating, engraving, heat treating, and allied activities	--	3	1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	104	114	30
Utilities	--	3	1
Wholesale trade	18	22	6
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	11	10	3
Lumber and other construction materials merchant wholesalers	--	3	1
Brick, stone, and related construction material merchant wholesalers	--	3	1
Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods	7	12	3
Grocery and related product wholesalers	--	4	1
Miscellaneous nondurable goods merchant wholesalers	4	5	1
Farm supplies merchant wholesalers	--	5	1
Retail trade	24	24	6
Motor vehicle and parts dealers	3	3	1
Food and beverage stores	8	5	1
Grocery stores	7	5	1
Gasoline stations	--	4	1
Gasoline stations	--	4	1
Gasoline stations with convenience stores	--	3	1
Transportation and warehousing	61	65	17
Truck transportation	39	43	11
General freight trucking	29	33	9
General freight trucking, local	8	11	3
General freight trucking, long-distance	19	13	3
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	14	10	3
Specialized freight trucking	9	9	2
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local	5	4	1
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance	4	3	1
Support activities for transportation	10	8	2
Support activities for water transportation	--	4	1
Marine cargo handling	--	3	1
Warehousing and storage	3	7	2
Warehousing and storage	3	7	2
General warehousing and storage	--	6	2
Information	7	4	1
Information	7	4	1
Financial activities	4	4	1
Real estate and rental and leasing	--	3	1
Professional and business services	35	48	12
Professional and technical services	7	5	1
Professional, scientific, and technical services	7	5	1
Architectural, engineering, and related services	6	4	1
Administrative and waste services	--	43	11
Administrative and support services	21	37	10
Investigation and security services	--	7	2
Investigation, guard, and armored car services	--	7	2
Security guards and patrol services	--	7	2
Services to buildings and dwellings	17	28	7
Landscaping services	11	25	6
Waste management and remediation services	7	6	2
Waste collection	5	3	1
Waste collection	5	3	1
Solid waste collection	--	3	1
Educational and health services	18	13	3
Educational services	5	4	1
Educational services	5	4	1
Elementary and secondary schools	3	2	1
Health care and social assistance	13	9	2
Ambulatory health care services	6	3	1
Leisure and hospitality	25	18	5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	14	7	2
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries	6	3	1
Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions	--	2	1
Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions	--	2	1
Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries	6	3	1
Accommodation and food services	11	11	3
Accommodation	3	3	1
Food services and drinking places	8	8	2
Other services, except public administration	20	11	3
Other services, except public administration	20	11	3
Repair and maintenance	12	7	2
Commercial machinery repair and maintenance	--	3	1
Commercial machinery repair and maintenance	--	3	1
Government(4)	43	47	12
Federal government	22	18	5
State government	4	7	2
Local government	16	22	6
Footnotes: (1) Industry data are based on the North American Industry Classification System, 2007. Total may include other industries not shown. (2) Data for 2012 are revised and final (3) Includes fatal injuries at all establishments categorized as Mining (Sector 21) in the North American Industry Classification System, including establishments not governed by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) rules and reporting, such as those in Oil and Gas Extraction. (4) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. (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 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, California, 2012-2013
Occupation(1)	2012(2)	2013(p)
Occupation(1)	Number	Number	Percent
Total	375	385	100
Management occupations	18	14	4
Top executives	--	3	1
Other management occupations	12	8	2
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers	--	3	1
Architecture and engineering occupations	11	4	1
Engineers	9	3	1
Education, training, and library occupations	3	5	1
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	5	5	1
Media and communication equipment workers	--	3	1
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	4	3	1
Protective service occupations	16	25	6
Fire fighting and prevention workers	--	3	1
Firefighters	--	3	1
Law enforcement workers	8	10	3
Police officers	6	9	2
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	6	9	2
Other protective service workers	6	10	3
Security guards and gaming surveillance officers	3	10	3
Security guards	3	10	3
Food preparation and serving related occupations	5	5	1
Cooks and food preparation workers	3	3	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	18	36	9
Supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	--	6	2
First-line supervisors of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers	--	6	2
First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers	--	6	2
Building cleaning and pest control workers	6	6	2
Building cleaning workers	5	6	2
Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners	4	5	1
Grounds maintenance workers	11	24	6
Grounds maintenance workers	11	24	6
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers	4	15	4
Tree trimmers and pruners	7	9	2
Personal care and service occupations	8	5	1
Other personal care and service workers	5	3	1
Sales and related occupations	25	24	6
Supervisors of sales workers	11	7	2
First-line supervisors of sales workers	11	7	2
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	10	5	1
Retail sales workers	8	12	3
Cashiers	3	6	2
Retail salespersons	4	6	2
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing	--	3	1
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing	--	3	1
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	24	25	6
Agricultural workers	18	19	5
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	18	18	5
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	11	15	4
Forest, conservation, and logging workers	--	3	1
Logging workers	--	3	1
Construction and extraction occupations	54	61	16
Supervisors of construction and extraction workers	4	11	3
First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers	--	11	3
Construction trades workers	45	45	12
Construction laborers	17	26	7
Electricians	4	4	1
Painters and paperhangers	7	4	1
Painters, construction and maintenance	7	4	1
Roofers	--	4	1
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	25	26	7
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	10	6	2
Automotive technicians and repairers	3	3	1
Automotive service technicians and mechanics	--	3	1
Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	13	18	5
Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers	--	3	1
Line installers and repairers	--	4	1
Maintenance and repair workers, general	5	7	2
Production occupations	16	21	5
Supervisors of production workers	--	4	1
First-line supervisors of production and operating workers	--	4	1
Metal workers and plastic workers	6	8	2
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	5	5	1
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers	5	5	1
Other production occupations	5	7	2
Transportation and material moving occupations	103	108	28
Supervisors, transportation and material moving workers	--	4	1
First-line supervisors of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators	--	3	1
Air transportation workers	6	4	1
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	6	4	1
Commercial pilots	3	4	1
Motor vehicle operators	71	70	18
Bus drivers	--	3	1
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	65	64	17
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	54	61	16
Light truck or delivery services drivers	5	3	1
Water transportation workers	3	3	1
Sailors and marine oilers	3	3	1
Material moving workers	22	24	6
Industrial truck and tractor operators	--	3	1
Laborers and material movers, hand	17	18	5
Cleaners of vehicles and equipment	4	3	1
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	12	14	4
Military occupations(3)	13	14	4
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010. Total may include occupations not shown. (2) Data for 2012 are revised and final (3) Includes fatal injuries to persons identified as resident armed forces regardless of individual occupation listed. (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 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, California, 2012-2013
Worker characteristics	2012(1)	2013(p)
Worker characteristics	Number	Number	Percent
Total	375	385	100

Employee status
Wage and salary(2)	302	331	86
Self-employed(3)	73	54	14

Gender
Men	347	356	92
Women	28	29	8

Age(4)
18 to 19 years	--	7	2
20 to 24 years	29	20	5
25 to 34 years	65	68	18
35 to 44 years	62	89	23
45 to 54 years	106	94	24
55 to 64 years	68	72	19
65 years and over	43	35	9

Race or ethnic origin(5)
White, non-Hispanic	180	158	41
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	20	17	4
Hispanic or Latino	137	188	49
Asian, non-Hispanic	34	19	5
Footnotes: (1) Data for 2012 are revised and final (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. (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.

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2015

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Fatal Work Injuries in California – 2013