Fatal work injuries totaled 82 in 2018 for Arizona, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Richard Holden noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Arizona was down from the previous year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 118 in 2000 to a low of 55 in 1993. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a total of 5,250 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2018, up from the 5,147 fatal injuries in 2017, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In Arizona, transportation incidents resulted in 28 fatal work injuries and violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 20 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 59 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 37 over the year and worker fatalities due to violence or other injuries by persons or animals were unchanged.

Exposure to harmful substances or environment was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 13 fatalities, up from 9 in the prior year. Contact with objects or equipment resulted in 12 work-related deaths compared to 10 in 2016.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2018, accounting for 40 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the second-most common fatal event (16 percent), followed by falls, slips, and trips (15 percent) and contact with objects and equipment (15 percent).

Industry

The private transportation and warehousing industry had the highest number of fatalities in Arizona with 20, down from 28 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 14 of the 20 fatalities in the industry. The general freight trucking sector accounted for 10 of the 20 workplace fatalities in the industry.

The private construction industry had 15 workplace fatalities, up from 11 in the previous year. Specialty trade contractors accounted for 12, or 80 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 27. (See table 3.) Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers accounted for 15 of the 27 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second highest number of workplace fatalities with 13.

Additional highlights:

• Men accounted for 84 percent of the work-related fatalities in Arizona, compared to the 92-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 33 percent of the fatalities for men in Arizona.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 50 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 65 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 66 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2018, compared to 58 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
• Of the 82 fatal work injuries in Arizona, 87 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents; violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the most frequent fatal event for self-employed workers.

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 fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI uses a variety of 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 2018 national data, over 24,800 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for the CFOI, see the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm. 

Federal/State agency coverage. The CFOI includes data for all fatal work injuries, some of which may be outside the scope of other agencies or regulatory coverage. Comparisons between CFOI counts and those released by other agencies should account for the different coverage requirements and definitions used by each agency. For more information on the scope of CFOI, see www.bls.gov/iif/cfoiscope.htm and www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/concepts.htm. 

Acknowledgments. BLS 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, Arizona, 2017–18

Event or exposure (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	90	82	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	20	20	24
Intentional injury by person	14	18	22
Intentional injury by other person	9	17	21
Shooting by other person--intentional	9	13	16
Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing	--	1	1
Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving	--	3	4
Transportation incidents	37	28	34
Aircraft incidents	4	3	4
Parachuting incident	--	3	4
Pedestrian vehicular incident	--	5	6
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	29	17	21
Roadway collision with other vehicle	14	8	10
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	4	4	5
Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle on side of roadway	--	1	1
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	8	5	6
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	8	4	5
Roadway noncollision incident	7	4	5
Fires and explosions	--	--	--
Falls, slips, trips	12	9	11
Falls to lower level	10	6	7
Other fall to lower level	8	6	7
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	9	13	16
Exposure to other harmful substances	8	10	12
Nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol--unintentional overdose	6	8	10
Contact with objects and equipment	10	12	15
Struck by object or equipment	6	9	11
Struck by powered vehicle--nontransport	4	4	5
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	--	4	5
Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects	--	3	4
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 criteria.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Arizona, 2017–18

Industry (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	90	82	100
Private industry	82	72	88
Goods producing	21	21	26
Natural resources and mining	4	3	4
Construction	11	15	18
Construction	11	15	18
Construction of buildings	--	--	--
Nonresidential building construction	--	1	1
Commercial and institutional building construction	--	1	1
Specialty trade contractors	10	12	15
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	3	3	4
Building equipment contractors	5	3	4
Other specialty trade contractors	--	4	5
Site preparation contractors	--	4	5
Nonresidential site preparation contractors	--	3	4
Manufacturing	6	3	4
Manufacturing	6	3	4
Service providing	61	51	62
Trade, transportation, and utilities	37	30	37
Wholesale trade	--	3	4
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	--	--	--
Lumber and other construction materials merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Lumber, plywood, millwork, and wood panel merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Retail trade	7	7	9
Motor vehicle and parts dealers	--	1	1
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores	--	1	1
Automotive parts and accessories stores	--	1	1
Food and beverage stores	--	3	4
Grocery stores	--	3	4
Miscellaneous store retailers	--	--	--
Other miscellaneous store retailers	1	--	--
All other miscellaneous store retailers	1	1	1
Transportation and warehousing	28	20	24
Truck transportation	18	12	15
General freight trucking	15	10	12
General freight trucking, long-distance	7	8	10
Specialized freight trucking	--	1	1
Transit and ground passenger transportation	5	3	4
Taxi and limousine service	3	2	2
Taxi service	3	2	2
Information	--	--	--
Financial activities	3	5	6
Finance and insurance	1	--	--
Credit intermediation and related activities	1	1	1
Nondepository credit intermediation	1	1	1
Other nondepository credit intermediation	1	1	1
Real estate and rental and leasing	--	3	4
Professional and business services	12	9	11
Professional and technical services	--	4	5
Professional, scientific, and technical services	--	4	5
Administrative and waste services	9	5	6
Administrative and support services	8	3	4
Educational and health services	--	--	--
Leisure and hospitality	--	1	1
Accommodation and food services	--	1	1
Food services and drinking places	--	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	1	1	1
Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)	1	1	1
Other services, except public administration	7	4	5
Other services, except public administration	7	4	5
Personal and laundry services	1	1	1
Personal care services	--	1	1
Hair, nail, and skin care services	--	1	1
Barber shops	--	1	1
Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations	--	1	1
Religious organizations	--	1	1
Religious organizations	--	1	1
Government (2)	8	10	12
Federal government	3	4	5
State government	--	--	--
Local government	3	3	4
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.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Arizona, 2017–18

Occupation (1)	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	90	82	100
Management occupations	3	--	--
Business and financial operations occupations	--	--	--
Computer and mathematical occupations	--	--	--
Architecture and engineering occupations	--	--	--
Life, physical, and social science occupations	--	--	--
Community and social services occupations	--	--	--
Legal occupations	--	--	--
Education, training, and library occupations	1	--	--
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations	--	--	--
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	--	--	--
Healthcare support occupations	--	--	--
Protective service occupations	5	5	6
Law enforcement workers	--	4	5
Police officers	--	3	4
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	--	3	4
Food preparation and serving related occupations	3	--	--
Food and beverage serving workers	--	1	1
Bartenders	--	1	1
Bartenders	--	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	6	--	--
Personal care and service occupations	1	1	1
Personal appearance workers	--	1	1
Barbers, hairdressers, hairstylists and cosmetologists	--	1	1
Barbers	--	1	1
Sales and related occupations	7	6	7
Supervisors of sales workers	3	3	4
First-line supervisors of sales workers	3	3	4
First-line supervisors of retail sales workers	--	3	4
Retail sales workers	--	3	4
Retail salespersons	--	3	4
Retail salespersons	--	3	4
Office and administrative support occupations	--	--	--
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	--	--
Construction and extraction occupations	7	13	16
Construction trades workers	6	13	16
Construction laborers	--	4	5
Construction laborers	--	4	5
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	10	6	7
Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers	4	4	5
Automotive technicians and repairers	4	4	5
Production occupations	3	6	7
Transportation and material moving occupations	39	27	33
Motor vehicle operators	31	20	24
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	26	16	20
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	25	15	18
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	3	3	4
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	3	3	4
Material moving workers	5	4	5
Industrial truck and tractor operators	--	1	1
Industrial truck and tractor operators	--	1	1
Military specific occupations (2)	--	3	4
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, Arizona, 2017–18

Worker characteristics	2017	2018
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	90	82	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	81	71	87
Self-employed (2)	9	11	13
Gender
Men	78	69	84
Women	12	13	16
Age (3)
20 to 24 years	6	4	5
25 to 34 years	20	9	11
35 to 44 years	17	12	15
45 to 54 years	14	33	40
55 to 64 years	25	12	15
65 years and over	8	12	15
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	42	41	50
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	6	4	5
Hispanic or Latino	30	30	37
Asian, non-Hispanic	4	5	6
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 data for Hispanics and Latinos.
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.