News Release Information
24-378-SAN
Thursday, February 22, 2024
Fatal Work Injuries in Alaska — 2022
Fatal work injuries totaled 20 in 2022 for Alaska, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Alaska was unchanged from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 91 in 1992 to a low of 14 in 2015. Nationwide, a total of 5,486 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2022, a 5.7-percent increase from 5,190 in 2021, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).
Chart 1. Number of fatal occupational injuries by employee status, Alaska, 2013–22| Year | Total | Wage and salary | Self-employed |
|---|
2013 | 32 | 28 | 4 |
|---|
2014 | 30 | 28 | 2 |
|---|
2015 | 14 | 12 | |
|---|
2016 | 35 | 32 | 3 |
|---|
2017 | 33 | 25 | 8 |
|---|
2018 | 32 | 28 | 4 |
|---|
2019 | 51 | 43 | 8 |
|---|
2020 | 31 | 24 | 7 |
|---|
2021 | 20 | | |
|---|
2022 | 20 | 13 | 7 |
|---|
In Alaska, transportation incidents resulted in seven fatal work injuries. Falls, slips, and trips accounted for three fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 50 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state. (See chart 2 and table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from nine over the year.
Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event in 2022, accounting for 38 percent of fatal work injuries. Falls, slips, and trips were the second-most common fatal event (16 percent), followed by both violence and other injuries by persons or animals and exposure to harmful substances or environments (15 percent each).
Chart 2. Percent distribution of total fatal occupational injuries by event, United States and Alaska, 2022| Event | United States | Alaska |
|---|
Transportation incidents | 38 | 35 |
|---|
Falls, slips, trips | 16 | 15 |
|---|
All other | 47 | 50 |
|---|
The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had five fatalities in Alaska, up from four in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in all five fatalities in the industry.
OccupationThe transportation and material moving occupational group had six fatal workplace injuries. (See table 3.) Air transportation workers accounted for 3 of the 6 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had three fatalities. Construction trades workers accounted for all three of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction occupational group.
Additional highlights:White non-Hispanics accounted for 75 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 58 percent of work-related deaths.
Workers 55 years and older accounted for 55 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2022, compared to 35 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.
Of the 20 fatal work injuries in Alaska, 65 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. A top fatal event for wage and salary workers was transportation incidents; falls, slips, and trips was also a leading 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 fatalities resulting from workplace 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 2022 national data, over 27,200 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 and the CFOI definitions.
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 Scope of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: Concepts.
Latency Cases. Latent fatal occupational injury cases occur when the date of injury differs from the date of death. In some cases, the death occurs in a different year than the occupational injury and are known as cross-year latent cases. In 2022, there were 186 cases nationally where this occurred, and 157 of these latent cases occurred more than 30 days prior to the start of 2022. For more information on latent cases, see Understanding latency in fatal occupational injuries.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. CFOI reports fatal workplace injuries only. These may include fatal workplace injuries complicated by an illness such as COVID-19. Fatal workplace illnesses not precipitated by an injury are not in scope for CFOI. CFOI does not report any illness related information, including COVID-19. Additional information is available on the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, Compensation, Occupational Requirements, and Work Stoppages Statistics.
Acknowledgments. BLS thanks the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development 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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
Table 1. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, Alaska, 2021–22| Event or exposure | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|
| Number | Number | Percent |
|---|
Total | 20 | 20 | 100 |
|---|
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Transportation incidents | 9 | 7 | 35 |
|---|
Aircraft incidents | 6 | 3 | 15 |
|---|
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing | -- | 2 | 10 |
|---|
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--due to mechanical failure | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Aircraft crash during takeoff or landing--into structure, object, or ground | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Other in-flight crash | 6 | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground | 5 | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Fires and explosions | 1 | -- | -- |
|---|
Falls, slips, trips | -- | 3 | 15 |
|---|
Falls to lower level | -- | 3 | 15 |
|---|
Exposure to harmful substances or environments | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Contact with objects and equipment | 5 | -- | -- |
|---|
Overexertion and bodily reaction | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
NOTE: 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. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Alaska, 2021–22| Industry | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|
| Number | Number | Percent |
|---|
Total | 20 | 20 | 100 |
|---|
Private Industry | 19 | 16 | 80 |
|---|
Goods producing | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Natural resources and mining | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Construction | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Manufacturing | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Service providing | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Trade, transportation, and utilities | 5 | 8 | 40 |
|---|
Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 5 | 25 |
|---|
Air transportation | 4 | 2 | 10 |
|---|
Nonscheduled air transportation | -- | 2 | 10 |
|---|
Nonscheduled air transportation | -- | 2 | 10 |
|---|
Nonscheduled chartered passenger air transportation | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Scenic and sightseeing transportation | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Scenic and sightseeing transportation, other | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Information | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Financial activities | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Professional and business services | 1 | -- | -- |
|---|
Educational and health services | 1 | -- | -- |
|---|
Leisure and hospitality | 5 | -- | -- |
|---|
Accommodation and food services | 5 | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Accommodation | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Traveler accommodation | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Hotels (except casino hotels) and motels | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Other services, except public administration | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Public administration | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Government | 1 | 4 | 20 |
|---|
Federal government | 1 | 4 | 20 |
|---|
State government | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Local government | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
NOTE: 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. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Alaska, 2021–22| Occupation | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|
| Number | Number | Percent |
|---|
Total | 20 | 20 | 100 |
|---|
Management occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Business and financial operations occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Computer and mathematical occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Architecture and engineering occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Life, physical, and social science occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Community and social service occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Legal occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Educational instruction and library occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Healthcare support occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Protective service occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Food preparation and serving related occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Personal care and service occupations | 2 | -- | -- |
|---|
Sales and related occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Office and administrative support occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | 3 | -- | -- |
|---|
Construction and extraction occupations | 1 | 3 | 15 |
|---|
Construction trades workers | -- | 3 | 15 |
|---|
Carpenters | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Carpenters | -- | 1 | 5 |
|---|
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations | 3 | -- | -- |
|---|
Production occupations | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Transportation and material moving occupations | 7 | 6 | 30 |
|---|
Air transportation workers | 4 | 3 | 15 |
|---|
NOTE: 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. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Alaska, 2021–22| Worker characteristics | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|
| Number | Number | Percent |
|---|
Total | 20 | 20 | 100 |
|---|
Employee status | |
|---|
Wage and salary workers | -- | 13 | 65 |
|---|
Self-employed | -- | 7 | 35 |
|---|
Gender | |
|---|
Men | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Women | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Age | |
|---|
45 to 54 years | 7 | 5 | 25 |
|---|
55 to 64 years | 4 | 6 | 30 |
|---|
65 years and over | -- | 5 | 25 |
|---|
Race or ethnic origin | |
|---|
White, non-Hispanic | 15 | 15 | 75 |
|---|
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Hispanic or Latino | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Asian, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | -- | -- | -- |
|---|
NOTE: 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. N.e.c. means "not elsewhere classified." CFOI fatal injury counts exclude illness-related deaths unless precipitated by an injury event. |
United States Department of Labor
