2014 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI)

Background

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in conjunction with state agencies developed the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program in 1992 to produce accurate, comprehensive, descriptive, timely, and accessible counts of fatal workplace injuries that occur during a given year. A fatality is counted in the state the incident occurred regardless of the state of employment to alleviate duplication of reporting in the states.

The fatality census uses diverse sources to identify, verify, and profile fatal work injuries in an effort to compile counts that are as complete as possible. Source documents such as death certificates, workers’ compensation reports, and Federal and State agency administrative records are cross-referenced to gather key information about each workplace fatality such as the particular occupation in which the fatality occurred, worker demographics, equipment or machinery involved, and circumstances of the event. Two or more independent source documents are used to verify the work relationship of each fatal work injury.

A work relationship exists if an event or exposure results in fatal injury or illness to a person on the employer’s premises and the person was there to work; off the employer’s premises and the person was there to work; or the event or exposure was related to the person’s work or status as an employee. Fatalities that occur during a person’s commute to or from work are excluded from census counts. Work is defined as legal duties, activities, or tasks that produce a product or result; and that which is done in exchange for money, goods, services, profit, or benefit. Although the scope of the fatality census is limited to work-related injuries, states may submit data on work-related fatal illnesses, such as heart attacks, that occur at work.

Information gathered by states participating in the CFOI program is used for statistical and research purposes only. The identifiers of all individuals and companies remain confidential according to BLS policy and confidentiality pledges to state source agencies. BLS and participating state agencies abide by any restrictions on followback or the release data imposed by source agencies.

Data Users

Data compiled by the CFOI program are issued annually for the previous calendar year. These data are used by safety and health professionals, policy analysts, and researchers to prevent fatal work injuries by informing workers of life threatening hazards associated with various jobs, promote safer work practices through enhanced job safety training, develop new safety equipment, assess and improve workplace safety standards, and identify new areas for safety research.

Census Of Fatal Occupational Injuries Highlights

Industry

  • There were 106 total work-related fatalities in Missouri in 2014.
    • Ninety-seven fatalities were in private industry. Nine fatalities were in government.
    • Forty-nine fatalities were in private industry, goods-producing sectors. Forty-eight fatalities were in private industry, service-providing sectors.
    • Private industry major industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • trade, transportation, and utilities with 30;
      • natural resources and mining with 27; and
      • construction and manufacturing with 11 each.
    • Private industry sectors with the most fatalities were:
      • Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (NAICS 11) with 25;
      • transportation and warehousing (NAICS 48-49) with 15; and
      • construction (NAICS 23) and manufacturing (NAICS 31-33) with 11 each.

Category of workers

  • Private sector wage and salary workers accounted for 63 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for 41 (65.1%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
      • Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for 27 (42.9%) of the fatalities.
    • The goods-producing sectors accounted for 22 (34.9%) of the private sector wage and salary worker fatalities.
      • Construction accounted for eight (12.7%) of the fatalities.
      • Natural resources and mining, and manufacturing each accounted for seven (11.1 %) of the fatalities.
  • Government workers accounted for nine of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Nine of the government workers were in service-providing sectors.
    • Public administration accounted for seven of the fatalities.
  • Self-employed workers accounted for 34 of the total occupational fatalities.
    • Goods-producing sectors accounted for 27 (79.4%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
      • The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector accounted for 20 (58.8%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
    • Service-providing sectors accounted for seven (20.6%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.
      • Trade, transportation, and utilities accounted for 3 (8.8%) of the self-employed worker fatalities.

Event or exposure

  • The event or exposures of the total fatalities were:
    • 42 (39.6%) transportation incidents;
    • 23 (21.7%) falls, slips, trips;
    • 22 (20.8%) contact with objects and equipment;
    • 12 (11.3%) violence and other injuries by persons or animals; and
    • 5 (4.7%) exposure to harmful substances or environments.

Transportation incidents

  • Transportation incidents was the event or exposure leading to the most (42) occupational fatalities in Missouri in 2014.
    • Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for 30 of the transportation incidents. Nonroadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles accounted for six of the transportation incidents. Pedestrian vehicular incidents accounted for five of the transportation incidents.
    • Transportation and material moving occupations accounted for 20 of the transportation incidents. Management occupations accounted for ten of the transportation incidents.
    • The transportation and warehousing private industry sector accounted for 11 of the transportation incidents. Nine of the transportation incidents were in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting private industry sector.

Homicides

  • Six of the total occupational fatalities were homicides.
    • Five of the homicides were shooting by other person--intentional.
    • Four of the homicides were in private industry service-providing sectors.

Source

  • Vehicles was the primary source in most (51) of the total fatalities. Persons, plants, animals, and minerals; and structures and surfaces were each the source in 16 fatalities.
  • Vehicles was the secondary source in 14 fatalities. Tools, instruments, and equipment; and structures and surfaces were each the secondary source in eight fatalities.

Occupation

  • Transportation and material moving occupations was the occupational group with the most (28) fatal occupational injuries.
    • Twenty of the fatalities in transportation and material moving occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Driver/sales workers and truck drivers accounted for 23 of the occupational fatalities within the transportation and material moving occupations.
  • There were 25 occupational fatalities in management occupations.
    • Ten of the fatalities in management occupations were transportation incidents.
    • Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers accounted for 19 of the occupational fatalities within the management occupations.

Worker characteristics

  • Male workers accounted for 98 (92.5%) of the 106 fatal occupational injuries.
    • Forty of the fatalities in male workers were due to transportation incidents.
    • Contact with objects and equipment and falls, slips, trips each was the event or exposure for 20 fatalities in male workers.
  • Workers aged 45 to 54 years accounted for 27 (25.5%) of the fatalities. Workers 65 years and over accounted for 26 (24.5%) of the fatalities.
  • White, non-Hispanic workers accounted for 91 (85.8%) of the total fatal occupational injuries.
    • Black or African-American, non-Hispanic workers and Hispanic or Latino workers each accounted for five (4.7%) of the total occupational fatalities.