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Monday, March 28, 2022
Fatal work injuries totaled 47 in 2020 for West Virginia, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the number of work-related fatalities in West Virginia was similar to the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 95 in 2010 to a low of 35 in 2015.
Nationwide, a total of 4,764 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2020, an 11-percent decrease from the 5,333 in 2019, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. The 4,764 fatal occupational injuries in 2020 represents the lowest annual number since 2013.
Fatal event or exposureIn West Virginia, transportation incidents resulted in 17 fatal work injuries and contact with objects and equipment accounted for 10 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 57 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state. (See chart 2 and table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were down from 24 over the year while worker fatalities due to contact with objects and equipment were up from 8.
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the third-most frequent fatal work event with eight fatalities. Exposure to harmful substances or environments resulted in seven work-related deaths.
Nationally, transportation incidents was the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2020, accounting for 37 percent of fatal work injuries. Falls, slips, and trips was the second-most common fatal event (17 percent).
IndustryThe private transportation and warehousing industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in West Virginia with nine. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 6 of the 9 fatalities in this industry. The truck transportation subsector accounted for seven, or 78 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.
The private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry sector; private construction industry sector; and government each had six fatal workplace injuries.
OccupationThe transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 13. (See table 3.) Driver/sales workers and truck drivers accounted for 10 of the 13 fatalities among transportation and material moving occupations. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second highest number of fatal workplace injuries with nine. Underground mining machine operators suffered three of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction group.
Additional highlights: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 at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm.
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 2020 national data, over 21,600 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 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/cfoi/home.htm and the CFOI definitions at www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.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 individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
Event or exposure (1) | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total |
46 | 47 | 100 |
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals |
-- | 8 | 17 |
Intentional injury by person |
-- | 6 | 13 |
Intentional injury by other person |
-- | 2 | 4 |
Shooting by other person--intentional |
-- | 2 | 4 |
Self-inflicted injury--intentional |
-- | 4 | 9 |
Hanging, strangulation, asphyxiation--intentional self-harm |
-- | 4 | 9 |
Transportation incidents |
24 | 17 | 36 |
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle |
16 | 11 | 23 |
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle |
9 | 5 | 11 |
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway |
9 | 5 | 11 |
Exposure to harmful substances or environments |
12 | 7 | 15 |
Contact with objects and equipment |
8 | 10 | 21 |
Struck by object or equipment |
5 | 7 | 15 |
Footnotes: |
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NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. 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. |
Industry (1) | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total |
46 | 47 | 100 |
Private industry (2) |
43 | 41 | 87 |
Goods producing |
-- | -- | -- |
Natural resources and mining |
11 | 10 | 21 |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting |
4 | 4 | 9 |
Forestry and logging |
4 | 1 | 2 |
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (3) |
7 | 6 | 13 |
Construction |
-- | 6 | 13 |
Construction |
-- | 6 | 13 |
Manufacturing |
-- | 4 | 9 |
Manufacturing |
-- | 4 | 9 |
Chemical manufacturing |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Basic chemical manufacturing |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Petrochemical manufacturing |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Primary metal manufacturing |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Service providing (4) |
-- | -- | -- |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-- | -- | -- |
Retail trade |
-- | 3 | 6 |
Motor vehicle and parts dealers |
-- | 3 | 6 |
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire stores |
-- | 3 | 6 |
Transportation and warehousing |
11 | 9 | 19 |
Truck transportation |
9 | 7 | 15 |
Specialized freight trucking |
-- | 3 | 6 |
Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, local |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Government (5) |
3 | 6 | 13 |
Federal government |
-- | 1 | 2 |
State government |
-- | 1 | 2 |
Local government |
1 | 4 | 9 |
Footnotes: |
|||
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. 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. |
Occupation (1) | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total |
46 | 47 | 100 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations |
4 | 1 | 2 |
Forest, conservation, and logging workers |
3 | 1 | 2 |
Logging workers |
3 | 1 | 2 |
Fallers |
3 | 1 | 2 |
Construction and extraction occupations |
9 | 9 | 19 |
Extraction workers |
1 | 5 | 11 |
Underground mining machine operators |
1 | 3 | 6 |
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations |
-- | 4 | 9 |
Production occupations |
-- | 5 | 11 |
Transportation and material moving occupations |
20 | 13 | 28 |
Motor vehicle operators |
16 | 10 | 21 |
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers |
-- | 10 | 21 |
Footnotes: |
|||
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. 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. |
Worker characteristics | 2019 | 2020 | |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Number | Percent | |
Total |
46 | 47 | 100 |
Employee status |
|||
Wage and salary workers (1) |
42 | 40 | 85 |
Self-employed (2) |
4 | 7 | 15 |
Gender |
|||
Men |
44 | 42 | 89 |
Women |
2 | 5 | 11 |
Age (3) |
|||
25 to 34 years |
3 | 11 | 23 |
35 to 44 years |
11 | 13 | 28 |
45 to 54 years |
11 | 9 | 19 |
55 to 64 years |
7 | 4 | 9 |
65 years and over |
8 | 8 | 17 |
Race or ethnic origin (4) |
|||
White, non-Hispanic |
43 | 39 | 83 |
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic |
3 | 5 | 11 |
Footnotes: |
|||
NOTE: Data for all years are final. Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. For complete information on how the data are coded and presented see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. 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: Monday, March 28, 2022