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News Release Information

22-443-CHI
Thursday, April 07, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Fatal Work Injuries in Illinois — 2020

Fatal work injuries totaled 135 in 2020 for Illinois, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that the number of work-related fatalities in Illinois was down from the previous year. (See chart 1.) Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 262 in 1996 to a low of 135 in 2020.

Nationwide, a total of 4,764 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2020, an 11-percent decrease from 5,333 in 2019, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). The 4,764 fatal occupational injuries in 2020 represents the lowest annual number since 2013.


Fatal event or exposure

In Illinois, transportation incidents resulted in 55 fatal work injuries and accounted for 41 percent of all fatal workplace injuries in the state. (See chart 2 and table 1.) Worker deaths from transportation incidents were up from 53 over the year.

Falls, slips, and trips was the second-most frequent fatal workplace event with 24 fatalities, down from 26 in 2019. Violence or other injuries by persons or animals resulted in 22 fatalities, down from 31 in the prior year. Contact with objects or equipment resulted in 17 work-related deaths compared to 23 in 2019.

Nationally, transportation incidents were 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).


Industry

The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in Illinois with 27, up from 24 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents resulted in 19 of the 27 fatalities in the industry. The general freight trucking industry group accounted for 14 of the 19 fatal workplace injuries in the transportation and warehousing industry.

The private construction industry sector had 21 fatal workplace injuries, down from 30 in the previous year. The specialty trade contractors subsector accounted for 13, or 62 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

The transportation and material moving occupational group had the highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 39. (See table 3.) Motor vehicle operators accounted for 31 of the 39 fatalities among transportation and material moving workers. The construction and extraction occupational group had the second-highest number of fatal workplace injuries with 20, followed by installation, maintenance, and repair occupations with 15. Construction trades workers suffered 17 of the work-related deaths within the construction and extraction occupational group.

Additional highlights
  • Men accounted for 93 percent of the work-related fatalities in Illinois, similar to the national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 42 percent of the fatalities for men in Illinois.

  • White non-Hispanics accounted for 72 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 61 percent of work-related deaths.

  • Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 54 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2020, compared to 56 percent of on-the-job fatalities nationally.

  • Of the 135 fatal work injuries in Illinois, 81 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remainder were self-employed. The most frequent fatal event for both wage and salary workers and self-employed workers was transportation incidents. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals also was 8 for self-employed, same as transportation incidents.

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 at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-on-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-compensation-and-occupational-requirements.htm


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 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 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 thanks the Illinois Department of Public Health 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, Illinois, 2019–20
Event or exposure (1) 2019 2020
Number Number Percent

Total

158 135 100

Violence and other injuries by persons or animals

31 22 16

Intentional injury by person

29 21 16

Intentional injury by other person

21 14 10

Shooting by other person--intentional

18 8 6

Stabbing, cutting, slashing, piercing

1 3 2

Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving

-- 1 1

Self-inflicted injury--intentional

8 7 5

Injury by person--unintentional or intent unknown

-- 1 1

Injury by other person--unintentional or intent unknown

-- 1 1

Shooting by other person--unintentional

-- 1 1

Transportation incidents

53 55 41

Aircraft incidents

-- 3 2

Other in-flight crash

-- 3 2

Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground

-- 3 2

Rail vehicle incidents

5 3 2

Pedestrian vehicular incident

14 10 7

Pedestrian struck by vehicle on side of road

4 3 2

Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area

4 3 2

Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle

29 30 22

Roadway collision with other vehicle

20 15 11

Roadway collision--moving in same direction

7 4 3

Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming

5 1 1

Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly

3 7 5

Roadway collision--moving and standing vehicle in roadway

-- 3 2

Roadway collision with object other than vehicle

3 7 5

Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway

3 6 4

Roadway noncollision incident

6 8 6

Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicles

5 9 7

Nonroadway noncollision incident

-- 7 5

Jack-knifed or overturned, nonroadway

-- 5 4

Fires and explosions

-- -- --

Falls, slips, trips

26 24 18

Falls on same level

-- 6 4

Falls to lower level

18 16 12

Exposure to harmful substances or environments

17 -- --

Contact with objects and equipment

23 17 13

Struck by object or equipment

16 12 9

Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle

8 6 4

Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects

4 3 2

Caught in running equipment or machinery

3 3 2

Struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material

-- 2 1

Engulfment in other collapsing material

-- 2 1

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. 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.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by industry, Illinois, 2019–20
Industry (1) 2019 2020
Number Number Percent

Total

158 135 100

Private industry (2)

139 126 93

Goods producing

-- -- --

Natural resources and mining

-- 14 10

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

15 13 10

Crop production

12 11 8

Oilseed and grain farming

10 9 7

Soybean farming

1 1 1

Corn farming

8 8 6

Other crop farming

-- 1 1

All other crop farming

-- 1 1

Animal production and aquaculture

-- 1 1

Poultry and egg production

-- 1 1

Forestry and logging

-- 1 1

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (3)

-- 1 1

Mining (except oil and gas)

-- 1 1

Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying

-- 1 1

Construction

30 21 16

Construction

30 21 16

Construction of buildings

-- 4 3

Heavy and civil engineering construction

4 4 3

Specialty trade contractors

-- 13 10

Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors

-- 5 4

Roofing contractors

-- 3 2

Building equipment contractors

-- 4 3

Building finishing contractors

-- 3 2

Finish carpentry contractors

-- 1 1

Other specialty trade contractors

-- 1 1

Site preparation contractors

-- 1 1

Manufacturing

-- 13 10

Manufacturing

-- 13 10

Machinery manufacturing

-- 9 7

Industrial machinery manufacturing

-- 1 1

Industrial machinery manufacturing

-- 1 1

Service providing (4)

-- -- --

Trade, transportation, and utilities

36 46 34

Utilities

1 1 1

Utilities

1 1 1

Electric power generation, transmission and distribution

1 1 1

Electric power transmission, control, and distribution

1 1 1

Wholesale trade

6 9 7

Merchant wholesalers, durable goods

3 5 4

Machinery, equipment, and supplies merchant wholesalers

-- 2 1

Construction and mining (except oil well) machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers

-- 1 1

Industrial machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers

-- 1 1

Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods

3 4 3

Farm product raw material merchant wholesalers

1 2 1

Grain and field bean merchant wholesalers

1 2 1

Retail trade

5 9 7

Food and beverage stores

1 4 3

Grocery stores

1 1 1

Convenience stores

-- 1 1

Specialty food stores

-- 1 1

Other specialty food stores

-- 1 1

Confectionery and nut stores

-- 1 1

Beer, wine, and liquor stores

-- 2 1

Beer, wine, and liquor stores

-- 2 1

Health and personal care stores

-- 2 1

Health and personal care stores

-- 2 1

Gasoline stations

1 1 1

Gasoline stations

1 1 1

Transportation and warehousing

24 27 20

Truck transportation

17 18 13

General freight trucking

12 14 10

General freight trucking, local

6 4 3

General freight trucking, long-distance

5 8 6

Specialized freight trucking

5 4 3

Specialized freight (except used goods) trucking, long-distance

5 4 3

Transit and ground passenger transportation

2 2 1

Taxi and limousine service

2 2 1

Support activities for transportation

-- 4 3

Support activities for water transportation

-- 1 1

Navigational services to shipping

-- 1 1

Information

-- -- --

Financial activities

-- 4 3

Real estate and rental and leasing

-- 4 3

Professional and business services

9 14 10

Professional, scientific, and technical services

-- 5 4

Professional, scientific, and technical services

-- 5 4

Architectural, engineering, and related services

-- 1 1

Engineering services

-- 1 1

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services

-- 2 1

Environmental consulting services

-- 2 1

Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services

7 9 7

Administrative and support services

7 8 6

Investigation and security services

-- 1 1

Investigation, guard, and armored car services

-- 1 1

Security guards and patrol services

-- 1 1

Services to buildings and dwellings

-- 7 5

Landscaping services

-- 7 5

Waste management and remediation services

-- 1 1

Waste collection

-- 1 1

Waste collection

-- 1 1

Solid waste collection

-- 1 1

Educational and health services

-- 5 4

Educational services

-- 1 1

Educational services

-- 1 1

Technical and trade schools

-- 1 1

Technical and trade schools

-- 1 1

Flight training

-- 1 1

Health care and social assistance

-- 4 3

Leisure and hospitality

13 -- --

Accommodation and food services

11 5 4

Other services, except public administration

11 -- --

Government (5)

19 9 7

Federal government

-- 1 1

State government

5 -- --

Local government

12 6 4

Footnotes:
(1) CFOI has used several versions of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) since 2003 to define industry. For complete information on the version of NAICS used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm.
(2) Cases where ownership is unknown are included in private industry counts.
(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) Cases where industry is unknown are included in the service sector counts.
(5) Includes fatal injuries to workers employed by governmental organizations regardless of industry. Cases classified as foreign government and other government are included in all government counts, but not displayed separately.

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.

Table 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Illinois, 2019–20
Occupation (1) 2019 2020
Number Number Percent

Total

158 135 100

Management occupations

20 6 4

Business and financial operations occupations

-- -- --

Computer and mathematical occupations

-- -- --

Architecture and engineering occupations

-- -- --

Life, physical, and social science occupations

-- -- --

Community and social service occupations

1 2 1

Counselors, social workers, and other community and social service specialists

-- 2 1

Social workers

-- 1 1

Legal occupations

-- -- --

Educational instruction and library occupations

-- -- --

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations

1 -- --

Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

-- -- --

Healthcare support occupations

-- -- --

Protective service occupations

17 8 6

Other protective service workers

6 3 2

Food preparation and serving related occupations

4 -- --

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations

5 9 7

Personal care and service occupations

-- -- --

Sales and related occupations

7 9 7

Supervisors of sales workers

-- 5 4

First-line supervisors of sales workers

-- 5 4

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

-- 4 3

First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers

-- 1 1

Office and administrative support occupations

6 1 1

Information and record clerks

-- 1 1

Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

-- 1 1

Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

-- 1 1

Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations

4 6 4

Agricultural workers

3 5 4

Miscellaneous agricultural workers

3 5 4

Construction and extraction occupations

30 20 15

Construction trades workers

24 17 13

Carpenters

-- 3 2

Carpenters

-- 3 2

Construction laborers

10 6 4

Construction laborers

10 6 4

Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

11 15 11

Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, and repairers

5 6 4

Other installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

5 7 5

Industrial machinery installation, repair, and maintenance workers

-- 3 2

Line installers and repairers

-- 1 1

Electrical power-line installers and repairers

-- 1 1

Production occupations

7 8 6

Metal workers and plastic workers

-- 6 4

Transportation and material moving occupations

41 39 29

Motor vehicle operators

31 31 23

Material moving workers

-- 5 4

Footnotes:
(1) CFOI has used several versions of the Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) system since 2003 to define occupation. For complete information on the version of SOC used in this year, see our definitions page at https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfdef.htm. Cases where occupation is unknown are included in the total.

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.

Table 4. Fatal occupational injuries by selected demographic characteristics, Illinois, 2019–20
Worker characteristics 2019 2020
Number Number Percent

Total

158 135 100

Employee status

Wage and salary workers (1)

129 109 81

Self-employed (2)

29 26 19

Gender

Men

142 125 93

Women

16 10 7

Age (3)

Under 16 years

-- 1 1

18 to 19 years

2 1 1

20 to 24 years

8 4 3

25 to 34 years

28 25 19

35 to 44 years

32 25 19

45 to 54 years

31 23 17

55 to 64 years

34 38 28

65 years and over

23 18 13

Race or ethnic origin (4)

White, non-Hispanic

116 97 72

Black or African-American, non-Hispanic

18 15 11

Hispanic or Latino

17 18 13

Asian, non-Hispanic

-- 5 4

Footnotes:
(1) May include volunteers and workers receiving other types of compensation. Cases where employment status is unknown are included in the counts of wage and salary workers.
(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. Cases where ethnicity is unknown are included in counts of non-Hispanic workers.

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: Thursday, April 07, 2022