Fatal work injuries totaled 69 in 2015 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 88 in 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 4,836 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2015, a slight increase from the 4,821 fatal injuries in 2014, according to the results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program.

Type of incident

In Arizona, transportation incidents resulted in 29 fatal work injuries and violence and other injuries by persons or animals accounted for 15 fatalities. These two major categories accounted for 64 percent of all workplace fatalities in the state. (See table 1.) The number of worker deaths from transportation incidents fell by four over the year and worker fatalities due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals were little changed.

Falls, slips, or trips was the third-most frequent fatal work event with 10 fatalities, down from 14 in the prior year. Contact with objects and equipment resulted in eight work-related deaths, similar to the count in 2014.

Nationally, transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2015, accounting for approximately 42 percent of fatal work injuries. (See chart 2.) Falls, slips, or trips was the second-most frequent type of event (17 percent), followed by contact with objects and equipment (15 percent).

Industry

The private transportation and warehousing industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in Arizona with 22, up from 16 in the previous year. (See table 2.) Transportation incidents were the most frequent fatal event in the transportation and warehousing sector with 15 worker deaths, followed by violence and other injuries by persons or animals with 6 fatalities. More than half of those fatally injured in this sector worked in truck transportation.

The private construction sector had 12 workplace fatalities, down from 17 in the previous year. Specialty trade contracters accounted for nine, or 75 percent, of the fatal injuries in this industry.

Occupation

Transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations had the highest number of workplace fatalities with 25 and 10, respectively. (See table 3.) The majority of the fatalities within the transportation and material moving group were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (14). Construction trades workers accounted for 8 of the 10 fatalities among construction and extraction workers.

Additional highlights:

• Men accounted for 91 percent of the work-related fatalities in Arizona, similar to the 93-percent national share. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up 40 percent of the fatalities for men in Arizona.
• White non-Hispanics accounted for 57 percent of those who died from a workplace injury. Nationwide, this group accounted for 67 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old accounted for 65 percent of the state’s work-related fatalities in 2015, compared to 57 percent nationally.
• Of the 69 fatally-injured workers 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, while violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the most frequent for self-employed workers.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI), part of the BLS Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSHS) program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the U.S. during the calendar year. The CFOI program uses diverse 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 2015 data, over 21,400 unique source documents were reviewed as part of the data collection process. For technical information and definitions for CFOI, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch9.pdf.

Federal/State agency coverage. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries includes data for all fatal work injuries, whether the decedent was working in a job covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or other federal or state agencies or was outside the scope of regulatory coverage. Thus, any comparison between the BLS fatality census counts and those released by other agencies should take into account the different coverage requirements and definitions being used by each agency.

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, 2014–15

Event or exposure (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	88	69	100
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	16	15	22
Intentional injury by person	13	15	22
Homicides (Intentional injury by other person)	11	8	12
Shooting by other person--intentional	10	6	9
Hitting, kicking, beating, shoving	--	1	1
Suicides (Self-inflicted injury--intentional)	--	7	10
Shooting--intentional self-harm	--	4	6
Transportation incidents	33	29	42
Aircraft incidents	6	4	6
Other in-flight crash	--	3	4
Other in-flight crash into structure, object, or ground	--	3	4
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle	20	23	33
Roadway collision with other vehicle	9	10	14
Roadway collision--moving in same direction	--	4	6
Roadway collision--moving in opposite directions, oncoming	5	3	4
Roadway collision--moving perpendicularly	--	3	4
Roadway collision with object other than vehicle	5	7	10
Vehicle struck object or animal on side of roadway	5	6	9
Roadway noncollision incident	6	5	7
Jack-knifed or overturned, roadway	5	5	7
Fires and explosions	--	1	1
Explosions	--	1	1
Falls, slips, trips	14	10	14
Falls to lower level	11	9	13
Other fall to lower level	8	9	13
Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet	--	3	4
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	14	6	9
Contact with objects and equipment	9	8	12
Struck by object or equipment	8	5	7
Struck by falling object or equipment--other than powered vehicle	--	3	4
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, 2014–15

Industry (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	88	69	100
Private industry	74	63	91
Natural resources and mining	5	4	6
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	5	4	6
Crop production	--	3	4
Fruit and tree nut farming	--	1	1
Noncitrus fruit and tree nut farming	--	1	1
Tree nut farming	--	1	1
Support activities for agriculture and forestry	3	1	1
Support activities for crop production	--	1	1
Support activities for crop production	--	1	1
Farm management services	--	1	1
Construction	17	12	17
Construction	17	12	17
Construction of buildings	3	3	4
Nonresidential building construction	--	3	4
Specialty trade contractors	11	9	13
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	3	4	6
Building finishing contractors	4	3	4
Manufacturing	3	4	6
Manufacturing	3	4	6
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing	--	3	4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	24	30	43
Wholesale trade	5	3	4
Merchant wholesalers, durable goods	4	2	3
Metal and mineral (except petroleum) merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Metal service centers and other metal merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Miscellaneous durable goods merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Recyclable material merchant wholesalers	--	1	1
Retail trade	3	5	7
Gasoline stations	1	3	4
Gasoline stations	1	3	4
Gasoline stations with convenience stores	1	3	4
Transportation and warehousing	16	22	32
Air transportation	2	1	1
Scheduled air transportation	--	1	1
Scheduled air transportation	--	1	1
Scheduled passenger air transportation	--	1	1
Truck transportation	11	13	19
General freight trucking	10	11	16
General freight trucking, long-distance	8	9	13
General freight trucking, long-distance, truckload	4	5	7
Transit and ground passenger transportation	--	5	7
Taxi and limousine service	--	5	7
Taxi service	--	1	1
Limousine service	--	4	6
Support activities for transportation	--	3	4
Financial activities	3	--	--
Professional and business services	7	5	7
Administrative and waste services	6	5	7
Administrative and support services	6	5	7
Services to buildings and dwellings	4	3	4
Landscaping services	4	3	4
Educational and health services	4	5	7
Health care and social assistance	3	4	6
Ambulatory health care services	--	4	6
Leisure and hospitality	5	--	--
Other services, except public administration	4	--	--
Government (2)	14	6	9
Federal government	4	3	4
State government	--	--	--
Local government	9	1	1
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.
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 3. Fatal occupational injuries by occupation, Arizona, 2014–15

Occupation (1)	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	88	69	100
Management occupations	--	3	4
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	--	1	1
Health technologists and technicians	--	1	1
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	--	1	1
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics	--	1	1
Protective service occupations	10	4	6
Law enforcement workers	8	1	1
Police officers	8	1	1
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	8	1	1
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations	6	3	4
Grounds maintenance workers	6	3	4
Grounds maintenance workers	6	3	4
Sales and related occupations	5	4	6
Retail sales workers	3	3	4
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	--	4	6
Agricultural workers	--	4	6
Miscellaneous agricultural workers	--	4	6
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse	--	2	3
Construction and extraction occupations	15	10	14
Construction trades workers	12	8	12
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	7	3	4
Production occupations	--	4	6
Welding, soldering, and brazing workers	--	1	1
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers	--	1	1
Transportation and material moving occupations	31	25	36
Air transportation workers	4	1	1
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers	4	1	1
Commercial pilots	4	1	1
Motor vehicle operators	20	22	32
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers	17	15	22
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	14	14	20
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	--	4	6
Taxi drivers and chauffeurs	--	4	6
Miscellaneous motor vehicle operators	--	3	4
Material moving workers	7	1	1
Laborers and material movers, hand	4	1	1
Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand	3	1	1
Footnotes: (1) Occupation data are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, 2010.
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 4. Fatal occupational injuries by worker characteristics, Arizona, 2014–15

Worker characteristics	2014	2015
	Number	Number	Percent
Total	88	69	100
Employee status
Wage and salary workers (1)	82	60	87
Self-employed (2)	6	9	13
Gender
Men	83	63	91
Women	5	6	9
Age (3)
20 to 24 years	5	5	7
25 to 34 years	15	9	13
35 to 44 years	14	12	17
45 to 54 years	22	24	35
55 to 64 years	19	11	16
65 years and over	12	8	12
Race or ethnic origin (4)
White, non-Hispanic	49	39	57
Black or African-American, non-Hispanic	--	3	4
Hispanic or Latino	31	18	26
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 Hispanic and Latino workers.
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.