Transportation activities accounted for most on-job fatalities in 2005

Workplace deaths rise in Texas and Ark.; Okla. reports lower private sector fatalities but higher rates in public sector

Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma all experienced higher rates of workplace fatalities in 2005, as compared to 2004. However, the total number of workplace deaths dropped by 15 in Louisiana last year. Transportation-related activities were a factor in the majority of on-the-job deaths in each of those states, according to reports released by the states’ respective departments of labor or workers’ compensation commissions in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In Oklahoma, while private sector workplace deaths decreased last year, an increase in public sector fatalities pushed the overall number in 2005 slightly higher, up four percent, totaling 95 fatalities compared with 91 in 2004, the Oklahoma Department of Labor reported. Private sector fatalities fell from 86 in 2004 to 84 in 2005, but public sector job deaths jumped from five fatalities in 2004 to 11 in 2005 because of an increase in transportation-related incidents.

Texas in 2005 recorded a 12.5 percent increase in the number of work-related fatalities, for a total of 495 fatal occupational injuries, compared to 440 fatalities in 2004. The Texas Depart-ment of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) compiles information on all work-related fatalities occurring in Texas for the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, a program jointly administered with the BLS.

Louisiana recorded a total of 106 workplace fatalities in 2005, down from 2004’s total of 121.

Transportation: a leading cause of deaths
Transportation incidents accounted for 57 deaths or 60 percent of all work-related fatalities in 2005 in Okla-homa, compared with 48 percent in 2004. Of these, 46, or 80 percent, resulted from highway accidents. There were 20 truck driver deaths, accounting for 21 percent of all job-related fatalities. According to Oklahoma Labor Commis-sioner Brenda Reneau, transportation-related deaths occurred in almost all industry sectors.

In Texas last year, transportation incidents were the leading cause of occupational fatalities as well; 200 persons were killed in transportation incidents in Texas in 2005, a 3 percent increase from 2004. Sixty-six percent of all transportation incidents occurred on highways; 19 percent were mobile equipment related, and 10 percent involved pedestrian workers who were struck by vehicles or mobile equipment in parking lots or non-roadway areas. Thirty-seven percent of the transportation incident fatalities occurred in the transportation and material moving occupations.

For the twelfth year in a row, the most workplace deaths in Arkansas also occurred in transportation incidents, the Arkansas Department of Labor reported. In 2005, transportation accounted for 53 of the 80 fatal occupational injuries, or 66 percent of the fatal occupational injuries. In 2004, the state had 32 transportation-related occupational deaths.

In Louisiana transportation incidents were also responsible for the largest number of on-the-job deaths–52; down from 56 in 2004.

Other causes
In Arkansas, deaths due to falls were down from 10 in 2004 to eight in 2005 and fatalities resulting from contact with objects and equipment were down from13 in 2004 to 9 in 2005. Wage and salary workers were represented in 69 of the employee fatalities in 2005. Men accounted for 79 of the 80 fatal occupational injuries last year, and 52 of fatally injured workers in 2005 were in the age group 25 to 54 years old. The occupations of transportation/material moving operations accounted for 33 of the fatalities in 2005.

Following transportation incidents, in Texas, contact with objects and equipment accounted for the second highest cause of fatalities, or 16 percent. In 2005, there was nearly a 4 percent increase in the number of fatalities involving contact with objects and equipment. Twenty-eight percent of these fatalities occurred in construction occupations.

The number of deaths that resulted from assaults and violent acts increased by 24 percent in 2005 compared to 2004. A total of 67 persons died in Texas as the result of workplace assaults and violent acts in 2005.

The highest number of Texas fatalities from assaults and violent acts occurred in the trade, transportation and utility industries (28 percent).

At the national level, assaults declined 3 percent (787 fatalities). Nationally, 34 percent of the workplace fatalities due to assaults and violent acts occurred in the trade, transportation and utility occupations (268 fatalities).

Women accounted for slightly over 5 percent of the total fatalities in Texas. Women were victims of transportation incidents in 38 percent of the cases, and the victims of assaults and violent acts in 42 percent of the cases.

In Oklahoma contact with objects or equipment and falls each accounted for 10 job-related deaths or, collectively, 21 percent of all fatal occupational injuries recorded in 2005. Compared with the previous year, contact with objects or equipment dropped 23 percent from 13 fatalities in 2004 while the number of job deaths resulting from falls was unchanged.

Assaults and violent acts recorded nine workplace deaths in 2005, down 18 percent from 2004 and almost 44 percent fewer incidents than in 2003. Homicides accounted for eight of the nine job-related deaths last year, up 14 percent from 2004 but still below the 10 incidents reported in 2003.

Men accounted for almost 93 percent of job deaths in 2005, the Oklahoma DOL reported, up from 90 percent in 2004 but about the same as in 2003. Among all workers, 78 percent were age 35 years or older, up from 70 percent the previous year while 5 percent were under the age of 24, down from 9 percent recorded in 2004.

The goods producing sector in Oklahoma, which includes mining, construction and manufacturing accounted for 46 (48.4 percent) of workplace fatalities in 2005. The service providing sector, which includes trade, transportation and utilities, professional and business services and public administration (government), recorded 49 (51.6 percent) job deaths last year.

After transportation, contact with objects and equipment caused the highest number of deaths in Louisiana–18, compared with 22 in 2004. Exposure to harmful substances or environments was the cause of 13 fatalities in 2005, up from 9 in 2004. Falls accounted for 10 workplace fatalities in 2005; there were 11 in 2004. There were 11 death resulting assaults or violent acts in the workplace in Louisiana in 2005; 10 of those were homicides. However, there were 22 deaths related to assaults or violent acts in 2004; of which 20 were homicides.

As in the other states, men accounted for most of the deaths in Louisiana’s workplaces–97, compared with 9 fatalities for women.

In total, there were 5,702 fatalities in the U.S. in 2005, about a 1 percent decrease from the revised total of 5,764 fatal work injuries reported in 2004, according to the most recently available data from the CFOI.