Texas Sees Uptick in Fatal Occupational Injuries

Preliminary data show that there was a 3 percent increase in fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2014 over the previous year, state workers’ compensation insurance regulators report.

The Texas Department of Insurance-Division of Workers’ Compensation said there were 524 fatal occupational injuries in Texas in 2014, according to preliminary data from the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). There 508 fatal work-related injuries in 2013.

Nationally, there were 4,679 fatal occupational injuries.

The rate of fatal occupational injuries in Texas was 4.4 per 100,000 full-time employees in 2013, the latest year state fatality rates are available.

Fatal occupational injury rates for 2014 at the state level will not be available until spring 2016, with the release of the final CFOI data.

Incidence rates for non-fatal injuries and illnesses by industry for 2014 will be released in October.

In 2013, the Texas private sector incidence rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses was 2.6 per 100 full-time employees, while the national rate was 3.3 per 100 full-time employees. The Texas non-fatal incidence rate has been below the national rate since data collection began in 1990.

Transportation incidents were the leading cause of fatal occupational injuries, accounting for 45 percent in 2014, the DWC said.

The major occupation group with the highest number of fatalities was transportation and material moving occupations, with 172 incidents. This was a 6 percent increase from the 163 incidents in 2013. Of these, 65 percent were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, with 112 incidents. This was a 2 percent increase in fatal injuries from the 110 incidents in 2013.

The construction and extraction occupations had the second highest number of fatalities with 124 incidents. Of these, 57 percent were construction trades workers (71 incidents), a decrease of 12 percent (81 incidents) from 2013. More than a quarter (27 percent) involved extraction workers (34 incidents), an increase of 21 percent from 2013 (28 incidents).

Source: TDI-DWC