U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Southeast Information Office

Fatal work injuries totaled 63 in 2011 for Mississippi, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that while the 2011 count was preliminary, the number of work-related fatalities in Mississippi declined by five over the year. Fatal occupational injuries in the state have ranged from a high of 128 in 1995 and 1999 to the current low of 63. Over the last three years, the number of fatalities has generally trended downward, declining by 17 since 2008. (See chart 1.)

Nationwide, a preliminary total of 4,609 fatal work injuries were recorded in 2011, down from the final count of 4,690 fatalities recorded in 2010, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program. Final 2011 data from the CFOI program will be released in spring 2013.

Of the 63 fatal work injuries reported in Mississippi in 2011, 31 resulted from transportation incidents, 9 from contact with objects and equipment, and 9 from violence and other injuries by persons or animals; together these three major categories accounted for more than three-quarters of all fatal work injuries. Other major event categories each reported less than 9 deaths. (See table 1.) Within transportation incidents, roadway incidents was the most frequent type of workplace fatality with 21 deaths, accounting for one-third of all on-the-job fatalities in the state. The second largest event in transportation incidents, water vehicle incidents, accounted for six fatalities. In the contact with objects and equipment category, eight deaths occurred from being struck by an object or equipment. In the violence and other injuries by persons or animals category, seven deaths resulted from intentional injury by other person.

In the United States, transportation incidents were also the most frequent fatal workplace event in 2011, accounting for 41 percent of fatal work injuries. Mississippi's 49-percent share of on-the-job fatalities due to this event was larger than the nationwide share. (See chart 2.) On the other hand, violence and other injuries was the second most frequent type of event nationally, with 17 percent of work-related fatalities, 3 percentage points higher than the share in Mississippi. Contact with objects or equipment (15 percent) and falls, slips, and trips (14 percent) were the third and fourth most frequent events, respectively, in the nation.

Additional key characteristics:

• The agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry sector had the largest number of fatalities in the state with 10, up from 8 the previous year. (See table 2.)Transportation incidents accounted for six of the worker deaths.
• The construction and the transportation and warehousing industries each had nine fatalities in the state. Over-the year, the transportation and warehousing industry saw a decline of five fatalities and the construction industry saw a decline of four fatalities.
• Transportation and material moving occupations had the highest number of fatal work injuries with 16. (See table 3.) The majority of these fatalities were heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (12). Workers in construction and extraction occupations had the next highest fatality count at seven.
• Men accounted for 55, or 87 percent, of the work-related fatalities in the state. (See table 4.) Transportation incidents made up nearly half of these fatalities. .
• In Mississippi, 63 percent of those who died from a workplace injury were white non-Hispanics. Nationwide, this group accounted for 71 percent of work-related deaths.
• Workers 25-54 years old—the prime working age group—accounted for 40, or 63 percent, of the state's work-related fatalities in 2011. This was similar to the national data, where workers in this group accounted for 60 percent of on-the-job fatalities.
• Of the 63 workers that suffered fatal work injuries in Mississippi, 84 percent worked for wages and salaries; the remaining were self-employed. Among wage and salary workers, 29 fatalities were due to transportation incidents, while violence and other injuries by persons or animals was the most common fatality among self-employed workers (4).

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.

Technical Note

Background of the program. The Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, part of the BLS occupational safety and health statistics program, compiles a count of all fatal work injuries occurring in the United States during the calendar year. The program uses diverse state, federal, and independent data sources to identify, verify, and describe fatal work injuries. This assures counts are as complete and accurate as possible.

For technical information about the CFOI program, please go to the BLS Handbook of Methods on the BLS web site here: http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1.htm. The technical information and definitions for the CFOI Program are in Chapter 9, Part III of the BLS Handbook of Methods.

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. The Bureau of Labor Statistics appreciates the efforts of all federal, state, local, and private sector entities that submitted source documents used to identify fatal work injuries, in particular the Mississippi Division of Labor Services.

Last Modified Date: November 29, 2012